BEYOND THE HORIZON

 

High Production Speaker Series

The Beyond the Horizon Speaker Series is developed by Anturus in collaboration with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. The idea was to have a high calibre speaker series with high production values and bespoke content. Exploration means different things to everyone but our speakers are explorers in science, engineering, geography, adventure and more. We would look to develop the programme in 2023 with a talented set of speakers, and then gain feedback, collect content, and roll the program out properly in 2024 for the World Cruise and Icon Ships.


 

Design and Content of the Enrichment Productions.

  • Story.

    To make sure these are good stories worth telling, we have to create them ourselves from scratch, bespoke stories for RCCL.

    We would journey to a new destination, and find an exciting story for each presenter to tell, both in film and on stage.

  • Films.

    For each story we would travel to a new destination and create content based around a short film. The film then goes on to premiere in the theatre as part of the programme, then on to cruise ship TV down the line.

    Parts of the film can also be used for social media as well as behind the scenes content and photography.

  • Enrichment Productions.

    After the story is experienced and the film is made, our team work with the presenters to develop their slide deck and talks to go with the film and photography.

    We then run rehearsals shore side before the speakers take to the ship to do their talks.

    This way we can make sure the enrichment productions are high quality.

  • Extras.

    At the end of the talks there could be the opportunity to give everyone who attends, a photographic print from the film/story. Or have a way that they can purchase it.

    We could also have our speakers join excursions to be an extra expert on the trips.

    Lastly, if the speaker is trained in photography, filmmaking or a science. Workshops, like wildlife photography, could be an extra session to run.

Example Story.

In this story, our presenter, Huw James, travels to Iceland to see if we can use drones to create 3D models of glaciers.

Example Imagery.

Example Film.

Example Slide Deck.

Enrichment Production.

We developed a style of talk for our previous work at Celebrity Cruises that worked really well. Introduced by an Activity Manager, ran by the speaker, and then questions and answers hosted by an Activity Manager again. We would look to keep the production value of all the talks as high as possible and develop a specific stage design for each genre of speaker going forward.

Content.

We created 6 short ads for a similar project for Celebrity Cruises called Explorers on the Edge.. Going forward we would look to produce RCCL specific content for BtH including photography, films, expeditions and talks, all designed to create content for the speaker series and RCCL TV on the ships.

Videos for EotE can be found at the button below.

EXAMPLE STORYTELLERS

  • Huw James

    Huw James is a Welsh Scientist, Adventurer and Film Maker. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical and Royal Astronomical Societies and creates educational films and talks under his organisation Anturus.

    Huw has been delivering live science shows for over 10 years. His audiences are over 750,000 people on 6 continents and over 2 million on TV and YouTube. His background in Astronomy and Geology has pushed him to explore the world on a variety of expeditions all for science.

    His mission going forward is to inform a new generation of custodians for our natural world and everything that lives in it by tackling the big 3 problems of pollution, climate change and wildlife extinction.

  • Maddie Moate

    Maddie Moate is a highly skilled television presenter, educator, and YouTuber with extensive experience in science communication and holds a degree in biology from the University of Bristol.

    In addition to her work in television, Maddie is also a successful YouTuber. Her channel, "Maddie Moate," features educational videos on a range of topics, including science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Her videos have been viewed millions of times and are highly regarded for their quality and accuracy.

    Overall, Maddie Moate is a highly skilled and accomplished science communicator who has demonstrated a strong ability to engage and educate audiences of all ages. Her work in television and online media has made her a highly respected and sought-after presenter and educator.

  • Sam Mitchell

    Samuel (He/Him) is a British-born volcanologist and science communicator with research interests across volcanology, fluid dynamics, sedimentology, and marine geology.

    His research and outreach has taken him across the USA, New Zealand, Japan, and to the far sides of the Pacific Ocean.

    He has a Ph.D in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Hawai’i where he studied the styles and dynamics of large volcanic eruptions on the seafloor.

    Prior to that, he obtained an undergraduate degree in Geology between the University of Bristol and University of California, Berkeley. He currently works as a technician and researcher at the University of Bristol.

