Science Storytelling - Scott Z. Burns

TL;DR

Scott Burns discusses the importance of science in storytelling and shares his experiences in incorporating science into his movies.

Transcript

[MUSIC] I could go on for quite some time about the productions that Scott has written, produced, you may have seen the informant. contagion, side effects warm oceans. And I'm very, very pleased to have him here with us today, and he will be with us on some of the other science story telling seminars to talk about his perspectives on science story ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🔬 Storytelling should be influenced by science, rather than categorizing it as a separate genre.
• ❓ Believability and surprising outcomes are crucial in storytelling, following a similar structure to scientific experiments.
• 🧑‍🔬 Collaborating with scientists can ensure accuracy and avoid cliches in storytelling.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is Scott Burns' perspective on science fiction?

Burns believes that most fiction and storytelling should be influenced by science, rather than being labeled as a separate genre. He feels that science fiction being treated as a genre can limit storytelling possibilities.

Q: How does Scott Burns ensure believability in his stories?

Burns emphasizes the importance of staying true to what is scientifically possible. He consults with scientists to understand what can happen and avoids jumping the shark to maintain a sense of realism.

Q: How does Scott Burns address public health concerns in his storytelling?

Burns believes that fear spreads like an epidemic and that there is a failure in storytelling when it comes to public health issues. He states that correct information can alleviate fear and highlights his movie Contagion as an example.

Q: How does Scott Burns use characters in his storytelling?

Burns believes that characters are an essential part of storytelling. He gives the example of using Al Gore as a character in the movie An Inconvenient Truth to recontextualize the public's perception of him and convey the urgency of climate change.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Scott Burns emphasizes the significance of using science in storytelling, stating that most fiction should be influenced by science.

• He highlights the importance of believability and surprising outcomes in storytelling, drawing parallels between storytelling and scientific experiments.

• Burns shares his experiences working on movies like Contagion and Another Earth, where he collaborated with scientists to ensure accuracy and avoid cliches in the storytelling.