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New Tv Show - Casting


ajacobs

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As to the veiled methods of communication, the "concept" is unprotected intellectual property, and it seems like everyone operating at that level of the business is perfectly happy to rip off a 'good' idea and try to run with it. Holding on to the 'secret' while promoting the concept is tough to do, and scheming is a critical skill! Witness the fact that this topic's starter was apparently attracted to our Forum's 'gene pool' by a member's post about another fossil hunting reality show!

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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[saving a fossil from natural destruction is the goal. Plain and simple, no matter what side a person is on. ]

...

In the mean time freeze and thaw, hot sun, wind, flooding, animal herds, etc destroy countless fossils relentlessly.

...

Don't forget saving them from manmade destruction! (Quarries etc)

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a few concerns:

it would be embarrassing for one of us to join the show in good faith, then through subsequent editing appear as a sellout amongst our peers.

wardrobe, tools: no goofy trinkets or accessories. purpose built, functional tools and equipment only

I don't think "goofy" and "functional" are mutually exclusive terms...

(Oneida fork is a fairly well balanced relatively heavy chunk of stainless steel and makes nice little combo hammer/digging tool.)

Darrow

post-3218-0-60168900-1347171058_thumb.jpg

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Just my 2 cents on this topic in general: there have been many production companies (small and big) trying to make a fossil collecting reality tv show in the past 2 years and so far none of them seem to have gotten picked up by a major network.

How many production companies? After comparing notes with other dealers; about 12 to 18 different ones!

When you go to a major show like Tucson you'll see 3-4 camera/sound crews for different companies following people around. Still, haven't seen them get picked up.

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OK, I am very new to the site, but I have to spew my thoughts.

Number one, the very first post leaves a "gmail" account to send your info to. I would think if it was a genuine representation of of the company involved, it would be a company account. With that said, it comes across as someone trying to "sell" an idea to a production company, no offense intended, this is how these "reallity" (I don't believe in reallity tv) do it.

Now, as far as TV shows go, if anyone watched shark week this past summer and saw the "sharkzilla" show, I hope everyone noticed the major flaws that were involved in the production. To begin with, the people that "found" the skeletal whale remains were not digging for study, they were digging for profit. This, in my opinion, instantly turned the show into a commercial for their sales. I for one had never heard of them but after the show I googled them and found all of their "for sale" items and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

My next point about the show was that, YES, they found a Meg tooth, but in my opinion it was probably found previous to the show and the "re-found" for production. Yes, she had to pry it from the ground, but she merely had to brush away the matrix from the surface. Next, there was never any mention that the tooth was found next to the whale in question, but they led you to believe that it was from the shark that "bit" the whales head off.

Now they call in an "expert" (a word I don't believe in) in the field of iron working. He is put to the task of building this mega-megalodon. Anybody that knows the workings of the business end of any shark knows that making it work out of steel like it does in real life is impossible, or nearly impossible. After seeing what had been constructed, I stand by those statements. What he actually built was a steel jawed 20 ton press. After which, Hollywood stepped in and started their production run. they had the giant monster bite this and gnaw that, but then they brought in the representation of the whale and guess what? they didn't bite it in half.

What I'm trying to get at in a strange and round about way is, don't buy into the bologna (I would have used a different word but I'm trying to keep the G rating). These guys are out for ratings which turns into money which turns into career climbing. Please don't let these people destroy what you have going here, don't sell your "soul" to these fake people in a fake world that only care about their Beverly Hills bank accounts.

Oh, this is how I explain the word "expert". An "x" represents no, nothing, not at all, and a spurt is a drop of pressurized water, so, an expert is a know nothing drip under pressure. Nobody can know everything there is to know about anything. They can be very studied on the subject and they can write volumes on it and be published, but they cannot know everything. I have met several Ph. D.'s that have admitted they were not experts on the subject of their dissertation but were very knowledgable.

I have to say that I am offended by your comment , "The people that "found" the skeletal whale remains were not digging for study, they were digging for profit ! You couldn't have been further from the truth ! If you had bothered to really look at the entire website you would have learned more about us and what we are doing. This is by no means a profitable business....yes, we are selling some teeth, but anything scientifically significant will be donated or loaned to museums. I don't feel we were "selling our souls" we were just sharing our passion for the hobby and for this area and the amazing fossils it contains. The show talked about our love of fossils not MONEY and for the record it also mentioned that "this is not exact science, but it sure was fun." In my opinion, you're the only one thinking $$$$$$ ... We aren't ! Lisa and Sean Tohill

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I have to say that I am offended by your comment , "The people that "found" the skeletal whale remains were not digging for study, they were digging for profit ! You couldn't have been further from the truth ! If you had bothered to really look at the entire website you would have learned more about us and what we are doing. This is by no means a profitable business....yes, we are selling some teeth, but anything scientifically significant will be donated or loaned to museums. I don't feel we were "selling our souls" we were just sharing our passion for the hobby and for this area and the amazing fossils it contains. The show talked about our love of fossils not MONEY and for the record it also mentioned that "this is not exact science, but it sure was fun." In my opinion, your the only one thinking $$$$$$ ... We aren't ! Lisa and Sean Tohill

I have to say that the best evidence supporting your self-defense above is that the actual fossil in question was DONATED to science!

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I have to say that the best evidence supporting your self-defense above is that the actual fossil in question was DONATED to science!

Thanks Scylia! Our real compensation for all of this came in an email from a 12 year old girl saying that we inspired her to become a paleontologist. :P Gotta love the kids!

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:D

Thanks Scylia! Our real compensation for all of this came in an email from a 12 year old girl saying that we inspired her to become a paleontologist. :P Gotta love the kids!

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I don't think "goofy" and "functional" are mutually exclusive terms...

(Oneida fork is a fairly well balanced relatively heavy chunk of stainless steel and makes nice little combo hammer/digging tool.)

Darrow

please excuse my ignorance, but what is attached to your boots and why :)

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Yeah, I was confused by that too. If Lisa and Sean were out there just for profit, than someone needs to explain to them that they should sell any skulls and skeletons they find - not give them away. That's really bad for business when you give away the big rare things and sell only a few common shark teeth which is what I see for sale on their website: two shark tooth matrix pieces and two small bags with three shark teeth each - not exactly the line of merchandise I would expect from real wheeler-dealers).

They bought the land a couple of years ago and are doing a terrible job cashing in on their "get rich quick scheme."

A few years ago, I was told that a couple was going to be buying some land with STH bonebed on it. I heard they just wanted to have their own place to dig fossils. Now, after some time has passed, Lisa and Sean have shown that they have been having fun digging fossils there. The fact that they also donating scientifically-significant specimens shows that the property has passed from one thoughtful and generous custodian to another.

Jess

I have to say that the best evidence supporting your self-defense above is that the actual fossil in question was DONATED to science!

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Yeah, I was confused by that too. If Lisa and Sean were out there just for profit, than someone needs to explain to them that they should sell any skulls and skeletons they find - not give them away. That's really bad for business when you give away the big rare things and sell only a few common shark teeth which is what I see for sale on their website: two shark tooth matrix pieces and two small bags with three shark teeth each - not exactly the line of merchandise I would expect from real wheeler-dealers).

They bought the land a couple of years ago and are doing a terrible job cashing in on their "get rich quick scheme."

A few years ago, I was told that a couple was going to be buying some land with STH bonebed on it. I heard they just wanted to have their own place to dig fossils. Now, after some time has passed, Lisa and Sean have shown that they have been having fun digging fossils there. The fact that they also donating scientifically-significant specimens shows that the property has passed from one thoughtful and generous custodian to another.

