2014 NESCent Evolution Video Contest: the finalists

For the fourth time, NESCent organizes the NESCent Evolution Video Contest. For me, this was a good motivation to make a new video just in time to send it in.

Now twelve video’s were chosen by NESCent to be shown next week at the Evolution meeting in Raleigh. I am happy that my video (number 10) is amongst the finalists! Have a look at the videos and if you’re in Raleigh next week, go and vote for your favorite! (Saturday 21 June, 8-10 p.m., Room 402, popcorn provided!)

All the entries can be found on the NESCent website. Here are the twelve finalists:

1. Sex-y Science: Sex Ratios in Patchy Populations

Allison Neal

Sex-y Science: Sex Ratios in Patchy Populations from Allison Neal on Vimeo.

2. Exaptations versus Adaptations

Renske Onstein

Evolution: Exaptations versus Adaptations from Renske Onstein on Vimeo.

3. Please Tap Again

Ana Endara

Video not available 😦

4. Bird Clines

Osmond, et al (Univ. of British Columbia)

Bird Clines from Luc Luc on Vimeo.

5. Using Fitness Landscapes to Visualize Evolution in Action

Randy Olson and Bjørn Østman

Using fitness landscapes to visualize evolution in action from Bjørn Østman on Vimeo.

6. Selfish Gene

Shankar Meyer, Guillaume Vandenesch, Adrien Bernheim

Selfish Gene from François Maginial on Vimeo.

7. Genetic Drift with Origami Ducks

Flo Débarre

Genetic Drift with Origami Ducks from Flo Débarre on Vimeo.

8. Drift

Will Ryan, et al (Florida State University)

Drift from Julia Kunberger on Vimeo.

9. The Adaptive Radiation of Darwin’s Finches

Andrew Hendry

The Adaptive Radiation of Darwin’s Finches – NSESCent/Evolution 2014 edit from Andrew Hendry on Vimeo.

10. Selective Sweeps in HIV

Pleuni Pennings

Selective sweeps in HIV from Pleuni Pennings on Vimeo.

11. The Genetics of Mouse Burrowing

Ariana Kam

The Genetics of Mouse Burrowing from Ariana Kam on Vimeo.

12. Dinosaur

Lori Henriques and Joel Henriques

Dinosaur from Lori Henriques on Vimeo.

How I made a whiteboard movie

Several people have asked me how I made the whiteboard movies about my work (see here and here). So here is a brief explanation.

1. First, I make drawings on paper and write a text that will go with the drawings.

2. Next I make the drawings on a small whiteboard and record it with my iPhone.

Here is a picture of my set-up for making the whiteboard movie. The pink thing is my iPhone 4, which takes the movie. I need several light sources to reduce the shadow from my hand (but they shouldn’t leave a reflection on the whiteboard).

The iPhone is mounted on a tripod with a special iPhone part. Maybe a different camera would be even more convenient, because with the iPhone I cannot zoom, and thus the height of the camera isn’t flexible.

My set-up for making a movie on the kitchen table.

3. After I shoot the movie I import it to iMovie, where I can cut it, speed it up and add a voice-over. I use a simple plug-in microphone for the voice-over. 

4. When everything is done, I ask someone else to look at it and I realize that the story has to be told in a slightly different way, so I start again at step 1!

Making a whiteboard movie is a lot of work, but it is lots of fun too.

If you make one about evolution, consider sending it to the NESCent film festival. You can win a $1000 travel award. Last year my movie about slavemaking ants was the winner: