Staff Report
From traditional filmmaking techniques to the evolving landscape of new technologies, many of which he helped pioneer, John Copeland of Santa Ynez has made a significant contribution in shepherding entertainment to viewers around the world.
“And Man Created Dog”
Photo contributed
Copeland’s film “And Man Created Dog” will be screened at the first fundraiser for the Central Coast Film Society at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at the Los Olivos Community Hall (formerly known as the Grange Hall).
The film explores how man created the dog through natural selection from the fearsome ancestor, the wolf. It explores the greatest inter-species friendship on Earth over the course of 40,000 years.
Working closely with scientists, the film deconstructs the genetic history of “man’s best friend” and explores how man has consistently re-engineered the dog to adapt to a changing world.
Copeland has produced more than 240 hours of prime-time television, ranging from the award-winning science fiction television series “Babylon 5” to historical documentary series such as “The Wild West” and scientific documentaries such as “Faces of Earth.”
He works with MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, teaching undergraduate science and engineering students the art of visual communication and storytelling. He also contributes a regular column to American Geosciences Institute’s “Earth” magazine.
He and his wife, Shannon Casey, have lived for 19 years in the Santa Ynez Valley, where they grow olives and produce award-winning olive oils at Rancho Olivos.
For more information about the film screening or to buy tickets at $5 per person, log onto www.centralcoastfilmsociety.org. Tickets can be purchased at the door, and light refreshments will be included. There will be a Q & A session after the film with Copeland.
