Exploring the Science of Magic with Arbor the Science Dog & His Human, Sarah Bannister

Upon first glance, science and fantasy may seem like total opposites: health potions versus medicine, mana versus stamina. But to digital content creator, director and science communicator Sarah Bannister, they’re the perfect match. 

What began as a science-themed Instagram account featuring her dog Arbor has since grown into a new digital TELUS STORYHIVE Voices series called If It Were Real… where Bannister and her fluffy co-host invite guests into a world of real-life fire-breathing, dragons, fantasy familiars and labyrinths. 

With Season 2 in pre-production and Season 1 now available to stream on TELUS Optik TV Video on Demand channel 9 and Stream+, we caught up with this talented duo to discuss the inspiration for the series, why we love fantasy and what it was like to film with the best pup around. 

STORYHIVE: First of all, congratulations on the success of your show, If It Were Real... There’s going to be a second season! How do you feel?

Sarah Bannister: Thank you! It’s very exciting, especially since Season 1 hasn’t even come out yet! Season 1 was a ton of work, and doing marketing and the release of Season 1 while I’m in pre-production for Season 2 has been busy, but just so much fun. I’m hoping that with all the experience and knowledge that I gained doing Season 1, Season 2 pre-production will be even smoother. 

STORYHIVE: Tell us about your background! How did you come to work in science and the arts simultaneously?

Sarah Bannister: I’ve always loved science and the arts, and I could never pick just one of them. My undergrad is actually a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences, a split degree between plant science and theatre studies. 

I came to Calgary to do my MFA in theatre directing with a focus on science communication through theatre. That’s really where I honed my perspective and knowledge. Then I created Arbor the Science Dog. It started on Instagram just as a dog page, and very quickly, I realized I could put a science spin on it. It grew into a science communication page, and then I developed a YouTube channel as well!

STORYHIVE: Tell us about Arbor! When did you adopt him, and what’s it been like filming with him? 

Sarah Bannister: I adopted him as an adult dog in April 2023, so it’s been a bit over two years. He was already house-trained; he’s incredibly curious and a bit of a menace, but so adorable. He loves exploring new locations and meeting everyone, and he’s really photogenic and charismatic.

Figuring out how to work with Arbor in new spaces was always a learning experience. He’s been doing this with me since I adopted him, so he’s used to weird things in weird places, but each location is new for him and me.

For Season 1, we went to the fire academy training centre once, and Arbor wanted to jump into their rubble pile! He’s very excitable, but my crew helped manage him. 

STORYHIVE: For those about to tune in, what is If It Were Real… about?

Sarah Bannister: The show is all about taking fantasy things and looking at them through a science lens. In each episode, Arbor and I take fantasy concepts and explore how they would work in real life. For example, if dragons were real, how would their fire breath work? Or if health potions were real, what would be in them to heal you? 

We bring folks of all ages and backgrounds on this fun adventure to explore the science of fantasy, monsters and magic. We feature interviews with local experts, conduct real-life experiments and do it all with lots of humour, chaos and fluff.

The format for the show developed out of my YouTube videos. On YouTube, it was just me and Arbor looking at different fantasy things based on what I came across, what was in the news or seasonal events. The funding from TELUS STORYHIVE Voices let me reach out to the community to find fantasy and science experts to interview and try all kinds of other experiments. 

For instance, in a dragon episode, we chat with a fire artist. That’s about as close as humans get to actually breathing fire!

STORYHIVE: What inspired you to make the show? 

Sarah Bannister: If It Were Real… is really an extension of my MFA work, using the arts to connect people with science. Lots of folks have this idea that science is boring or that they’re “not smart enough” for science because they didn’t do well in it in school. But science to me is really just a way to look at the world with curiosity. It's seeing something and asking “how does that work” or “why is that like that,” and then going through an iterative process to find out how or why. And that’s something that anyone can do, regardless of what grades they got or where they’re from or what their background is.  

So my goal with the show is to challenge ideas that science is boring or difficult by making it so fun, funny and accessible that folks won’t even realize they're learning to think critically, curiously and creatively.

STORYHIVE: What do you think people love so much about fantasy as a genre, and how does it intertwine so well with science?

Sarah Bannister: I think people gravitate to it because it's an escape from our normal, mundane world and an awakening of the “natural” world, with creatures and fairies and magic. When I read fantasy, one of the things I look for is that “natural world” element.

I remember movies like Avatar captivated me with their forests and glowing plants. Dragons were also my favourite as a kid. I loved The Inheritance Cycle series by Christopher Paolini, and the way those dragons were highly intelligent, not inherently destructive and formed bonds.

