05 November, 2012
I was lucky enough to attend the Demo Africa Launchpad in Nairobi last week and covered the event for Click on the BBC World Service.

Check out my photos from the event here.

19 October, 2012
Check out our newest science music video from the virtual school: Molar Eclipse of the Heart. Molarity to the tune of Bonnie Tyler. I wrote the lyrics. Alex Watson sang the song. Josh White and Freya Holdsworth did the animation.

26 August, 2012
We've come to the end of our summer in Sevilla, and I'm so proud of all the amazing things our ten "Project Murillo" interns have achieved, both on their work placements, and in their work for the Virtual School.

Watch this taster video, of the content we produced while in Spain, and learn all about atomic chemistry, ecology and arithmetic from the free videos on the The Virtual School YouTube Channel. Working hard now to get more topics covered and many many more videos produced.

27 July, 2012
I'm back in London for the next two weeks as media manager, moral support and general stuff-carrier for the Thai Equestrian Team (a.k.a. little sister Nina Ligon). Watch her compete in eventing for Thailand over the next four days and cheer team Thai!

Follow all the action on Nina's facebook and Twitter @ninaligon, which I will be updating constantly and obsessively.

4 June, 2012
Hello from beautiful, sunny, Sevilla! What am I doing in Spain, you ask. Well I'm working with our ten new interns to create educational videos for the virtual school! They're an amazingly talented bunch, and it's been a huge boost to our production to have such a range of skills from illustration and animation to teaching and chemistry! Make sure you keep checking back at The Virtual School YouTube Channel, to see all the content we're producing out here.

23 March, 2012
It been a while since I last updated, but I've been crazy busy in my new role as Content Maestro for the virtual school, an open-access education project that aims to democratise education for learners around the world. What does that mean? Well, we capture teachers' best explanations of a subject, and then "visualise" them using basic animation and key text.

As Content Maestro, I'm setting the design standards and streamlining our video production process, as well as making lots and lots of short videos. I'm working hard to develop a production process that allows us to quickly and easily translate the videos to different languages without having to produce them all over again.

Check out the videos on The Virtual School YouTube Channel, where we'll continue posting our educational videos as we produce them.

7 February, 2012
Twiga Stars is back on the big screen, and will be showing at the Denver Film Society tomorrow afternoon at 4pm. A huge thanks to Girls Inc. for organizing and sponsoring this screening. I'll be skyping in (apparently projected on the cinema screen?!) after the screening for a Q&A.

6 January, 2012
Back in London now and just applied for a work permit, so hopefully I'll be able to stay here for a little longer! While I wait for permission to work, I'm volunteering with a great organisation called Development Media International.

They do behavior change communication projects that educate about healthy behaviors and save lives all around the world. I especially love their rigorously scientific approach, which involves mathematical modeling and extensive monitoring and evaluation to determine the actual impact of their interventions.

21 November, 2012
Just got back from (not so) sunny Rio de Janeiro! We snuck over there very surreptitiously so we wouldn't let the cat out of the bag... but now I can tell you the great news. Nina has won the FEI Rising Star award for the best young rider from anywhere in the world, in any discipline, showing talent and dedication to the equestrian sports, or something like that! Here's the very dark and not at all well filmed video I took at the awards ceremony. Congrats little Neeners, I'm so proud of you!

7 November, 2012
I'm thoroughly enjoying my current life as assistant groom and media manager for Nina Ligon: Thai Eventer. We're just finishing up at Galway Downs CIC** Event. Nina had an amazing ride cross country on Jazz King- you can watch it here. Make sure to like the Nina Ligon: Thai Eventer facebook page to keep following the our journey to the Olympics.

22 October, 2011
I'm headed home to Virginia to help my little sister Nina Ligon in her quest to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics! It feels like just yesterday she was riding her little pony Cous Cous in the short stirrup classes, and now she's got a chance at the Olympics. I feel very proud and very old.

