Andrew's Underwater Thesis Film On Texas Aquifer

Context:

And so it has come to this - a documentary that culminates 6 years of academic filmmaking into a 15 minute thesis film on the subject of my choosing. Over the past decade, I have been able to film dedicated scientists, orca whale pods, and migrating tarantulas all thanks to the generous support of the friends and family that have believed in me and my ability to tell these stories. It is with sincere gratitude that I ask for your help one final time to bring this intricate and costly project to life.

Film Background:

My thesis film, Refugium, will revolve around the Edwards Aquifer in central Texas. It is one of the most prolific groundwater sources in the world, providing clean drinking water for two million people and fueling the region's agricultural industry. It is also home to some of the most endangered species in the country, including the Texas blind salamander.

Recently, the towns and cities which rely on the Edwards Aquifer have grown exponentially. Central Texas is the fastest growing region anywhere in the United States. This expansion has put pressure on the aquifer to provide for an increasing population whilst also threatening some of the country's cleanest drinking water with urban development and potential contamination.

I plan on filming the aquifer from the inside out, focusing on the small lifeforms that rely on these freshwater systems. Production will begin at Spring Lake, the headwaters for the Edwards Aquifer and the home of seven endangered species of plants and animals. I hope to capture footage of turtles, fish, insects, and salamanders as they explore the underwater algae forests that make Spring Lake one of the most biologically diverse freshwater ecosystems in America.

I will then conduct interviews with scientists and historians at Texas State University to get a better sense of the importance of the aquifer and its relationship to people in the region. I hope to highlight some of the fascinating work that the graduate students are overseeing, particularly around the Texas blind salamander and its incredible regenerative abilities.

The adorable Texas blind salamander

Potential Story Threads

Other areas of exploration that may play a part in this film include the White Shaman Rock, a sanctuary in the middle of the Chihuhan desert where first peoples' pictographs portray a complex and surreal origin story of life itself being born from a spring.

If time should allow, I would also like to follow the Edwards Aquifer from river to river, until it eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico. There are many themes, ideas, and narratives that may or may not play a part in this story, depending on time and available resources.

Production Cost and Logisitcs

Admittedly, this will be my most expensive undertaking yet. In order to film underwater in Spring Lake, I will need an open water scuba diving certification. The cheapest option here in Bozeman is roughly $800 . Additionally, an underwater camera cage to protect my gear while filming in the aquifer will set me back another grand or so. I am hoping to film in Texas for an entire month, between August 15th and September 15th, which will require travel and lodging fees likely to reach around $3000. When all is said and done, I am expecting to pump roughly $7000 into this project. The rest of the funding will come from work, loans, and *hopefully* a student grant or two.

A scuba diver in Spring Lake

Timeline:

Pre-production, April - August 14th: wrangling together interview subjects, doing research, getting scuba certified

Production August 15th - September 15th: Traveling to Texas, filming at San Marcos, Big Bend, Rio Grande, potentially Gulf of Mexico.

Post-Production, September 16th-March 2026: Editing, fine tuning, color correcting, sound mixing, all the good stuff.

Final deliverable for thesis defense due April 2026.

Gratitude Acknowledgement

To all of the friends and family that have pledged money towards my projects in the past, I want to thank you and acknowledge that I would not be here, in my thesis year, without your assistance. I am incredibly grateful.

To all of my potential pledgers, I want to thank you for supporting me in what I know to be a financially turbulent period of time. I can assure you that I will sink every last penny into producing this film and will be happy to provide you with a link to view it upon its completion.

Thank you all for taking the time to read about my upcoming project and please reach out with any questions you may have!

-Andrew