  • Catherine Capon

    Catherine’s life since university has seen her working in wildlife filmmaking and sustainability communication. Throughout this journey, she has kept the sense of purpose that has always been with her. At every opportunity, she has travelled to a new corner of the planet to see the wildlife and how the people interact with the environment around them.

    She has visited places so beautiful that no photograph can truly capture them, and along the way, she’s tried to encourage others to join her.

    It was these travels, through work and pleasure, that inspired her mission to write about and photograph the top wildlife hotspots on the planet.

    She hope that by doing this, other awe-seekers and ecoadventurers will awaken and unite to live more consciously with our planet.

  • Rob Nelson

    Rob is an American biologist, documentary filmmaker, and television personality.

    He is a regular contributor to the Science Channel documentary series What on Earth? Starting in 2017, he was the host and participating researcher of the Science Channel documentary series Secrets of the Underground, whose goal was to examine long-held legendary mysteries that lie beneath the surfaces of streets, buildings, earth, salt and fresh water, etc. Nelson also cohosted the popular hit Animal Planet show, Life After Chernobyl in 2015.

    He holds a B.S. in biology and marine science from the University of Miami, a M.S. degree from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and a M.F.A. from the Montana State University.

    He received an Emmy Award in 2014 for his work on Mysteries of the Driftless, a documentary film about the Driftless Area. He later filmed a second feature of the Mysteries of the Driftless in 2018.

  • Tracy Fanara

    Tracy Fanara is a renowned environmental scientist, engineer, and TV personality, best known for her appearances on the hit TV show "MythBusters" and her advocacy for environmental conservation.

    With a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Tracy has dedicated her career to promoting sustainable practices, reducing environmental impacts, and raising awareness about climate change. Her dynamic and engaging approach to science education has earned her accolades and a large following.

    Tracy is also a sought-after speaker, sharing her expertise on topics ranging from renewable energy to environmental policy. Her passion for protecting our planet has made her a leading figure in the field of environmental science and a tireless advocate for a greener future.

Timeline.

2023

JUNE - Story Development and brainstorming at RCCL HQ.

JULY - 2 x Story filming on location for pilot.

AUGUST - Acclimatisation Cruise from Southampton.

SEPTEMBER - 2 x Rehearsals and production development for pilot.

OCTOBER - 2 x Pilot Cruises and feedback for speakers.

NOVEMBER - Feedback Implementation.

DECEMBER - Speakers on World Cruise.

2024

JANUARY - Speakers on World Cruise.

FEBRUARY - Story filming on location.

MARCH - Speakers on World Cruise.

APRIL - Speakers on World Cruise.

MAY - Speakers on World Cruise.

JUNE - Story filming on location.

JULY - Story filming on location.

AUGUST - Speakers on World Cruise.

Budgets.

Budgets are always a sliding scale between timing, quality, and money. The higher the budget, the more time can be spent telling the story, and the better the overall product. But we’re aware that budgets have to be met. The small, medium and large productions refer to the scale of the production, and these are ball park figures. A small production is with a small crew and more local to our base in the UK. Medium and larger productions can be filmed further afield and be more complicated.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT - $30k

Per SMALL PRODUCTION - $40k

Per MEDIUM PRODUCTION - $60k

Per LARGE PRODUCTION - $80k

ANNUAL PROJECT MAINTENANCE - $40k

I imagine we could create 2 small pilot projects in 2023, to test the concept. And if it works for everyone, we do real project development and more productions in 2024.

Budget Breakdown

  • Project Development

    LOGISTICS - $15k

    A project like this will take a good amount of time and work to get off the ground. We would work with RCCL to develop a brand that is aspirational and enriching. This budget is used for logistics of setting up initial pilot shoots, working with talent to establish a core group of adventurers, and putting contracts in place.

  • Project Development

    MARKETING - $10k

    Developing initial content for the project means that we will have to get marketing materials together once we have our core adventurers .This budget is used for photography and film to gather content that we can use to promote the project.

  • Project Development

    RESOURCES - $8k

    The production value of this project is very high. That means content has to be created, and templates made for the speakers. Slide decks need to be templated, as well as training sessions for the speakers in public speaking and how to deliver talks on the RCCL ships. We would work closely with the theatre crews on the ships for this also.

  • Extras

    OPTIONAL EXTRAS

    We work with a lot of talented graphic designers and content creators. Optional extras here could include:

    • Logo for the project

    • Resources for the audience

    • Additional marketing advertising (for example sending a model Icon to the edge of space),

    • Excursion development.

  • Production

    SMALL PRODUCTION

    Small productions mean high production value, but on a smaller geographical and financial scale. That means staying closer to our base in the UK and telling stories from around Europe, of which there are many.

    Each production would produce:

    • 3 Talks

    • A short highlight reel for marketing

    • A short trailer for the film

    • A 20 minute film

    • High Resolution photography.

  • Production

    MEDIUM PRODUCTION

    Medium productions mean high production value, but on a medium geographical and financial scale. That means staying around our base in the UK, but having a bit more budget to tell stories from around Europe, of which there are many.

    Each production would produce:

    • 3 Talks with some set dressing.

    • A short highlight reel for marketing

    • A short trailer for the film

    • Behind the scenes reel

    • A 20 minute film

    • High Resolution photography.

  • Production

    LARGE PRODUCTION

    Large productions mean high production value, but on a larger geographical and financial scale. That means travelling further afield to capture stories that have yet to be told for our audiences on RCCL ships.

    Each production would produce:

    • 3 Talks with set design

    • A short highlight reel for marketing

    • A trailer for the film

    • A 20 minute film

    • Behind the scenes film

    • High Resolution photography.

  • Extras

    OPTIONAL EXTRAS

    There are many extra elements to add to this.

    • Podcasts from the field

    • Photo prints for each person in the audience to leave with.

    • Photo prints to buy.

    • Photo gallery for somewhere on the ship.

    • Excursions to go along with the talks.

    • Live calls from the field for RCCL YouTube.

    • Extra YouTube videos

    • Photography workshops on the ship.

  • Maintenance

    LOGISTICS - $20k

    Each year of the project, the talent pool and content will grow. This means we will always have to be innovating and managing logistics. We’d love to see this grow in to a long lasting partnership and grow from just our core speakers to a wider net of talented speakers, whilst maintaining a high production value. The budget here is to maintain contracts, host meetings and be the main point of contact for RCCL and speakers alike.

  • Annual Rights Release

    RIGHTS RELEASE - $20k

    To continue to use the content and in line with what is now industry standard, we would introduce an annual rights release of all associated content.

    This should be beneficial to RCCL as well as Anturus and makes sure the content and brand gets the upkeep and dedication it deserves.

  • Some Details

    DETAILS

    We can discuss ownership of content etc for this. Usually in the filmmaking world, rights to the raw footage are held by the filmmaker and they are released as edits to the brand. The same would go for the talks themselves.

    We envisage the films made to premiere on board the ships as the first talk is done. Then would transfer to cruise ship TV.

    The same discussion should be had about the actual brand itself. We envisage this being a brand owned by Anturus that RCCL buy in. But we are happy to discuss this.

  • Not Covered

    NOT COVERED IN THIS PROPOSAL

    For ease, I haven’t included time on ships in the costs. This means that RCCL can have the speakers on multiple times if they so wish, and, once the enrichment story is filmed and created, that speaker can do multiple sailings, or as few as RCCL want.

GOING BEYOND

I see this project starting on the World Cruise but then developing on the Icon ships too.

Beyond this, there’s also scope to develop projects for the Adventure Science kids lab, and more. We developed a science programme for Celebrity that went down really well.

Guided tours before/after cruises or specific excursions could also work well alongside this. For example the upcoming 2024 eclipse where we could run a guided tour to see the eclipse then get on the ship to head home.

Full documentaries for cruise ship TV, explorer content for social media, photography, film, VR tours, 3d Model walk throughs of the ships, sending a model Icon Ship to space. All these things are doable in this collaboration.