2 October, 2011
Now that my thesis is in, I'm working for the next month on on BBC World, before heading back to the USA. It's produced by Rockhopper TV, one of my absolute favorite production companies, so it's a true honor to have this opportunity. Been here a week and loving it already. I spend my days reading up about fascinating global health stories, and helping out with shoots in the spectacular Angel Building.

16 September, 2011
I've finally turned in my master's thesis project, and have a new appreciation for the hard work that goes into radio production! I've really enjoyed it and am excited to do more work in radio now too! I can't post the piece yet, as it's under consideration for broadcast, but I will share with you some cool, inspirational radio documentaries that helped me along the way.

Have a listen to the PARASITES episodeof Radiolab, my favorite radio show. I promise it'll blow your mind. Ok, but after listening to that, don't get your expectations TOO high for my documentary. I went with the more journalistic style of Discovery on the BBC, taking inspiration from great pieces of science journalism like this great documentary on Dengue Fever. Have a listen, and hopefully you'll be able to hear my documentary soon too!

26 September, 2011
I'm very pleased to announce that Twiga Stars: Tanzania's Soccer Sisters has won the Audience Choice Award at the Africa World Documentary Film Festival! Big thanks to everyone who watched the film and voted!

8 September, 2011
Twiga Stars: Tanzania's Soccer Sisters will soon be available in German! It's our third version now. Interested in translating it to another language? Give me a shout at nisha(dot)ligon(at)gmail(dot)com.

6 September, 2011
APOLOGIES for broken links on this website. I've finally gotten kicked off the Yale server where I was hosting many of my videos. I'm in the process of bringing them over to YouTube and embedding them, but please be patient... I'm also trying to finish my master's thesis!

31 August, 2011
The Guardian again ;-) This time it's a freelance job for a video of Kate Humble talking about her new book, "Watching Waterbirds".

22 August, 2011
Check it: I've been featured on today's Guardian Science Weekly podcast with Alok Jha, talking about counterfeit anti-malarial drugs and playing some of the research I recorded in South East Asia.

01 August, 2011
Hello from Mae Sot, on the Thailand-Burma border. I'm here recording for a radio documentary about drug resistant malaria. It's been non-stop raining for the past few days, but I've gotten some great material. Special thanks to the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit and the on the web for all to see! Watch it, comment on it, share it!

01 May, 2011
The Twiga Stars DVDs were a sell-out hit in Tanzania. We're now looking to put it up on the internet for all the world to see! Keep an eye out for more updates on that. As for me, I'm camped out at the Imperial College LibraryÉ studying for the dreaded exams.

15 April, 2011
We've agreed to a distribution deal with Pili Pili Entertainment to release the DVD of Twiga Stars: Tanzania's Soccer Sisters (Swahili title "Twiga Stars: Dada wa Mpira) in Tanzania. Each Twiga Stars will also receive 50 DVD's of the film, and each women's club team will receive 200 copies to sell or give away at their discretionÉ with the goal of raising funds and support for women's football!

04 February, 2012
And I'm back to making documentaries about football! This time it's a radio documentary looking at the science behind ref bias... and how it might be affected by running tracks. We heard from Tunde Buraimo, a sports economist from UCLAN, and take a trip to Upton Park to see West Ham United. Click here to listen. I hope you enjoy it!

02 April, 2011
While I've been busy studying for my Master's in Science Media Production at Imperial College London, Twiga Stars: Tanzania's Soccer Sisters has been touring the world! Next stop (and I'm finally going to get to travel to this one) is the Vail Film Festival, where Twiga Stars will be screening on Friday, April 1 at 7:45pm and Saturday, April 2 at 10:00 am. If you're in Vail, hope to see you there! If not, check out the screenings page to find out when and where you can see the doc!

01 Dec, 2010
Great news! Twiga Stars: Tanzania's Soccer Sisters will be premiering at the Africa International Film Festival on December 4É can't wait! Check it out on my Twiga Stars blog.

