Subject: [Fwd: The Darwin Documentary Film]

From: "R.Stephens" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 20:58:55 +0000

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	The Darwin Documentary Film
Date: 	Tue, 19 Sep 2006 09:32:57 -0400
From: 	Barak Goodman <[email-masked]>
To: 	[email-masked]

Dear Dr. Stephens:

I apologize for the delay in responding to your generous invitation  
to work on a major biographical film about Charles Darwin.  I wanted  
to give your proposal careful thought before responding; still, my  
reaction must necessarily be somewhat knee-jerk and ill-informed.

There are really two things to think about before embarking on  
something like this: should it be made and can it be made. The first  
question seems easily answered. The subject passes all the tests:  
it's topical, dramatic, complex, narrative, and important. My only  
hesitation would be that a very big series called Evolution was  
fairly recently aired on PBS. You'll need to have that in mind as you  
proceed, and try to differentiate yourself wherever possible. The  
second question is much harder to answer. A series like this will  
cost millions of dollars. Do you have plans for where you might raise  
the money, or are you going to depend on your filmmaker/partner to  
solve that problem?

As for my own involvement, I would say that in general I'd be  
thrilled to work on such an ambitious and worthy project. Like many  
right-thinking people, I've watched the back-sliding on evolution  
with horror and wondered how I could do my part to banish the forces  
of ignorance. I had Stephen J. Gould in college and remember how  
incredible he was in fighting back against the anti-evolutionists. To  
actually be able to make a major film on the subject would be deeply  
satisfying. On the other hand, I'm not now in the position in my life  
to roll the boulder up the hill from the very bottom. If you needed  
advice and consulting at this stage, I'd be happy to help, and if you  
decided later that you wanted me to direct one or more of the films,  
I'd be honored. If, however, you need someone to raise the money,  
write the proposals, do basic research and scouting -- that's a  
little too much for me to take on right now.

Please let me know a little more about how you plan to proceed. In  
the meantime, accept my gratitude for thinking of me. Whatever  
happens, I wish you the best of luck and look forward to what I'm  
sure will be a fantastic production.

Best,

Barak Goodman