As a kid of the 90s, I grew up watching Animal Planet non-stop. Steve Irwin, Sir David Attenborough, Jack Hanna, I couldn’t get enough. I wanted to do what they did, bring science to life and share this unlimited knowledge with the world. So, I pursued my dream by attending Purdue University and getting two bachelor’s degrees in wildlife biology and film/video studies.
I went back to California to work with non-profits such as Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge and the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy as an environmental educator. I quickly realized that I wanted to go back to school to really dive into science-based communication. I didn’t know then, but that decision would change my life forever.
Not only did I learn all the aspects of science communication, but I was able to collaborate on so many different films, from meeting an astronomer in Montana and learning about the life cycle of a star to filming about the genetic bottleneck facing Florida panthers to flying to Australia to film a groundbreaking study about freshwater skin disease being proven to be caused by climate change in the Burrunan dolphin population. Working alongside scientists and non-profits I’ve admired for years was a dream come true.
I graduated with an master in fine arts in science and natural history filmmaking from Montana State University. Immediately after graduation, I landed a position with the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration as a videographer. Our work is to create science-based content from the ROV dives and research being conducted all around the world.
When I am off the boat, I pursue stories to continue to grow my abilities as a cinematographer and storyteller. In documentary filmmaking it is not uncommon for you to be a one-man band. I own my camera equipment, editing bay, and produce or manage films as they come to me.
In my free time, I often hike the mountains, go to Yellowstone, cuddle with my dog, travel with my wife, or play DND with my friends. Well, that’s enough about me, I’d love to hear about you and your project! Head over to the Contact page and send me message. You can also follow my work on any of my social platforms to keep up with the projects I’m currently working on!
My name is Olivia Andrus-Drennan, and I am the owner of Big Sky Genesis Productions LLC.
Current Work
The Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
The Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration is a non-profit that explores the deep sea in order to help the world understand, interpret, and protect this critical ocean environment. Their team of engineers created a Remotely Operated Vehicle named Deep Discoverer as well as it’s robotic partner Seirios. Both work in tandem and are directly connected to the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. I am one of the videographers that work with this magnificent team, filming the depths of the ocean, creating stories about the ground-breaking research, and photographing the ROV missions.
If you wish to follow along on the current mission you can follow along the livestreams of the Okeanos Explorer:
You can also watch our content on the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration’s website:
