Red Tailed Calling - An Essay Film

Principal Investigator:
Carolyn Lambert

Abstract:
I'm developing a short essay film on raptors, Hollywood, social media and the mass extinction.

Description of Research:
I am working on a short film that juxtaposes observations of the natural world with representations of nature in popular culture. While observing a family of hawks nesting in the trees above my house, I began listening to hawk calls on Youtube, and learned that the common Red-tailed hawk's piercing screech is used as the ubiquitous call for all birds of prey in Hollywood movies. In the film, I’ll be making connections between this slippage and the mass extinction event that is unfolding due to climate change—literally reducing the amount of birds in the (sonic) environment.

I will share a clip and discuss my work in progress.