PROJECT OVERVIEW

Curious People Wanted is an award-winning educational video series produced for The Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Launched in December 2020, the series brings the Museum's collections, historical research, and fascinating stories to audiences beyond its physical building. Through short, accessible episodes, viewers explore unusual artifacts, forgotten history, myths, scientific discoveries, and the people behind the stories.

Originally presented by curator Adrienne Saint-Pierre, the series evolved to feature curator Dr. Daryn Reyman-Lock, expanding its storytelling approach while maintaining its focus on curiosity, historical interpretation, and public education.

Working alongside William Sarris Productions and the Barnum Museum team, my responsibilities evolved throughout the project. I contributed to filming, production planning, editorial development, presenter support, and digital publishing, helping translate the Museum's expertise into engaging video programming.

THE CHALLENGE

How do you turn a museum's extensive knowledge and collections into videos that people actually want to watch?

The Barnum Museum has extraordinary artifacts, knowledgeable curators, and fascinating historical stories. But presenting that material through video requires more than placing an expert in front of a camera.

Each episode needs a clear subject, an approachable presentation, supporting visuals, and a structure that maintains the viewer's interest.

The series also needed to accommodate different presenters, production schedules, and subjects while remaining consistent with the Museum's educational mission.

As Curious People Wanted evolved, the challenge became finding ways to make historical material informative, visually engaging, and entertaining without sacrificing accuracy or the personalities of the people presenting it.

THE APPROACH

Our production approach combined the Museum's historical expertise with practical filmmaking and collaborative creative development.

Early episodes focused heavily on individual objects and their stories. As the series evolved, we explored more opportunities to incorporate broader historical subjects, unexpected connections, humor, and the personalities of the Museum's curators.

I participated in discussions about episode structure, filming techniques, and the kinds of visual material that could help bring each story to life.

That included reviewing scripts, offering feedback on how subjects might translate to YouTube, discussing opportunities for supplementary footage, and helping plan practical ways to film each episode.

During production, I provided camera and technical support, assisted with shot setup and teleprompter operation, and helped the team create a comfortable environment for the presenters.

The production process emphasized collaboration. The curators brought their historical knowledge, research, and writing. William Sarris and the production team contributed direction, filming, and editing. My involvement helped connect the practical production requirements with the storytelling and communication goals of the series.

The result was an adaptable format capable of presenting everything from museum artifacts and local history to mythology, science, and popular culture.

MY ROLE

My responsibilities varied as the series developed and included:

- Video production and on-location filming support
- Camera setup and production logistics
- Teleprompter operation and presenter assistance
- Script review and constructive editorial feedback
- Input on episode structure, visual storytelling, and supporting footage
- Collaboration with curators and fellow filmmakers
- YouTube publishing and digital content support

One of the most rewarding aspects of this work was collaborating with people who genuinely love their subjects.

The challenge wasn't to change their expertise or personalities. It was to help that knowledge come across naturally on camera and make the resulting videos accessible to people who might never have visited the Museum.

My contributions were part of a larger collaborative production, with responsibilities shared among the Museum's curators, William Sarris Productions, and other members of the team.

THE OUTCOME

Curious People Wanted developed into an established digital educational series, allowing The Barnum Museum to continue sharing its collections and research with audiences beyond Bridgeport.

The series provided a flexible way to tell historical stories, introduce viewers to unusual objects, and explore subjects that extended beyond traditional museum exhibitions.

It also demonstrated how a museum's existing expertise can become the foundation for continuing video programming without requiring every episode to be treated as an entirely separate documentary production.

In 2023, the Connecticut League of Historical Organizations recognized Curious People Wanted: A Collections-Based Video Series with an Award of Merit.

The series later received Telly Award recognition, including a 2025 Silver People's Telly Award for The Origin of Mermaids | Myths & History, for which I was credited as a producer.

For museums, historical societies, and cultural organizations, the project illustrates the value of combining subject-matter expertise with collaborative production, effective presentation, and engaging digital storytelling.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

2023 — Award of Merit

Connecticut League of Historical Organizations

Curious People Wanted: A Collections-Based Video Series

2025 — Silver People's Telly Award

General — Social Video

The Origin of Mermaids | Myths & History

My credit: Producer

These honors recognize the collaborative work of The Barnum Museum, its curators, William Sarris Productions, and the production team.

RELATED WORK

My work with The Barnum Museum also includes Showman's Shorts, an award-winning historical video series, and Uncovering the Secrets of an Egyptian Mummy and Coffin: The Quest to Restore Personhood, a long-form documentary combining historical research, medical imaging, and forensic reconstruction.

Together, these projects demonstrate different ways museums can use video to preserve knowledge, engage audiences, and bring historical stories to life.