09 June, 2010
Time flies! It's already June!! I'm wrapping up post-production on Twiga Stars. And I'm submitting it to film festivals, then finally taking a breather from endless editing. It's time for some travel and fun-- I'm off to the World Cup in a couple of weeks. Follow my vlog Filming the Fever, where I document the football fever epidemic of 2010.

In other super exciting news, the Twiga Stars have been invited to come train and tour in the USA! I'll be traveling with them in August and documenting the whole thing at www.twigastars.com. Interested in coming to see them? Get in touch by emailing me at nisha.ligon(at)gmail.com, and I'll keep you up to date as plans are finalized!

23 April, 2010
Mpira is now "Twiga Stars: Tanzania's Soccer Sisters." Visit the new website at www.twigastars.com to watch the trailer and video clips, keep up with the blog, and preview some of the soundtrack.

05 April, 2010
I've emerged from my reclusive editing spree and am in DC for the weekend, getting comments on the rough cut for "Twiga Stars???" (I'm not sure if that's my title yet, but it's what I'm leaning towards.) Also trying to work on Twiga Stars dot com... so check back soon for updates on that.

It's certainly nice to get out on in the sun and hang out with other humans!!

31 January, 2010
On the way back from Sundance. Saw tons of amazing films, attended a bunch of interesting and helpful workshops and panels, and even got in some skiing. Basically just had an awesome time. Highlights were: Waiting for Superman, Boy, A Small Act, It's a Wonderful Afterlife and To Catch A Dollar.

21 January, 2009
I'm headed to Sundance! That's right. After not leaving the house for about 10 days of non-stop editing on Mpira, I'm headed out to Park City for 10 days of non-stop watching other people's films! I'm especially excited about Space Tourists, The Oath, and CANE TOADS: THE RETURN!!!!

20 December, 2009
The website is back! After being kicked of the Yale Art server and floundering in cyberspace nowhere for a few months, my personal website is back up, now at www.majanimedia.com. It is still VERY GLITCHY as I sort things out with the new server and redirect old links, but I promise to have it as good as new soon. Also, I lost of the updates I've done since March, so it'll take a little while getting everything back up to date. For now please check out www.nishaligon.com/mpira

26 March, 2009
I really need to start updating more... so much to tell! So I just accepted an offer from Imperial College London to do a one-year MSc in Science Media Production. Thrilled to finally take a real stab at combining my two passions-- science and film. But hold up, that doesn't start until October, and there is so much exciting stuff on my plate between now and then!

First off, I've finally decided that I need to call it a wrap on filming for "RISK" and really hunker down in the editing room. I've already got a very rough cut, but it's completely disjointed and lacks any real narrative. This film's a tricky one! I've started adding music and lots of archive footage, so at least it's looking and flowing like a real film, rather than an interminable series of academic talking heads **yawn**. But it's due in a month and still got a LONG way to go.

As I head into serious post-production on that, I'm also deep into pre-production on my next project, a more verite-style documentary that will follow a couple of girls from the Mchangani Sisters soccer team as they compete to defend their title as champions of the Tanzania Women's National Soccer League and to earn call-ups for the Tanzanian national team, the Twiga Stars. I've got about 8 hours of footage that I'm cutting into a trailer, and then it's time to do some serious fundraising. Production will ramp up in June and July during the national tournament, then I'm going to have to lock myself away for two months to try and get some serious editing done before heading to London in October. Then it'll be back to the life I live now... student by day, caffeine charged film editor by night. Woohoo! Honestly though, if you know any talented documentary editors in London in search of a project, please let me know!

As far as fiction films, last summer's screenplay, "What Happened in Moscow," is off in various reading rooms, as it competes for glory on this summer's festival circuit. It's still hard to imagine it ever getting made, but I can hope for miracles! My current screenplay (about kids getting up to no good in VA horse country) is stuck at a halt as I cannot seem to write an ending. It's probably going to take a quiet weekend in the woods on the week before it's due... but I really just can't think about it right now. My creative juices are drained.