Jess

Hi Jess,

Thanks...and in addition to that...as of now I have not sold one single fossil or shark tooth from the quarry. Sean and I have given a lot of teeth away to family, friends, and neighbor kids! I guess that's why when I read that post it hit a nerve ! We are very happy to carry on the work that Bob started here on the quarry....it's been a real adventure! :D Lisa

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...We are very happy to carry on the work that Bob started here on the quarry....it's been a real adventure!

The property has come to the hands (and hearts) of good stewards. :thumbsu:

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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please excuse my ignorance, but what is attached to your boots and why :)

im pretty sure they are like snowshoes only to keep him from sinking in the mud! :P

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  • 1 month later...

Besides following the adventures of 'known' professionals in the field (such as Paul Sereno) or individuals that are non-affiliated with any institution that still contribute to science by donating their finds. I like the idea of bringing this subject to a wider audience, but what if they don't appreciate it as people who do make the effort to watch documentary-type shows? The BBC produced wonderful shows and documentaries on the subject. Sir David Attenborough was my inspiration to give palaeontology a try.

What if this type of show makes government that usually are flexible with collecting regulations take afront and clam up, bringing restrictions to what once a liberal common sense agreement between the collector and the government or landowner? Many posters mentionned that sites could become closed due to such exposure. I'm not against showcasing wonderful fossil sites such as Green River, Joggins, and so many more, but how could this work? I do like shows like Gold Rush, but some produced shows can go a little too far, like Thom Beers and some of the shows out there.

All I can say is, if it was a reality based show solely on fossil collectors in Canada, they couldn't pull it. Its freakin hard enough to convince our current provincial and federal governments that we as amateur collectors mean well in collecting and want to contribute to science. This could make our efforts take a major step backwards.

My 2 cents from the East Coast.

Keenan

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  • 1 month later...

This is my two cents for what it is worth. I am in my early 30s, and I watch some of the "real-world" reality TV shows. I have watched every episode of Gold Rush, but mainly because I want to see the guys succeed. I watch shows like Pawn Stars, Meteorite Men and Mountain Men, Swamp People even Duck Dynasty lately. Some of the shows include elements of education to where you feel as though you have learned something new by the end of the show, some do not. Any show about bratty housewives or adults playing games on some island, I have zero interest in watching. The common thread among the shows I prefer is that you can connect with the characters and want to follow their stories. A TV show done right will get viewers and may inspire people to find a new passion in life. A TV show done wrong, will inspire greedy people to exploit natural resources. Education on local laws is a must and a respect for the subject matter is also important. American Diggers was a terrible show, and was all about monetary gain. I have not seen it on TV in months, and I hope it doesn't come back.

I became interested in minerals and gems by watching Discovery's Cash and Treasures a few years ago. I have since sought out a local club, become a member and learned how to use a faceting and cabbing machine. It is a fun hobby for me, and I have no illusions on striking it rich. I like the process of "treasure hunting" and feel that I have learned a lot during that process. For me it is a pursuit of knowledge and understanding. If I find something really valuable, it is a bonus but not the main goal. I learned of fossil hunting through that club and decided to go on a club trip and really enjoyed it. They taught us the right way to do it up front, and that helps.

If you don't introduce younger people to certain subjects, interest will eventually die off and the knowledge that has been gained will be lost. The schools are often too busy tackling classroom management issues to teach earth science anymore. Each generation must embrace a subject to continue interest and to build on the knowledge gained. For younger people, media and reality TV may be the only way they ever hear of fossil hunting or hunting meteorites, or rock hounding. Cash and Treasures was a good show because the focus was on the adventure of the hunt, covered a range of topics and it was really cool if she found something valuable. Sometimes just the thought that the "big one" is out there waiting to be found is enough to keep people on the hunt. So I think a show respectful to the fossil hunting community would be great, but one solely about profit wouldn't last long and would be of little value.

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Worried about a bunch of tweekers headed out for the money and ###### it up for us. Ya i sell crabs but what am i going to do with hundreds of the same species in my collection. I am still in it for the study and have contributed to science what could be important. I am afraid dimwit drugies wont even get the eye for for things that may not look that great but still can be important to science.

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