Science and fantasy are a really natural pairing to me. Science, at its core, is actually super creative. To advance science, you have to think in ways that no one has ever thought of before to uncover new things, like the movement of the planets or the existence of bacteria and viruses. 

Fantasy is all about creating new worlds, beings and languages. It merges escapism with biology in a way that feels alive and really immerses you in another environment. So it makes a lot of sense to put them together, really. 

STORYHIVE: Do you have a highlight episode from Season 1? What did you learn from filming the first season? 

Sarah Bannister: I learned a lot! My tagline for Season 1, which I kept telling people, was “I don’t know what I don’t know.” I’m very proud of what my teeny tiny team and I were able to create. Coming from live theatre, film is very different in terms of frame, angles and timing. 

Going through STORYHIVE’s training sessions was incredibly helpful. I realized what pre-production for a show like this actually looks like versus doing something on my own, and I had to pare back some of my bigger ideas, like skydiving or filming in extreme temperatures.  

I’d say the first episode—the dragon one—was super fun. We got to work with the Calgary Fire Department, and I’d never worked with a public service department before. They were incredibly helpful and supportive. 

STORYHIVE: What advice would you give to someone applying to the TELUS STORYHIVE Voices program, and what did you take away from it? 

Sarah Bannister: I saw the TELUS STORYHIVE Voices application on Instagram and figured, why not apply? I believe in my idea; maybe someone else will. Lo and behold, they did, and here we are! My advice would be: Just apply! The worst they can say is no. If you believe in your idea and feel other people will too, you have to get used to talking about it and selling it. 

I also loved that TELUS STORYHIVE’s programs are very locally focused, which forces you to look for expertise within your area. For instance, in our health potion episode, I worked with a local nutritionist who was excellent. You also build your community and network through the program, like renting equipment from smaller film associations, which can help you in the future. 

TELUS STORYHIVE’s training sessions are invaluable, especially if you come from live theatre or YouTube. They cover things like story crafting, tech, editing, releases and marketing, and having those resources is crucial.

STORYHIVE: What was one of the most helpful training sessions for you?

Sarah Bannister: The Releases session was the most important because I’d never dealt with that area before. It gave me a base of knowledge and resources for further learning. The other sessions were helpful too, covering things like program intros, story and interviews, finishing, marketing and editing. 

STORYHIVE: What can you tease about Season 2 of If It Were Real… ? And what’s next for Sarah Bannister? 

Sarah Bannister: I’m super excited to focus on Arbor more! We're going to explore new filming techniques to see Arbor’s point of view, build our interview setup in a way that can involve him further, and we’re also in talks with an incredible local dog training company to really supercharge Arbor’s skills and abilities.  

We’ll also dive deep into one specific area: Fantasy familiars. 

Fantasy familiars are creatures in fantasy stories or Dungeons & Dragons, serving as animal companions. We’ll explore questions like: if Dungeons & Dragons were real, could we make Arbor into the best animal familiar ever? 

I’d love to give a shout-out to the crew I worked with! As I mentioned, it was a teeny tiny team. For Season 1, I had Joe Davies providing creative development support, and Jeffrey Arndt was my main dog wrangler and all-around crew member. Arbor loves Jeff—he was amazing at helping wrangle Arbor whenever he tried to wander off. And then my creative helper and crew lead was Oderin Tobin, who’s been helping us even more in Season 2 as a creative collaborator. Arbor also adores Oderin.

I’m also a creator and a maker, and I run a shop called A Bunch of Crows. My tagline is shiny gifts for the nerds, the geeks, the gays and the neurodiverse. Everything is science or fantasy themed. I really wanted to create a space where people could celebrate their unique interests and identities through fun and useful products—things like scrunchies, bandanas, dice trays, dice bags and cards.

If It Were Real... Episode Screening and Q&A RSVP 

If It Were Real… is thrilled to share Season 1 with audiences at a special public screening in Calgary on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers. Doors open at 2:30 pm, the screening begins at 3:00 pm and a Q&A will follow from 3:45–4:15 pm.

Register for the event here. 

Contact us at ArborTheScienceDog@gmail.com if you have any questions, or check out our YouTube Channel.

Big congratulations to Sarah Bannister on her success and the premiere of her series! Watch If It Were Real… Season 1—available now on TELUS Optik TV Video on Demand channel 9 and Stream+. Catch the full series on STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel starting November 25, 2025. 

Follow Sarah and Arbor on Instagram @arbor.thesciencedog