In this issue:
Wildlife Film Masterclass - new for 2010
Wildlife Film Masterclass (UK) 5-day course 2-6 Aug 2010 The premise of this course is simple: to make a complete short wildlife documentary, from scratch, in five days. Guided by professional film-makers at every step, with a high tutor-to-student ratio, this the perfect way to learn every aspect of film-making from idea development to post-production. Working in small teams you will be led through planning and pre-production, to shooting the footage, recording the sound, and then putting it all together in the edit to create a finished production. The resulting films will be shown on the Wildeye website and can also be used on your showreel. Your attendance on the course itself will be a useful addition to your CV. The course is suitable for all specialities that you may be working towards within wildlife film-making: camera operators, sound recordists, researchers, producers, presenters and editors. Full information at www.wildeye.co.uk/masterclass.html Michael Stedman Honored with Life Time Achievement Award NHNZ managing director Michael Stedman has been honored for his long standing contribution to New Zealand’s television production sector. Screen Production and Development Association (SPADA) Award winners were announced at a special dinner on November 13 where the long standing head of the internationally renowned factual production company was named as the 2009 SPADA/Onfilm Industry Champion. Mr. Stedman said he was surprised but delighted at the award which organizers described as the industry’s lifetime achievement award. “Fifteen years ago I envisaged NHNZ as a world leading factual production company. Achieving that vision is due to the remarkable talent of NHNZ’s employees, who in a typically unassuming Kiwi fashion, tirelessly work away from our base in Dunedin making television that is enjoyed by millions of people everywhere.” Michael has been an integral part of the New Zealand television industry for over 30 years and made an outstanding contribution to the sector as head of Natural History New Zealand (NHNZ). Michael has built a world brand, established a world class company, and provided opportunities for hundreds in the industry. NHNZ is now the second largest natural history producer in the world. It is the largest documentary production company in the Southern Hemisphere, producing around 60 hours a year. NHNZ’s brand is instantly recognizable in world markets, and is seen on some of the world’s leading networks including National Geographic and Discovery channels. Formerly TVNZ’s Natural History Unit (NHU), NHNZ was established in Dunedin in 1977. Michael began his association with the NHU in 1979 as an executive producer. In 1981 he transferred to the Australian Film and Television Academy as Training Director before joining ABC Australia as Head of the Features Department. Michael returned to Dunedin in 1987 to manage the NHU as well as being TVNZ’s Director of Production. Within 18 months he had tripled the NHU’s output and began international co-production. NHNZ is now part of the Fox International Channels group. Over the past six months NHNZ’s international success has also been recognized with the inaugural International Achievement Award at the Qantas Media and Television Awards, and with a special commendation for innovation at the American Chamber of Commerce (New Zealand) awards. Classroom in the Wild in Florida - March 2010 SOC’s Center for Environmental Filmmaking is offering students a one-week alternative spring break program in Florida to introduce them to the challenges of natural history field production. The program will take place March 6-12, 2010. This week-long, non-credit class is for both first-time and experienced filmmakers and photographers who have an interest in the environment, natural history and the outdoors. Led by award-winning filmmakers Wolfgang Obst and Danny Ledonne, students will learn how to prepare for and organize a shoot, how to handle cameras and record sound, and how to shoot the footage necessary to tell a compelling story. We’ll be exploring one of Florida’s most beautiful river environments. Students will produce two films as a class. For each film there will be a production crew of five to six students with positions as director, camera operator, production manager, sound person, writer and editor. Roles will be rotated every day so each student will gain a deep insight into what it means to take on the responsibilities for each. The final films may be used for the Suwannee River Management as educational materials for their district. For
