The Art of Capturing Scientific Discovery brazil fieldwork 2012 from Jeff Johnson on Vimeo. Today, we have a guest entry by Jeff Johnson, the videographer who is accompanying us in the field: Documentary filmmaking and paleontology are a lot alike. It's all about being in the right place at the right time, with the right kind of eye. We are eight days into this expedition, and I'm learning a lot - not just about paleontology, geology and biology, but also about the people who do this work and what it takes to be successful at it. As a documentary filmmaker, it's always hard to know what you're getting yourself into until you're in the thick of it. Will your subjects be willing participants? Will the visuals translate into a compelling story? And in this particular instance, what kind of creatures will I shake out of my boots in the morning? But my biggest concern at the start of this project was how to dissect the scientific process so that an audience with little or no concept of scientific method could learn and appreciate the work. Every day, the team makes discoveries. Some are important, others not as much. Much of my footage consists of team members walking or staring intently at the ground. However, in between the somewhat mundane reality of this sort of fieldwork are some of the most beautiful moments I think I have ever captured. And I'm not talking about the fossils or even some of the breathtaking landscapes that northeastern Brazil has to offer. It's the team members. Enraptured and passionate, they are beaming with enthusiasm for what they do, not necessarily about their own specific field of work but more so with all the possibilities that come with new discovery. Their curiosity for our world knows no bounds, and it's something I profoundly admire. When this trip is over and the final edit is complete, the story will surely be one of a paleontological expedition, but also one that will hopefully inspire us all to reflect on how we perceive this world.