http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog en forjoshbernstein@gmail.com Copyright 2010 2010-09-07T19:04:29+00:00 http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/ http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/#When:18:04:29Z Gary Clarke is a Scottish DP (Cameraman) whom I’ve worked with a number of times. For example, he and I did the Gladiator episode of Into The Unknown together (with others, of course). And we did a fantastic show in Bulgaria about archaeology that become one of the “Lost Episodes of 1997.” You can read about it in the archives (Expedition #40). Anyway, Gary sent me an email this morning about a new project he’s been working on called Countdown to Zero. Here’s the trailer, which I thought you might enjoy: || (4) Comments 2010-09-07T18:04:29+00:00 http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/ http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/#When:13:43:16Z I know this video premiered during the SuperBowl and went viral shortly thereafter, but I’ve been busy offline and haven’t had much time to write here. Now that I’m back (hi, everyone!), I thought I’d start up again with some humor. When I was a kid, my dad wore Old Spice. Since then, I’ve always associated it with him (of course) and the nautical world of sailboats, navy peacoats and off-white turtleneck wool sweaters. (Perhaps that’s a result of 1970’s marketing campaigns…) Anyway, this new campaign for Old Spice starring Isaiah Mustafa has spread like wildfire. The clip on YouTube has been viewed over 18 million times, which is astounding. Even more astounding is how this commercial was made—barely any CGI at all. When you have a spare 20 minutes, watch this clip and be amazed. Enjoy!   || (2) Comments 2010-08-26T13:43:16+00:00 http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/ http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/#When:14:30:19Z I just read that Wes Skiles, a pillar of the cave diving and underwater filming community in Florida, has died. I don’t know much more than that at this point—only that he was diving for National Geographic off of West Palm Beach. So sudden. So unexpected. I was just reading National Geographic’s cover story on Bahamas’ Blue Holes—photography by Wes C. Skiles. While many of the divers I know have been acquainted with Wes for years, I just met him a few months ago at the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride. He came to one of the breakfast panels that I was on and, afterward, we talked a bit about possibly working/diving together and he gave me his card. It’s sitting right here on the table next to my computer… Technical diving is, as many know, a high-risk endeavor. I don’t think anyone in the diving community refuses to acknowledge that. Whether it’s in a cave or on a deepwater wreck, there’s little to no room for error. Last year, veteran diver Carl Spencer died while on a National Geographic expedition to the Brittanic. In Carl’s case, he made the mistake of breathing the wrong air mixture while at depth. I haven’t heard what led to Wes’ death—perhaps it wasn’t dive related at all. Perhaps he just had a heart attack. But the risks inherent to underwater exploration are well documented, so every diver knows what could happen when he or she enters the water. It’s just surprising (and sobering) when something like this happens to someone as experienced as Carl or Wes. I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to dive together, Wes. Rest in Peace. [Post Script—This article just turned up online and offers a little more info…. http://bit.ly/ahmAna] || (5) Comments 2010-07-22T14:30:19+00:00 http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/ http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/#When:12:22:40Z I caught this promo yesterday and laughed with joy—Dr. Zahi finally has his own TV series! Mabrouk, Zahi! The posters just went up in NYC this week, as History has begun promoting the July 14th premiere. From what we can see in this promo (and from what I’ve heard from my friends who were involved), it’s part archaeology, part reality-show, and part just-hold-on-and-see-what-Zahi-does. He truly is a man of boundless energy and I’m hopeful people respond well to the series. Lord knows he’ll love that attention. I give History and Leslie Greif credit for making this happen, and for injecting a little fun into the project. The title alone sounds like a comic book—perfect for someone larger than life like Dr. Zahi.  Official site for the show is here.  Curious what you think of the show. || (26) Comments 2010-07-01T12:22:40+00:00 http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/ http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/#When:21:46:50Z Looks like another Mountainfilm-related post… Go figure.  