CONVERSATIONS WITH WILDLIFE FILMMAKERS

A. It starts before going into the field, with research to find something new and unexpected. I think the best shots are those of behaviors that haven’t been filmed before or of classic ones that are shot in a different way to reveal something new. But of course a lot of this is luck, and in the end it comes down to time in the field and a talented cameraperson who brings an individual art to the shot.

A. I loved tracking and filming the social interactions of elephant seals on the sub-Antarctic beach. We’d follow their behavior for days on end, always wondering when we left at night if we’d return the next morning to find the same harem with a new beachmaster. The fight between an incumbent beachmaster and a young challenger attempting to take over the harem is the ultimate spectacle and something we waited many days to see. Then one evening, a peripheral male that had been napping unassumingly near the harem for a couple of days finally took his chance. We shot the battle at 300 frames per second, and later on looking at the footage we could see every ounce of his struggle as he fought the bigger, stronger male. There was real emotion in the details, beyond the apparent brutality of it all.

A. It really varies, but three to four weeks at a time on average. Usually the light is most dramatic and the animals are most active early and late in the day, which makes for quite long hours. Shoot schedules are often strange, sometimes with downtime in the middle of the day and nights of sleep that feel more like catnaps.

A. When filming in Gabon, we came across a large herd of elephants out on the savannah when we reached the edge of a forest we’d been walking in for a few hours. They were forest elephants, which are a particularly aggressive species, having been poached. We were close to them, but thought we were relatively safe since we were upwind and they didn’t know we were there. But suddenly a huge bull wheeled around and started charging toward the forest, straight for us. We’d been using an elephant path to cut through the thick forest, so I’m still not sure whether he sensed we were there and felt threatened or whether he became agitated for some other reason and we just happened to be standing in his way. Whatever the case he charged toward us, just a few meters away. Our guide turned and ran in the opposite direction and we followed. We didn’t take the time to look behind us, only hearing the elephant crashing through the forest close on our heels. We managed to put enough distance between him and ourselves, but it was a close call.

A. In remote locations, the most important things to have are a satellite phone and a first-aid kit. Beyond that, the most important thing suddenly becomes the one thing you’ve forgotten. When out filming, most everything we have with us is vital, whether it’s batteries, the right kind of screwdriver, or a certain cable. And an ipod is always great to have for downtime or long trips.

A. I think my family is especially happy with what I do. My grandparents were wildlife photographers, my father is a writer and editor, and my whole family has a love of the outdoors and a strong belief in conservation. Growing up with this has had a lot to do with what I’m doing now.

A. I have leared to sleep anywhere at this point but usually I am in a small tent. I also have a great sleeping bag that I bring everywhere with me, this helps a lot because it feels like I am in my bed.

Really it varies to everything from old estancias to scientific research stations to tents. My most memorable campsite was in Patagonia, next to a glacier in mountains overlooking the Strait of Magellan. The only way in was by helicopter, and we slept there for several days, brushing our teeth in glacial melt and keeping camera batteries with us in sleeping bags at night so they wouldn’t freeze.

A. While out filming during the day, we eat whatever is most transportable. In places where sandwiches aren’t easy to come by, we might end up having macaroni and cheese we’ve packed in a plastic container. The best is when we get to eat and drink local specialties, from conch in Dominica to traditional afternoon maté in Argentina.