Friday 27 November 2009

One in a Million

Did I ever tell you about my amazing wildlife filming experience? One that didn't involve otters or falling into a smelly river? Well, I was lucky enough to go on a Wildlife Filming Course in Bristol last weekend and rub shoulders with the creme de la creme of those in the industry. I got to meet, work with and be tutored by the likes of John Waters, Sarah Pitt and Rob Harrington. For those of you not in the know (oh what an expert I have become!), these guys are good. Really really really good. For example, John's amazing camera work appears on David Attenborough's Planet Earth and the Life Of Birds while producer Sarah Pitt spent a year filming on the Prince of Wales' estate in Gloucestershire. But enough with the gushing. Lets get down to filming business!





Besides staying on a gorgeous 250 acre reserve and feasting on organic food at Folly Farm (owned by the Avon Wildlife Trust) I got to make a real-life wildlife film. Over two days we filmed thousands of starlings swarming on the Somerset Levels and the wildfowl on Chew Valley Lake. We then had the ominous task of editing our footage into a 3 minute film. Sounds easy. Trust me it wasn't. It took us 6 hours to edit about four hours of footage and even then, we could have done with a lot longer (and we had an expert with us!). And don't even get me started on the cameras. They were amazing. Amazingly expensive. Although I don't think WildPlaces will be blowing it's budget on one camera, it was really great to be able to use such a high tech, high definition camera (not that I don't love using the cameras that I already have). I had serious camera envy all weekend. Oh what a geek I'm turning into!
So folks, crank up the volume (it's a 'mood piece' with lovely classical music don't you know!) and enjoy my debut into the wildlife filmmaking world - One in a Million.

My film will appear here once I figure out (or more likely David figures out!) how to get it on here. The delay will be worth the wait though (maybe).

Heres the rough and tough Derwenthaugh otters (looking surprisingly cute - I love the paw tapping action) to whet your appetite.


Guess the Ouseburn Otter didn't get to them after all, or maybe they just missed the comfort of their floating pontoon too much to care. Either way, I got the footage, so I'm happy.


So yes, that weekend was great. I learnt all about the process of film making from conception to completion (the cliches are just rolling off my tongue here), I got to see the spectacle of starlings flocking and I got inspired to buy a tripod. A good weekend all in all.

Monday 16 November 2009

A cohort of otters perhaps?

Is it possible to have an otter cohort? The Hell's Angels of the otter world united with the Ugly Mug (my new, and much deserved, name for Mr O)? The Derwenthaugh otters have been superb so far, climbing ladders, showing off their battle scars, really playing up for the cameras. Not anymore. On checking the cameras on Friday the only footage I had was of the cadets and a very lonely pontoon which made me feel quite seasick (the pontoon moving, not the cadets). Now, I know that this isn't the most thrilling footage you have ever seen but you must understand what I am up against (plus I thought the sky looked quite nice). Its slim pickings in the wildlife world at the moment, especially when the Ouseburn Otter has such far reaching clutches as this.





And it has started to rain. Something feels familiar here. No otters and lots of rain. At least I have already removed the cameras from the riverbanks so there will be no repeat of river falling-in and soggy waders. Hooray.

Lets now go somewhere where life is peaceful. The squirrel feeder. This is the kind of animal activity that I like. Put the cameras up and they will come (bribed by food of course). This footage was taken in Plessey Woods in Northumberland - one of the remaining strongholds of red squirrels. By the end of next week, I will hopefully have lots more red squirrel footage. Lets just hope that the otters haven't got to them too.



By the way, the minute the rain stops (hmmm, looks like that might be now) the cameras are going back on the riverbanks and the otter is getting cap - tured.