more information see http://american.edu/soc/cef/classroom-in-the-wild-staff.cfm Neil Nightingale joins BBC Worldwide BBC Worldwide has announced today that Neil Nightingale has joined the BBC Earth team as Creative Director. Nightingale brings his vast experience to BBC Earth activity internationally, overseeing the creative work of the team. The BBC Earth brand was launched this year to act as the global guardian brand for the BBC’s natural history content across all territories and platforms including TV, DVD, licensing and digital. Nightingale’s primary role will remain in public service working as an executive for the Natural History Unit. He will be in an executive producer role at BBC working with the BBC Earth team to develop new forms of content for commercial release initially focusing on theatric productions, filming natural history content in 3D and creatively leading the development of Live Events around the BBC’s natural history programming. Marcus Arthur, Managing Director of Global Brands, BBC Worldwide said “We are delighted to have Neil Nightingale on board bringing his expertise and knowledge to the BBC Earth Brand. He has overseen all of the BBC’s natural history programming for the past 6 years including the landmark programmes Planet Earth and Life. His relationship and understanding of the BBC Earth brand and the content it encapsulates is invaluable.” Tom Archer, Controller of Factual Production for the BBC said: "The role Neil is taking up could lead the BBC's Natural History into completely new and exciting territories. It’s always exciting to discover new ways of connecting with our audiences, especially when we have world-class content to offer them." Nightingale has a wealth of experience in broadcasting joining the BBC in 1983 as a researcher and assistant producer. In 1995 Nightingale became Series Editor for The Natural World, BBC Two’s long-running flagship natural history series. Under his editorship The Natural World’s programmes won several awards including the Royal Television Society award for Best Documentary Strand in 1998. Nightingale was Head of the BBC’s Natural History Unit from 2003 to 2009, before deciding to step down at the beginning of this year. In this role he was responsible for the Unit’s output of around 100 hours of television and 50 hours of radio programming every year as well as online and theatric content, making it the world’s largest production unit dedicated to wildlife content creation. As Creative Director for BBC Earth at BBC Worldwide he brings his unique expertise to the brand to help BBC Worldwide expand and develop their natural history output exploring the potential for new ventures that will grow our international audience and looking at new ways for fans to engage with and enjoy our superlative content. Many of you will remember Lars Aby, a great Swedish filmmaker and friend to many people in the industry. Sadly he passed away earlier this month after a valiant fight with cancer. He produced many films over his career including ‘Vision Man’, which won the top award at the 1999 Jackson Hole film festival. This film was a collaboration between Lars and William Long, both valued friends and important team members of the crew that I worked with during the filming of ‘Realm of the Great White Bear’, a NGT film about polar bears. We spent many months travelling with Lars in Svalbard. He acted as guide, mentor and above all else a friend that would always have a fascinating story to entertain us on long Arctic nights. Many of us benefited from his years of experience and appreciation of the Arctic. He will be missed by many, but his skill as a filmmaker, his generosity, wisdom and sense of humor will mean that his memory will live on. David Wright (Producer/Cameraman) How wildlife filmmakers can benefit from full disclosure by: Chris Palmer and Suzanne Taylor An important goal we have as wildlife filmmakers is to inspire the growth of communities around our films so that they have more reach and impact. For too long, there has been no way for audiences (or sometimes even broadcasters) to easily understand how wildlife filmmakers make their films. By disclosing information about their treatment of animals or any use of staged and manipulated scenes, and then welcoming industry standards, wildlife filmmakers can encourage better conduct among their peers and give their films greater audience appeal.Creating a system to rank environmental and wildlife films and encouraging film producers to fully disclose how they treat animals and wildlife habitat is ultimately good for the animals, the films and the audience. Full Disclosure When scientists desire to conduct experiments involving animals, the National Academy of Sciences guidelines require that they write a report stating their intentions and describe the methods they'll be using. Similarly, wildlife filmmakers should write a report before production starts explaining how wildlife will be treated during filming to ensure that the process will be honest, ethical, and not harmful to animals or habitats. This commitment should be made public and be accessible to those interested in knowing more about the film. Many questionable decisions happen under the pressures of budget and time during principal photography. A pre-determined plan is valuable in helping to navigate the hundreds of decisions a producer or cinematographer may face during production. Cooperation on films from scientists, funding partners and broadcasters should be contingent on filmmakers signing full-disclosure contracts prior to getting the general production greenlit or, more specifically, prior to using certain locations. It is our hope that eventually our audiences, major broadcasters and research institutions will start asking for this information up front. We recommend that disclaimers be attached to completed films (such as "Captive animals from game farms were used in 75% of the scenes in this film"). Filmmakers would disclose their practices for audiences and broadcasters to evaluate. Considering