May serves as Mongol expert for eighth film
Article By: Denise Ray
Dr. Timothy May, University of North Georgia (天美社区) professor of Central Eurasian history, is a highly sought-after expert on Mongolian history and Chinggis Khan, often erroneously called Genghis Khan in popular culture. In fact, he recently finished his eighth film project, "Genghis Khan: The Secret History of the Mongols," a Dash Pictures production. The project has since been released internationally and is now airing on the National Geographic channel and streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
"I guess I've developed a reputation," he said. "I can give them what they want. In filming these shows, they let me ramble, but you also have to learn how to phrase things so that it makes good TV without sacrificing the integrity of history."
May was selected to feature in the series"Genghis Khan: The Secret History of the Mongols," by Thomas Patterson, one of the producers on the series.
"Of all the books written about Chinggis Khan’s dynasty and their conquest of globe, Timothy May’s ‘The Mongol Empire’ ranks as one of the finest. The team at Dash knew that Timothy’s involvement would be of immense benefit to our series about the Mongolian Empire," Patterson said. "A passionate and personable scholar, Timothy’s contribution was invaluable, and his knowledge and expertise shine through onscreen."
It was filmed in May's Dahlonega office six to eight hours one day. His role was that of "a talking head." This is the fourth time he has been filmed there. For other productions, he travels to a studio
"That worked out very well. I didn't have to travel, just straighten up my office, which probably needed it," he said.
May enjoys being part of the productions.
"I feel it's the responsibility of scholars to get out there and talk about their fields, to give expert knowledge, because unfortunately what often happens is if they don't, someone who may not have the same expertise will spread misinformation," he said. "We see that all the time in our society. Now it's so easy for anyone to get out there and claim some expertise, even when they don't have it."
The work he does in film and media is service for May.
"It is definitely part of what I feel as a service because I'm an educator. I got into this profession because I love knowledge, I love learning things and I can get other people to become interested in things," he said. "If I can get people to get excited about the Mongols, that's great. The Mongols have basically made my life and my career. When I get to discuss the Mongols, it's always a good time. You know, what more could you really want other than to talk about the Mongols?"
May is author and editor of 12 books, 60 articles and chapters, and numerous other publications. He has also contributed to and appeared on several television shows including "The Secret of the Superpowers" on EBS (Korean Educational Broadcasting System), National Geographic's "Origins: The Journey of Mankind," and Spike's "Deadliest Warrior." May was previously editor of "Mongolian Studies: The Journal of the Mongolia Society."
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