Overview
The Science Media Production Center is a professional video production unit working within International Programs of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University. We produce non-fiction science-based films and videos for clients across the University who value the importance of visual media for science communication and education.
Event Recording and Live Streaming
Since 2011 our event recording and live streaming services have captured more than 400 Cornell events for archive and distribution to audiences worldwide. Our clients release these videos through Cornell outreach channels like Cornell Cast, as well as through their own websites and social media pages. We also feature our client's videos on our youtube channel.
This work supports Cornell University’s commitment to
public engagement and public impact, strengthening the
land grant mission of the university.
We offer unique video packages specific to each client's needs. Your event's video will include slides, branding, and other media used during the event. For the most popular events we can live stream the video to your website or breakout-room in real-time, bringing Cornell’s events to the largest audience possible.
Science Advocacy
The Science Media Production Center supports Cornell research projects through the production of science advocacy films and animations for use by the general public, donors, and project partners. This involves seeking out the real-world implications of research through dynamic storytelling and interviews. This content can be used as part of your broader communications strategy to promote the significance of your research objectives in social and traditional media outlets.
International Work
We use media to tell the stories behind Cornell’s research, wherever in the world that may take us. This involves bringing the personal stories of the beneficiaries and stakeholders of Cornell’s research into the public spotlight. From small-holder farmers’ eggplant plantations in Bangladesh to the wheat research fields of Ethiopia, we capture the human stories that drive Cornell’s research at home and abroad.
Education and Training
Cornell researchers use our production services to develop content for internal capacity building and training. The Science Media Production Center produces educational videos which help research projects standardize their methods and best-practices. Our videos are used worldwide to teach important scientific concepts at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels.
Contact Us for a Quote Today!
The Science Media Production Center provides the best in-house production services to the Cornell community and its research collaborators. Our long list of clients includes: The Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, The National Academy of Engineers, The Department of Human Development, The Division of Nutritional Sciences, UNICEF, Cornell Nutrition Works, The Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, The Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II, The Cornell Alliance for Science, The Rice Diversity Project, The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative, The Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat Project, The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, The Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development, Maddie's Fund, The Cornell Vet School, The Cornell Law School, Cornell Alumni Affairs and Development, The Einaudi Center for International Studies, and the Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design.
Contact us for more information or to reserve a date for your recording.
Chris is a documentary filmmaker, photographer, and journalist. He was formally trained in Television and Radio Documentary Production at the Park School of Communications at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY. He currently leads all content production at the Science Media Production Center. Since joining Cornell University in 2011 he has produced science documentaries for Cornell research projects in 8 countries. He has produced hundreds of videos for Cornell University on a wide range of subjects including neuroscience, plant breeding, genetics, developmental psychology, international relations, architecture, the arts, soil science, sustainability, conservation, nutrition, and global health. In his spare time he enjoys hiking, cycling, and zymurgy.
Contact him at ck536@cornell.edu.
Jeremy Veverka is a cinematographer and filmmaker working for the Cornell Alliance for Science in International Programs at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. Never without a camera, Jeremy has documented ship-wrecking yards in Pakistan, daily life in war-ravaged Afghanistan, the controversial street-racing scene in Tokyo, and a visual essay on the Maoist insurgency in India. With a degree in English from Cornell University and extensive travel experience throughout Asia and the Middle East, Jeremy brings his background in storytelling and international journalism to each of his projects. His personal interests include fireworks and song writing. He was born in Ithaca, NY.
Contact him at jjv11@cornell.edu.
A lifelong journalist and communications strategist, Linda McCandless first became involved in storytelling about agriculture and science at Cornell in 1994, working first as Director of Communication Services at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY, then, from 2003 to 2010, as Director of Communications for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Since 2010 she has had her dream job as Director of Communications for International Programs. There she is primarily focused on internal and external communications about Cornell’s global efforts to help smallholder farmers enhance their food security and livelihoods with crops like wheat, maize, cassava and eggplant. Prior to coming to Cornell, Linda owned and ran a small independent newsweekly and a regional magazine with her husband. She has two children, lives on a small farm in Spencer, raises sheep and rides horses.
Contact her at llm3@cornell.edu.
Stefan has been working on challenging IT issues across the globe related to the web, databases, infrastructure, audio and video for over 10 years. He currently leads the Transnational Learning initiative at Cornell that provides customized blended e-learning experiences to its education and industry partners. His personal interests include sailing and following his kids to various sporting events that they participate in.
Contact him at se57@cornell.edu.
Lucy is a senior Information Science Major that just started working as an IT Communications Student Assistant in International Programs of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University this past year. She enjoys designing websites with HTML, adding interactivity with JavaScript/jQuery, and creating aesthetically appealing layouts with CSS. Other projects she was involved in include the standardization of spreadsheets on worldwide rust measurements. In her free time, she enjoys drawing and exploring the gardens around Ithaca.
Contact her at lh486@cornell.edu.
Click here to view our full video library on Youtube
Event Recording
This video features Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, the President of Iceland, speaking at Cornell Univerisity about how Iceland is pioneering a clean energy economy. This event was recorded and streamed live for the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future at Cornell University.
The Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University invited the award winning author Gary Taubes to speak about popular misconceptions around weight gain and dieting. This video shows how slides and video can be incorporated into a finished video product.
Advocacy and Science Communication
This video was commissioned by the QTL Editing for Crop Improvement Project to help promote the news of a new 5.5 million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation. Learn more at The Rice Diversity Project.
The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative works to combat the threat of rust diseases of wheat worldwide. We filmed this video in Ethiopia to show some of the challenges faced by small-holder wheat farmers.
Filmed at the Northeast USA Rice Conference in Westminster West, Vermont, this video shows some examples of experimental human-powered rice processing equipment which can be utilized by small rice producers.
This technical documentary featuring scientists and farmers uses Ethiopia as a case-study to show how investments in capacity building, infrastructure, and wheat breeding through the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative has helped improve the country's wheat productivity.
Training and Education
We worked with the very talented artist Wenceslao Almazan to produce this animation which has been used to teach the life cycle of the wheat stem rust disease. The video has been used by wheat breeding programs, universities, and research institutes in more than 22 countries.
In this instructional video for plant pathologists working on wheat, we filmed at the Cereal Disease Lab in Minnesota. This video shows how scientists can process and run experiments with samples of the wheat rust fungus from barberry, which is an alternate host for the disease.
Please contact the Science Media Production Center today to reserve a date for your recording.
The Science Media Production Center offers special training packages for your staff and students. We want to give your team the skills necessary to produce quality content for your own media campaigns and e-learning projects.
We teach fundamental skills and industry best practices in the following subjects:
If you or someone in your group might be interested in multimedia production training, please contact us for more information.
Pricing
| Work Type | Rate |
| Event Recording (1 Camera Operator) | $75/hour |
| Event Video Editing | $75/hour (est. 1.5 hours editing for 1 hour of video) |
| Live Streaming | $150/hour |
| Digital File Transfer (Youtube, FTP, Cornellcast, Hard Drive) | Free |
| DVD Transfer | $75 (Up to 5 DVDs) |
| Special Projects | Custom project pricing is available for large projects or those requiring international travel. Please email Chris Knight (ck536@cornell.edu) for a quote and consultation. |
Please contact the Science Media Production Center today to reserve a date for your recording.
Please contact our executive producer, Chris Knight (ck536@cornell.edu) for all inquiries. If you need immediate assistance, please call us at 845-240-0647.
For more information about our learning modules, videoconferencing, or academic support, please visit Cornell Transnational Learning
Mailing Address
Science Media Production Center c/o Chris Knight
B73 Mann Library
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853