Can’t get any better
I salute you again with a drawing and a small text about the subject of my drawing.
This time is a personality and also a star who unexpectedly went into my life not so long ago. I am talking about Brian Cox, particle physicist at the University of Manchester.
I know, nothing special till now, but let me tell you more.
I think everyone at a point in his life can pass through documentaries phase. Documentaries can have multiple roles, from helping you falling asleep with the feeling you are somehow higher on the intellectual level then your grandma who falls asleep at some soap opera or drama, to the active role of communicating new information that is presented in a very pleasurable and shortened way (vs reading the whole bunch of studies regarding the same subject).
In one of this moments, bored a little bit of all the other documentaries that keep populating the TV and internet, I searched more and found the documentaries series called “wonders of…”. Here you go, high score, it seems exactly what I want.
I have to tell you that after seeing the first episode I simply couldn’t remembering it. No, not because is boring, because is not. Contrary, is highly entertaining. But because of him, the professor. He has some kind of magnetism, a special sort of smile and joy while he is talking. I guess you can call it sparkle, but not only in his eyes, rather emanating from his whole face. And all this pack of joy is beautiful wrapped with a subtle, warm and peacefully voice. Totally contagious I assure you.
The first impact was maxim and I had to fully re-watch the first episode.
Now, okay you might say, beside this professor obsession, why to watch this series?
Well, I can say about this too. The esthetic and structure of the episodes are new, fresh and different. Full of beauty shots (I mean here landscapes), going in stunning places on earth, full of quality space simulations and amazing music. You can feel all the work that has been given to every episode, to every minute, so that everything is perfectly in place. Is a real joy to watch and to see all the aesthetic results of his work.
The script has a clear path, so he makes sure in the end you understand everything. The story always starts in a point A, going through a lot of other points, and coming back to end with a conclusion in the same point A where it all started.
But, the real different thing, the real deal I could say, is the trick that professor is using. In order to explain complicated space process, scientific ones, he is using real life analogies. Exactly how I use when I explain things that look more complex, to my little one. And guess what? Is working. Through this analogies with real world, with the world I know and understand, and through powerful visual images, professor made me understand so many other wonderful things about space.
And a couple of some chilly details.
In the 1980’s and early 90’s Cox was a keyboard player with a rock band called Dare joining after that to D: Ream. Both bands had several hits while Cox was part of. You can definitely hear along the episodes the musical experience. The episodes are brilliantly managed so they converge the same message, emotions and maximum impact through all the available channels, visual and audio.
Brain Cox gave talks on TED numerous times and the cherry on top, in 2009 he appeared in People magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive.
I will enumerate from the wonders that Brian Cox produced: Wonders of the Solar System (named best documentary series of 2010), Wonders of the Universe, Wonders of Life, Human Universe.
There are much more things to say about Brian Cox, just give a search on the internet and you will be surprised by this big personality of our time and his achievements. Truly inspiring!
One thing is sure, give it a shot to one of the series and you will not be disappointed but rather enriched with knowledge and beauty.
Be in peace.
