 Wildlife Film News 125 January 2010
In this issue:
WildFilmCast - New Wildlife Film-making Podcast - now available As the first and only podcast dedicated to the wildlife film industry, the WildFilmCast is devoted to presenting a complete and unbiased view of the wildlife film industry. Find out more at www.wildfilmcast.com. Whether you're an industry veteran, aspiring filmmaker, or simply love to watch nature come to life on the screen, together we'll explore the history, business, key figures, landmark films, and insider tricks of this exciting industry. The podcasts will include interviews with industry insiders, including educators, producers, authors, cameramen, and more. Episode 1: Educate Yourself In our first episode we speak with Chris Palmer and Piers Warren about opportunities for wildlife film education, including a comparison of the American University Center for Environmental Filmmaking and the Wildeye International School of Wildlife Filmmaking. We also talk about recent changes in the industry and what to expect when trying to start a career as a wildlife filmmaker. This is a discussion you won't want to miss! For best results, right click on the Download link at www.wildfilmcast.com and save the mp3 file on your computer. You can then listen to it with an mp3 program such as iTunes, and/or transfer it to an mp3 player such as an iPod and listen to it anywhere. The first episode is 71.9Mb and last 43 minutes. If you have any comments about the WildFilmCast, or would like to take part in a future edition (showcasing your voiceover for example), then contact the Producer Jon Betz at jon@wildfilmcast.com
New Research and Production Course
Research and production are essential elements of the wildlife film industry but the activities involved and techniques required are not always obvious. This course combines presentations from experienced researchers and producers, who can guide you through the pitfalls and teach you the tricks of the trade, with practical work and examples from real productions. Working as a wildlife researcher or production assistant is often the first step in the wildlife film-making industry but getting a job can be hard. This course will give you a thorough grounding to all the skills required and be a valuable addition to your CV. If you are planning on 'going on your own' as a researcher/producer the information gained from this course will be invaluable. The skills learned are applicable to team members or solo film-makers. The course is taught by Caroline Brett, who is a highly experienced and award-winning producer/ director, Alan Miller, an accomplished director, writer and editor, and Nikki Waldon, an assistant producer with the BBC NHU. Further information at http://www.wildeye.co.uk/production.html
From The ViewFinder ISSUE NO 58 As we come to the end of 2009, we are fast approaching our 1000th film – only 12 to go. Everyone is saying “when is the party?” We are not quite sure when it will be but we will certainly celebrate when the time comes. It is exactly 23 years since Jean’s first film (November/December 1986). When Viewfinders was formally started in August 1988, Adrian Warren, the director of that very first film said “I’m worried that you won’t get enough work”. How could he have known how wrong he was! We would like to thank all our film making friends and clients for backing us this far. With only one or two exceptions, we have enjoyed it all and are for the most part very proud to have worked with the many and varied crews that have filmed here over the years. Thankyou ALL for your support. www.viewfindersltd.com Environmentally Friendly Music Green Button Music," a new environmentally friendly music licensing company sounds nothing like your typical library. For each track licensed a contribution is made to The Nature Conservancy. Top quality, dynamically breathing tracks are organized into 16 easily navigable collections. The pricing is incredibly competitive and music advisors/editors can help guide you and/or customize tracks for your project. Visit Green Button online at www.greenbuttonmusic.com and enjoy a 10% discount for Wildlife Film News subscribers. A new animation series entitled “Chuck the Eco Duck”, presented by the Ultra Green Group, has commenced production. Based on a radio series by Sony Radio Award winning station Fun Kids, the 13 episode series is readying for delivery to broadcasters in June 2010. It is produced by Ultra Green Films in association with Prime Focus. The series has been created with the aim of educating children about a range of environmental issues in a fun and engaging way. The animation is created for the pre-school age group (2 to 4 years). An audio and educational series is being developed for the 4 to 8 years age bracket. Robert Sidaway at Ultra Green Films said: “Chuck, this bossy but kindly duck, is very aware of his carbon web-print, reminding us at all times to ‘Love your world’.” The animation and post production is being developed by Prime Focus, with Mike Fraser Executive Producing. The Producer is Pierre Fletcher-Gray. Music and Lyrics are being developed by Maddie Rix and Oliver Payne. Fujifilm & ilab launch 16mm package promotion Fujifilm Motion Picture has announced details of 'Complete 16', a 16mm film and processing package. The cost for a 16mm x 400 foot roll costs £125 (plus VAT) while a 16mm x 100 foot roll is £50 (plus VAT). The deal includes:
* 16mm Fujifilm Motion Picture Film Stock Complete 16, which is a joint initiative between Fujifilm and London based rushes specialist laboratory, ilab, is available for a wide range of productions including features, TV dramas, shorts, music promos, artist and student films. "Complete16 is designed to inspire filmmakers to shoot on film. Image quality is sometimes the first thing to suffer when a production has a tight budget," says Jerry Deeney from Fujifilm Motion Picture. "Complete16 is here to prove that filmmakers can have the high quality that film offers at an affordable price." To take advantage of the offer, simply call Fujifilm Motion Picture on 020 3040 0400 and ask for the Complete16 deal when placing the order. Orders can also be made online, via www.complete16.com - delivery to any UK address can be arranged for a charge of just £10. Wild Mountain Gorilla Grieves For Her Dead Baby-Captured on HD www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_szdrHpswg&feature=player_embedded This is the story of Izuru, a wild mountain Gorilla who had a miscarriage & carried her dead baby for days. Ignorance or grief? I guess we'll never know but one thing is certain: this emotional behavior proves once again that these magnificent animals are our closest relatives & it's our obligation to protect them. This rare event was captured recently by Gil Arbel on HD for the vanishing world project. It was a difficult thing to watch. I hope this will help protect the last wild mountain Gorillas. The footage is for sale - contact: gilarbel@hotmail.com Wildlife Photography Workshop in the Peruvian Amazon FotoForever are running three workshops, under the guidance of pro wildlife photographer Elliott Neep (www.enwp.co.uk) which will each take 12 students (10 paying and 2 free scholorships) into the Amazon for 12 days to learn about photography, work alongside research teams (focusing on birds/ mammals/ reptiles/ insects etc) and produce a mini portfolio. It's a fantastic and unique project and its members will get opportunites they could otherwise only dream of, such as photographing wild birds close up after they've been caught in mist nets used by the research teams. The workshop is non profit and the proceeds go towards funding the workshops parent company, Fauna Forever Tambopata (also non profit), which takes young biologists into the rainforest and teaches them vital fieldwork skills. Due to the not for profit nature of the course, and the fact we want to encourage young biologists and students to join, the course price is very low, just £800 all inclusive of meals, tuition, accomodation and transport (excluding flights). Full information can be seen at www.fotoforever.org Soundtrack Production Tutorial CD-ROMs available Three tutorial CD-ROMs on producing better soundtracks are available from Howard Gregory who has been recording and manipulating sound for almost 50 years. On these CD-ROMs he "sits down with you at your computer" and chats you gently through every stage, illustrated by worked examples, pictures, screen-grabs and diagrams to show exactly what is going on. You are in control – you can pause or go back to listen to a bit again at any time. Each CD is broken down into "bite sized" sessions. The recurring theme is getting professional results from modestly-priced equipment. UNDERSTANDING
AUDIO (CD-ROM, £12, 166mins.) ALL
ABOUT MICROPHONES (CD-ROM, £12, 221 mins.) BETTER SOUNDTRACKS
(CD-ROM, £12-00, 143 mins.) Each CD-ROM is £12, plus 80p p&p and can be obtained from Howard Gregory, 64 Mill Lane, Heatley, Lymm, Cheshire, WA13 9SQ. Phone 01925 75 3303. Email hgandsw@talktalk.net . If you buy all 3 CDs together, they are £30 (plus p&p at £1-50.) 100 Ways to Take Better Nature and Wildlife Photographs
Guy Edwardes is one of the UK's leading nature and landscape photographers. His work has been published widely at home and abroad, with clients that include Outdoor Photography, Practical Photography, Digital Camera, Country Walking, the Telegraph Magazine, Reader's Digest and Ordnance Survey. He markets stock photography internationally through a number of picture agencies, as well as running his own library of over 100,000 images. Available from http://astore.amazon.co.uk/wildlifefilm-21/detail/0715331485
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One
of the new courses that Wildeye have created for this new year is Research
and Production for Wildlife Documentaries - this weekend course
in Norfolk UK has the following vacancies:
Viewfinders
Milestone Approaches
Published
by David and Charles, this is a practical, accessible guide to photographing
nature and wildlife from one of the UK's top nature photographers. Suitable
for all levels of photographer, "100 Ways to Take Better Nature
and Wildlife Photographs" features 100 practical and inspiring
tips on every aspect of the genre. Guy Edwardes' beathtaking pictures
accompany his easy-to-follow advice on a wide range of subjects from
capturing the actions of large mammals to snapping wild birds and flowers
in the garden. With tips on everything from technique to composition,
coping with extreme field conditions to Photoshop software manipulation,
this is an invaluable guide for anyone with a passion for photography
or the natural world.