Speaking of writing, on the science front, things are actually coming along nicely, and I've finally gotten a chunk of my manuscript written. I've made myself stop fiddling around with inconclusive PCR's and random new analyses, and start trying to put into words what it all means. There's still a long way to go, but at least progress is being made. Anyways, I should probably get back to all of this work that I'm talking about, rather than blogging about it...

26 February, 2009
Lots of news! I'm in way over my head right now with just about everything. My senior documentary film about risk perception is well into post-production now, but of course, being me, I still have a page-long list of more things I want to shoot. I'm also in pre-production for a feature-length doc I'd like to shoot after graduation about a women's soccer team in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I'm headed over there in a week to sort everything out and film a trailer-- so more news to come on that soon!

Also, I've started uploading films to vimeo, so check out them out here. Make sure to watch the footage that Logan shot with my helmet cam while ice climbing! The POV shots will be a recurring theme in my risk film... so let me know if you're doing anything sweet soon and want to try filming it with the helmet cam!

6 December, 2008
I'm off and outta here! That's right... since I don't have any finals this semester, I'm leaving New Haven today for a whirlwind month and a half xmas break full of filming and (hopefully) snow. First I'm headed up to Boston for the annual meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis. I'll have half of the people I need to talk to for my film in the same place at the same time.

In other exciting news, I just acquired a helmet cam, so I'll be able to film POV shots of skiing, biking, horseback riding... you name it! I'm really excited to use it to illustrate concept of decision-making, and have been wearing it around the apartment attached to my headlamp.

So to everyone in New Haven, goodbye for now and Happy Holidays! I'll see you in the New Year!

19 October, 2008
My documentary film idea has finally come together and I've decided to make a film about RISK and how we perceive it. Might sound boring now, but I assure you that once you get into it, risk is a fascinating topic. I want to look at everything from the risk you take when driving your car, to the management (or mismanagement) of risk on the stock market, to potential global and even existential risks (such as the technological singularity). I'm heading out to the Singularity Summit next weekend, where I'm sure I'll be introduced to more interesting and though-provoking topics related to risk... and get to meet some of the world's leading experts on the Singularity! If you're interested in hearing more or have any good ideas for my film, please email me: nisha13(at)me(dot)com

13 October, 2008
Twenty-three is old. I am twenty-three today. I am old. Scary stuff.

25 September, 2008
School is back underway, and you know what that means: busy, busy, busy! If you're at Yale I'd encourage you to tune into campus cable channel 24 and watch the new and improved YTV. If you're not... be patient while we revamp our website! I'm trying also trying to plan my senior documentary and am fishing for ideas. Suggestions? Email me!

Oh, and best wishes for a speedy recovery to Rodrigo Possebon!

14 August, 2008
Askldjsvfkjhs!!!!!!!! The last tadpole that I've been waiting on metamorphosed today, which means that after over five months I'm taking down my experiment, and I can go home! Watch out RVA.

13 August, 2008
Happy 21st, Lindsay Barbee!

11 August, 2008
My first DNA extraction was successful! Woohoo... the fact that I'm actually blogging about this shows just how uninteresting my life is right now. The olympics have definitely been entertaining tho...

8 August, 2008
I finally watched In Bruges and it was AWESOME! Five stars. Not at all what the trailers suggested but highly, highly recommended.

Watching (in the spare time I don't have): The Health Show, Surprising Europe and and The Killing (Danish version).

Reading: Africa United, Brisingr, Lots of Radio theory books for my thesis!

Itching to go to: DR Congo, New Zealand, Botswana, Iceland, Patagonia... and everywhere else

Spending my time: Getting my master's degree in Science Media Production and doing various freelance media projects

Waiting impatiently for: The Red Scarlet to come out, the London 2012 Olympics, and world peace.