the importance of the relationship between filmmakers and their supporters, this disclosure provides information that can deepen the trust the audience has, not only with the ideas, but with those behind the lens. This trust helps build audiences and determines the degree of success producers are able to achieve. Was anything staged or manipulated? Were animals captive, controlled or tame? Do animals in captivity behave differently from animals in the wild? Many filmmakers are inclined to hide this information, thinking it is within their creative discretion to conceal their "tricks of the trade." This thinking is understandable but absurd, and risks painting filmmakers as arrogant artists above reproach. We maintain that the sharing of information strengthens the relationship with an audience and allows for another level on which these films can be evaluated. Perhaps this type of information would be a great DVD special feature or web posting that conscientious viewers could access. Across the board Ideally, the wildlife film community should come up with a rating system based on certain standards. Carbon consumption standards are already being used here at American University and within the green filmmaking community. Mirroring this commitment to accountability and disclosure, wildlife filmmakers should be willing, even eager, to do the hard work of establishing standards so that audiences can have some way of understanding wildlife filmmaking ethics across a wider platform of films. As the public learns about these standards, they can pressure more producers to strive for the highest levels by voting with their wallets, attention and time. A real relationship with real people Just like any relationship, filmmakers must earn and keep the trust of their audience. The more filmgoers understand the work we do, the more likely they are to feel engaged. As audiences are empowered with more information about film practices they will, we believe, create a greater demand for ethically-produced content. As wildlife filmmakers, we must treat wildlife carefully and ethically, and then communicate our standards to an audience that wants to belong to a community that they can feel proud of and respect. Professor Chris Palmer is director of the Center for Environmental Filmmaking at American University. Suzanne Taylor is a filmmaker and graduate student at American University. 25th International Menigoute Festival Award Winners For this 25th International Menigoute Festival, 32 wildlife documentaries from 13 countries had been selected to be screened in public performance. After 6 days of screening, before an enthusiastic audience, the jury, with Pierre Guy as President, proclaimed the following awards (first places shown - see www.menigoute-festival.org for full list): LE LIROU
D'OR" - GRAND PRIX DE MENIGOUTE PRIX PROTECTION
DE LA NATURE PRIX DU
PARC INTERREGIONAL DU MARAIS POITEVIN PRIX PAYSAGES PRIX DU
CREDIT AGRICOLE PRIX DES
CLUBS CONNAITRE ET PROTEGER LA NATURE PRIX SPECIAL
DE LA HAUTE DEFINITION
PRIX DU JURY along with the Leica trophy (camera V Lux 1) BLUE's Best of Festival winner THE COVE makes the Oscar's short list The Academy
of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has announced that The Cove
is one of 15 films to make the short list for the Oscar in the Documentary
Feature category. New Zealand Falcon Soars to Worldwide Acclaim Who would
have thought the feisty little New Zealand falcon, or Karearea would
have become such a world-beater but that’s exactly what has happened.
This iconic little predator has been spotted dive-bombing unsuspecting
victims in cinemas all over the world - from Nepal to Brazil, South
Africa to Estonia - the New Zealand falcon has been astounding audiences
at international film festivals with its antics.
Recently published, Life Stories by Sir David Attenborough has to be the perfect Christmas present! The sloth is Sir David's first essay in this collection of his own personal insight into the natural world around us. He also talks about his first ever pet, a salamander, and his favourite animal - the bird of paradise, as well as living fossils, flying dinosaurs, dragons and the strange antics of the duck-billed platypus. This is Sir David looking at the wildlife that has captured his imagination and enthusiasm over his distinguished career in TV, then wildlife TV. It is a fascinating trip around the world in search of extraordinary plants and animals, in the company of this wonderful communicator. The
RRP of the book is UK£20 but is available for: The North Sea Film Festival Amsterdam highest recognition & award goes to “Water Colours: A Touch of Fluorescence”, with FIRST PRIZE, BEST FILM in the Professional Category. Once again, the stunning imagery of the secret communication channels of fish has brought the limelight to fluorescence pioneers ‘Liquid Motion Film’. With the invaluable help of Scientific Advisors from three continents and associated directly with National Geographic/NGTI, Liquid Motion’s ‘Water Colours’ Series started out in pole position, as the blue-chip underwater series of the decade. This prominent First Prize - Best Film Award from Amsterdam, adds to the prestigious Grand Prix de L’Institut Oceanographique awarded in France recently. Thank you so much to our Scientific Advisors and friends for years