Bill Nye: Science Guy

COMPLETED in 2017

BILL NYE: SCIENCE GUY is the first project to be sponsored by The Redford Center’s Fiscal Sponsorship Program.

Bill Nye embarks on a quest to change the world through science advocacy and education. With intimate and exclusive access, this is a behind-the-scenes portrait of “the Science Guy” as he inspires millennials to participate in STEM.  

The reviews are in:

“An intelligent crowd-pleaser” - Nick Allen, RogerEbert.com

“Beguilingly absorbing... thought-provoking” -- Joe Leydon, Variety

“As brainy, vital and captivating as its eponymous star, the documentary “Bill Nye: Science Guy” should warm the hearts and minds of science lovers, weather enthusiasts, environmental watchdogs and astronomy buffs…” - Gary Goldstein, LA Times

CRITICS PICK “delightful, revealing documentary” - Andy Webster, NY Times

“Complex and delightful” - Kate O’Reilly, The Sierra Club

“An engaging portrait of the man behind the lab coat” – The Hollywood Reporter

Rotten Tomatoes reviews here

Interview with Co-Director, Jason Sussberg:

1) What was the biggest surprise you had in the experience of making this film?

Bill says he's WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) and that's true to our experience. We didn't know if Bill really was this passionate science communicator when we started making the film. After almost three years embedded in his life, it's clear to us that he really is person who absolutely loves science and communicating to everyone around him.

2) What was the biggest challenge?

The editing process was the biggest challenge, braiding 4-5 distinct story threads into one coherent film. We took on some big issues in the film (climate change, evolution vs creationism, space exploration) and fit them into his current personal life and backstory. We tried to have narrative balance and tell a compelling and inspirational story that ended on a positive story (the launch of Sagan's LightSail), while the current state of science in this country isn't the rosiest picture.  

3) What are your future plans?

Keep making science documentaries! Unfortunately, the current administration and congress are politicizing climate change, vaccinations. Science and the evidence-based worldview are on the defense, and we want to change that. We intend to make films that tell science stories in a personal and character-driven style.