On Location
The Americas
(BBC / NBC Universal)
‘The Amazon’ - Episode 4
Filming yacare caiman in the Brazilian Pantanal was a truly sensory experience. Wading into the water in the dark, aided by our fantastic local team and careful not to disturb the crocodilians, we could just make out the glistening of hundreds of eyes. As the dawn broke, the deep bellows of the males reverberated, and the water began to shudder.
The ‘water dance’ of the Yacaré caiman is used to attract mates and assert dominance. The males produce infrasound—low-frequency and inaudible to humans—and the water above their backs vibrates up into droplets.
‘The Amazon’ episode of The Americas was produced by the legendary Nikki Waldron. I filmed long-lens for this sequence on the Sony FX6 and extreme slow motion on the Phantom Flex, cross shooting with the brilliant Matt Aeberhard. Many thanks to James P. Lees and director Angel Garcia for behind-the-scenes photos.
YACARÉ CAIMAN, BRAZIL
The full sequence is available on BBC iPlayer, timecode from 36:31 to 40:54.
HARPY EAGLES, VENEZUELA
Up high in the tree canopy, on a small swaying wooden platform, the soundscape of the Venezuelan rainforest is rich with the calls of birds, the buzz of insects and the rustle of the wind through leaves. Working at 30 metres, not only am I roped into a harness and safety system - my camera, tripod and kit bag are also secured.
From this vantage point I had the privilege of filming a mother harpy eagle caring for her newly hatched chick, cross-shooting with incredible cinematographer Justine Evans.
I loved working in the treetops. Climbing and descending the ropes in the dark—feeling the flap of insects drawn to the head torch beam—developing a Pavlovian response to hearing the pulley system squeaking lunch upwards—experiencing firsthand the weight of the down-pouring rain when a storm broke the intense heat.
Harpy eagles are huge and impressive raptors, with legs that can be as thick as a person’s wrist.
Whilst filming we saw the care with which this harpy mother moved around the nest, balling her long, curved talons to protect her tiny chick. Tearing meat from a fresh kill with her sharp beak, she fed him with incredible gentleness.
The full sequence is available on BBC iPlayer, timecode from 28:39 to 35:00.
‘The Making of The Americas’ (Episode 11) captures behind-the-scenes footage of Justine, Nikki and I, from 17:19 to 23:38. We were supported by Alexander Blanco and his brilliant conservation team, and rope access expert Aidan Chitty.
‘The Frozen North’ - Episode 5
PINK SALMON, ALASKA
Paddling a canoe between mist covered mountains in Alaska remains one of my favourite, and most surreal, work commutes.
Filming for ‘The Frozen North’, expertly produced by Poppy Riddle and Eric McFarland, I was lucky to have the experience of capturing the remarkable journey of countless pink salmon to their spawning ground. The sequence had a truly brilliant team in assistant producer Sarah, researcher Tilly, cinematographers Dan Beecham, Jack Perks and Chema Domenech, and the crew of the Orca Adventure Lodge.
Lying in a glacial river, using a Z Cam F6 in Nauticam housing, the sheer personality of these fish was genuinely striking to witness – the females feistily defending their redds from each other, as the ‘zombie’ males made their advances.
The full sequence is available on BBC iPlayer, timecode from 31:11 to 39:54.
PACIFIC WALRUS, ALASKA
Round Island is home to an extraordinary sight, and an unexpected sound.
Hundreds of male Pacific walruses haul out here in the summer, creating a strange jigsaw as they fit their immense bodies and long tusks together. These incredibly tactile mammals grunt and snore—but over in the water choirs form up.
A song begins, known as ‘chiming’ for its similarity to the soft ring of a bell. The sound is made by pockets of air in their throats and is normally used to impress females during the mating season. Here, perhaps it’s a chance to practice.
Whilst filming drone and long-lens for this ‘Frozen North’ shoot, I had the pleasure of recording sound with a parabolic mic and hearing their gentle song in person.
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, CANADA
With assistant producer Sarah Wann and cinematographer Simon Lewis, I filmed the courtship of sharp-tailed grouse in Alberta, Canada.
As the sun rises the males perform a fast paced dance. The rattling, thudding sound of their feathers fills the ‘lek’ - their trampled grassland stage. It’s a wild theatre of movement - stomping feet, tight spinning circles and flashes of gold and purple from the combs over their eyes and their inflated neck sacs. Suddenly all dancers freeze, allowing the female a moment to inspect her suitors.
The full sequence is available on BBC iPlayer, timecode from 18:47 to 21:59.
ARCTIC FOX, CANADA
A few glimpses from location when out filming arctic foxes in Canada, with cinematographer Mathieu Dumond and guide Gustin Adjun. We were camping in temperatures approaching -40°C, working in low light to capture some impressions of this pastel dreamscape for the intro/outro of ‘The Frozen North’.
‘The Gulf Coast’ - Episode 6
MANATEES, FLORIDA, USA
Drifting on crystal-clear waters, we filmed the gentle ‘sea cows’ of Florida’s springs and rivers—manatees. These peaceful mammals are affectionately referred to as ‘floating sofas’ for their size and languid movements.
I used a wide range of kit on this sequence, operating a DJI Ronin 2 from a jib on the boat, a smaller RS2 gimbal from a canoe, flying drones, shooting long-lens and even getting the chance to have some in-water learning from the incredible underwater cinematographer Tom Fitz.
ALLIGATORS, GEORGIA, USA
In the Okefenokee Swamp the dark still waters hold perfect reflections that seem to create a kind of mirror realm. Filming alligators for ‘The Gulf Coast’, including these slightly older hatchlings, it was moving to see the tenderness and care between mother gators and their young.
Hayes and I rigged a lightweight cable-dolly to get a silent aerial view of a mother with a young pod. Whilst shooting with this new perspective I got to see the careful techniques she deployed to create a safe hunting ground for the tiny reptiles. This episode was produced by the brilliant Hannah Hoare.
