Creators
NATHAN CARPENTER
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / EDITOR
Nathan is a gifted storyteller who developed a compelling through-line to connect 170 years of climate history in the docu-series “Confronting the Curve.”
He brought into relief key characters and events, collaborating with the producers of archival, musical and visual effects. He worked with the director to depict key historical moments of scientific discovery and political defiance.
Nathan is based in NYC, and his work appears on major networks and platforms, including A&E, MTV, Animal Planet, Discovery, National Geographic, History Channel, Fox, AMC, and Apple TV.
CYD SLAYTON
DIRECTOR
Cyd has many chapters in her production career, first as TA at UCLA for Academy award-winning director Shirley Clarke. She was the scriptwriter for two bio docs in which Walter Cronkite was on-camera narrator, and she was producer-director of more than 100 videos for organizations and corporations.
The seed for this docu-series was planted during her doctoral studies at Georgetown University in which she chose to research the moral approaches to climate change. The study required that she understand the science of climate change and the political responses of the US government.
Thus began her personal journey that evolved into this docu-series.
JAMES PETERSON
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
James brings a comprehensive approach to location production —from technical expertise in camera operations and sound design to team building with crew members. Each shot reflects careful framing, lighting, and movement to complement storytelling.
His experience includes DP on “Chain of Command,” a 2018 series produced for National Geographic Explorer, as well as documentary and reality TV series that includes “Alaska: The Last Frontier,” “Dr. Oakley,” “Yukon Vet,” and “Live Free or Die.
LIA JUSINO
ARCHIVAL PRODUCER
Lia’s passion archival-driven storytelling is readily apparent in this series. Her experience working with network and special collections archives and her dogged determination allowed her to turn up elusive archival footage. As a result, the long history climate change, mostly found in textbooks, is now accessible to new audiences.
Lia is based in New York and her work has appeared on Netflix, HBO, Paramount+ and Hulu. Lia is recognized by the industry for her talents, including as Emmy award-winning archival producer of “Vice News Special Report: The Return of the Taliban.”
MAX HALLER
GRAPHICS / POST SUPERVISION & EDITING
Max brings multi-faceted experience to the project. He oversaw the development of special effects, including visualization of complex scientific concepts. Also, Max continuously improved the work flow with organizational skills that led to his lead role in post-production supervision.
Max is based in New York and his visual work appears on Netflix, TLC, Discovery, The History Channel, HGTV, MTV, ID, Oxygen, OWN and more.
Contributors
Dr. Spencer Weart
- Physics and Astrophysics, University of Colorado Boulder
- History of Science, University of California, Berkeley
Former Director, Center for History of Physics, American Institute of Physics
Author of Nuclear Fear and The Discovery of Global Warming, with ongoing website updates on climate change research
Dr. Caroly Shumway
- Marine Biology, University of California San Diego / Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- Former Chief Scientist, USAID Global Development Lab
Climate educator and Executive Director, Keeling Curve Foundation
Dr. Ralph Keeling
- Applied Physics, Harvard University
- Professor of Geochemistry and Climate Sciences
Director, CO₂ and O₂ Laboratory Measurement Program, University of California San Diego / Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Dr. Ana Unruh Cohen
- Rhodes Scholar in Earth Sciences, University of Oxford
- Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Columbia University Center for Global Energy Policy
- Former Staff Director, U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
- Former Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief Scientist, U.S. House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
Chelsea Henderson
- International Relations and Education, Boston University
- Senior Advisor to Republican leaders, including Senators John Chafee and Mark Warner, with more than 25 years of experience developing bipartisan climate legislation
- Author of Glacial: The Inside Story of Climate Politics
- Producer of "EcoRight Speaks" podcast and Director of Editorial Content, RepublicEn.org, a project of George Mason University’s Center for Climate Change Communication
Dr. Joshua Howe
- History of the Environment, Stanford University
- Chair, Environmental Studies Program, Reed College
- Author of Behind the Curve: The Science and Politics of Global Warming, Making Climate Change History: Documents from Global Warming’s Past, and The Politics of Global Warming
Dr. Justin Lancaster
- Oceanography, University of California San Diego / Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- Former Teaching Assistant to Dr. Roger Revelle
- Postdoctoral collaborator with Harvard University on the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change
Dr. Naomi Oreskes
- History of Science, Stanford University
- Professor of History and Geosciences, University of California San Diego / Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- Professor of the History of Science and Earth Sciences, Harvard University
- Author of Why Trust Science? and Science on a Mission: American Oceanography from the Cold War to Climate Change Co-author, with Erik M. Conway, of The Merchants of Doubt and The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View of the Future
Contact Us
Second Thought Cinema™ is a non-profit company founded to provide video production of documentaries and educational programs. Our first production is a documentary series on the history of climate science and the US government’s response, “Confronting the Curve.”
Second Thought Cinema™ is the media group developed by the McDonough-Slayton Foundation.
To inquire about this series or future projects, please contact us via the form below.