Science & Natural History Filmmaking: Ronald Tobias

Professor Emeritus, Montana State University | Founder of the MFA in Science & Natural History Filmmaking

Ronald Tobias is a “living testimony” that a background in the arts can be a powerful asset to the sciences. After a career spanning from English literature to Veterinary Medicine, he found his calling in the wild—producing over twenty films for networks like The Discovery Channel and establishing a global standard for scientific storytelling.

The Full Interview: Translating Science into Cinema

What is your educational background? I’m living testimony that a person with a degree in English literature and an MFA in creative writing can find any number of ways through the world. I started out in Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State, but it became clear I wasn’t cut out for the life of a veterinarian, so I switched to English. After teaching at Virginia Commonwealth and the University of Texas at Dallas, I moved to the film program at Montana State University twelve years ago.

When did you first become interested in science and natural history filmmaking? In 1988, during the front edge of glasnost, I met some Soviet filmmakers in New York. I was invited to the Soviet Union where I made friends with natural history filmmakers. Together we made a series about endangered animals (Russian wolf, Eurasian lynx, European mink, and saiga) for The Discovery Channel. In some cases, I was the first American to enter parts of the Soviet Union in almost 75 years.

What exactly does a science and natural history filmmaker do? The mission of our program at Montana State is to take people who are properly trained in the sciences and help them become filmmakers. The main goal is to produce programs that have good science in them. We’re surrounded by programming that ranges from pseudoscience to inaccurate science. We need storytellers who can explain the complexities of modern science to the average citizen in an engaging way.

Can you give a couple of examples of projects you’ve worked on? One major benefit of being a filmmaker is travel. I’ve completed thirteen films for Discovery about piranhas, anacondas, mountain lions, wolverines, and poisonous snakes. I’ve taken students to the Amazon, New Guinea, and Siberia. Once, our crew was “attacked” by Dani Warriors in Irian Jaya; we didn’t know it then, but it was a staged ambush as a form of welcome! You can’t imagine the feeling of dozen warriors in full battle dress charging you with spears until it happens.

What has been the most challenging part of your job? Selling an idea to a broadcaster. It’s time-consuming and I hate negotiating deals, rights, and contracts. It’s a minefield with the ever-changing conditions of the marketplace. I just want to make the film. Fortunately, there are other people with excellent skills at the business side.

Where do you see the future of this field? Our program has two tracks. The Broadcast Track prepares people for television. The Museum Studies Track prepares people to make educational content for schools, museums, and the corporate world. The job potential is extraordinarily high because there is a desperate need for qualified people who understand the sciences to produce programming for the future.

What is the best way to prepare? For people with at least an undergraduate degree in science, it helps to demonstrate some experience with film or video—even a short video for a class. We want people who are looking for creative ways to express their knowledge about science and natural history. We look for people with a strong desire to communicate and who enjoy working with others.

2026 Perspective: The Era of the “Science Influencer”

The vision Ronald Tobias had in the early 2000s has exploded in 2026.

  • The Death of Gatekeepers: While Tobias focused on “The Discovery Channel,” today’s filmmakers use YouTube, TikTok, and VR to reach millions directly.
  • Scientific Accuracy: His mission to fight “pseudoscience” is more relevant than ever in 2026, as filmmakers now act as critical fact-checkers in a world of AI-generated content.
  • The MSU Legacy: Montana State University remains a world-class hub, with their graduates winning Emmys and Oscars for films like National Geographic specials and Planet Earth segments.

Legacy Resources