I just found out that my 13-minute interview with Dr. Tom Lovejoy, Heinz Center Biodiversity Chair, is online. Here it is: Minds of Mountainfilm - Tom Lovejoy from Mountainfilm in Telluride on Vimeo. You can also watch a fun conversation between Sarah Holbrooke and director Tom Shadyac here. “Spooky action at a distance.”  Love it. || (4) Comments 2010-06-22T21:46:50+00:00 http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/ http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/#When:18:32:17Z You ever see buses or cars driving around with bumper stickers on them saying “this vehicle runs on clean natural gas”? Here in New York City, over 900 of the MTA’s 6,200 buses run on natural gas (and have that sticker). Well, natural gas may burn cleaner than diesel, but it’s certainly not a clean fuel to produce. Of all the films I saw at Mountainfilm last month, few left as strong an impression on me as Gasland. Here’s the trailer: Filmmaker Josh Fox does a commendable job weaving his personal story through a quagmire of political bureaucracies, special interest groups, corporate greed and environmental short-sightedness. The film is playing tonight (June 21) on HBO. I suggest you make time to watch it and get involved in stopping hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) from happening near you. For more info on HBO, visit this link.  For the official Gasland site, visit here. || (4) Comments 2010-06-21T18:32:17+00:00 http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/ http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/#When:21:57:43Z It’s been a busy few weeks for me—most of it spent in Utah at BOSS working on pre-season preparations. For some reason, I’m not as inclined to write/blog while there—I suppose it’s a retreat of sorts (which is good). But I enjoyed our 6th Annual Slickrock Gathering and then had a great retreat with my staff. I’m now in Telluride, Colorado, where I’ve spent the last 8 hours on stage as the Master of Ceremonies for the Mountainfilm Festival’s 2010 Symposium. It was an honor and a privilege to spend time with some truly interesting and engaging people: Terry Root, Mike Fay, Nicole Rosmarino, Joel Sartore, Rick Ridgeway, Greg Carr, Maya Lin, Louie Psyihoyos, Dave Foreman and Tom Lovejoy. Each of the 10 speakers was given 20 minutes to speak in addition to 3 25-minute panels where we took questions from the audience (and I asked a few as moderator). It was so fascinating and educational. My gratitude to the people at Mountainfilm for creating such a worthwhile event before the weekend of films and for making this year’s Symposium so significant. Now I get to relax and enjoy the weekend of films! || (5) Comments 2010-05-28T21:57:43+00:00 http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/ http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/#When:21:31:26Z I’ve spent the last 5 or so days in Jerusalem to attend the Israel Museum’s annual International Council. Over 520 people from 15 countries have flown here to attend it—the largest Council ever. The reason for the record turnout and all the excitement? In just a couple of months, on July 25th, the museum will reveal the results of a three-year, $100-million || (3) Comments 2010-05-11T21:31:26+00:00 http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/ http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/#When:13:02:14Z My twin brother Andy’s first book came out last week! It’s called The Myth of Stress - Where Stress Really Comes From and How to Live a Happier and Healthier Life, and his website does an excellent job telling you all about it. The book outlines a process called ActivInsight that my brother created over the past 20 years. In a nutshell, ActivInsight is a process that teaches you how to eliminate or greatly reduce stress by changing your understanding of where stress comes from and how, once you have this understanding, to better handle it. Like many of the more profound teachings in the world, it’s surprisingly simple and highly effective. I’m not trying to sell the process or his books; I just want you to be aware of them and to express how proud I am of Andy for creating this! If you’re interested in learning more, the links above can help. You can also follow links to order the book from the Myth of Stress website. Congratulations, Andy! || (7) Comments 2010-05-09T13:02:14+00:00 http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/ http://www.joshbernstein.com/site.php?/blog/#When:12:57:39Z I’ve come to Jerusalem, Israel for 5 days at attend the Israel Museum’s 2010 International Council. Will have more to share in the days ahead. || (3) Comments 2010-05-09T12:57:39+00:00