of relentless support (and who made this possible): Dr. Charles Mazel, Mikhail V. Matz PhD., Prof. Roy L. Caldwell PhD., Dr. Ulrike Siebeck, Prof. Shaun P. Collin & Prof. Justin Marshall. Footage Search Adds New Cineflex Stock Footage Collection Footage Search, known for high quality footage offerings through the OceanFootage and NatureFootage websites, have announced the addition of an extensive collection of HD stock footage sourced using Cineflex technology. The new collection highlights dramatic footage of Arctic and Sub-Arctic Alaska, including stunning visuals of climate change. Footage Search now exclusively represents the footage of four independent Cineflex operators strategically located in Australia, Central America, New Zealand, and North America. Now available at the OceanFootage and NatureFootage websites, view remarkable footage of Arctic and Sub-Arctic Alaska in the new Arctic Cineflex collection. This new collection includes video sourced on HDCAM SR using the Cineflex with gyrostabilized systems mounted on both boat and helicopter. The result is rock-solid camera stability and lock shot precision. The new collection highlight includes images of humpback whales breaching and bubble-net feeding in detailed slow motion. The Cineflex’s amazing telephoto capabilities allow for footage to be filmed from high above the sea ice, with shots that transition from an extreme close-up of spotted seals to an extreme wide shot of the surrounding polar caps and ocean waters. "This footage bears witness to the awe-inspiring spectacle of glaciers calving, filmed at high speed, then slowed down for effect, bringing to light the dramatic impact of climate change", says Footage Search President Dan Baron. For more information on the Cineflex footage available from the OceanFootage and NatureFootage websites please visit: OceanFootage. Rod Berling is currently working on a children's feature film and is trying to source some bear sound effects (roaring etc). He says the type of bear is a large brown bear, but he could layer up any sort of roar: grizzly, polar etc... If you can help please contact him directly at rodberling@mac.com
So when your aunt asks you yet again what you want for Christmas there is finally no need for your mind to go blank. Ask for a Wildeye Gift Voucher towards a course of your choice in 2010. Available in amounts of £20, £50, £100 or for the full cost of a course. We will send you (or your aunt so that she can give/send it to you) an attractive voucher which you can then redeem against the course. Choose from courses at www.wildeye.co.uk The ultimate gift for the Camera/Video/Sound/Natural History enthusiast that has everything! Contact us at info@wildeye.co.uk to order your voucher.
A selection of superb natural sound CDs from Chris Watson - the leading wildlife sound recordist and Wildeye tutor - are now available from the Wildeye Shop at www.wildeye.co.uk/chriswatson.html. Chris is now widely regarded as one of the most creative sound artists in the business. His recent credits include the hugely popular Springwatch and Autumnwatch, and he received the Wildlife Film Asia Award for the BBC's Galapagos: Born of Fire. Chris also creates for the radio, with credits including Soundscape: The Sea Swallow, Watersong and The Estuary all for BBC Radio 4. CDs available include: Outside the Circle of Fire, Weather Report, Storm and Star Switch On. All CDs are available mail-order worldwide (paypal), or by cheque (UK). I don't need to tell you these would make superb Christmas presents! Wildlife Photography DVDs
Join two of Britain's top wildlife photographers for your own personal introduction to wildlife photography Award winning professional wildlife photographers and authors David Tipling and Chris Gomersall present expert and detailed advice to get you started in wildlife photography. In a clear and understandable way you'll learn all about choosing and using equipment, correct exposure techniques and how to process your images on a computer. SPECIAL
OFFER - DVD available at reduced price for a limited time only
Presented by three of Britain's top wildlife photographers - Peter Cairns, Chris Gomersall and Mark Hamblin - expert and detailed advice is provided through a series of subject case studies filmed in the wild specifically for this DVD. Go Wild with your Camera makes an excellent companion DVD for photographers wanting to explore wild subjects beyond their home patch. SPECIAL
OFFER - DVD available at reduced price for a limited time only Plus we still have copies of Successful Wildlife Videography DVD - half price offer
You will learn the amazing tricks of the trade and trade secrets of the television wildlife cameraman. You will learn all about equipment based on the latest digital HD camcorders. Mike covers everything from coming up with a wildlife programme idea, to writing it, filming it, editing it and distributing it, with a large emphasis on filming techniques. SPECIAL
OFFER - DVD available at half price for a limited time only
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For
some time now, people have been asking Wildeye for a longer UK course
where they can see a production take its full course from conception,
through shooting to editing. So here it is:
Sad
Loss of Lars Aby
Life
Stories
by Sir David Attenborough
Chris
Watson CDs
