Wildlife Filmmaking
An introduction to a different world of filmmaking where nature is your backdrop and the subjects are the denizens of the jungle

By Shekar Dattatri
A good film is like a well-prepared dish - a perfect blend of ingredients! Filmmaking is a constantly evolving medium shaped both by the sensibilities of filmmakers and their audience. Wildlife filmmaking is a super specialised branch of filmmaking, in which knowledge, patience and perseverance come together to create a coherent whole out of scenes that cannot be controlled or pre-scripted. Consequently, wildlife films can sometimes take years to produce.

In addition to technical know-how and creative talent, a good understanding of animal behaviour is essential to make a good wildlife film. This comes from years of field observation.

Filmmaking is a complex undertaking that involves a number of processes. There are three broad stages in the making of a wildlife documentary: Pre-Production, Production and Post-Production.

Pre-Production: This stage precedes the filming, and starts with thorough research of the subject; it involves extensive reading, field surveys, and discussions with field biologists, local people and knowledgeable forest officials. The results of this research must then be packaged into an enticing proposal that can be submitted to a production company or broadcaster for funding. A Proposal must have a clearly thought out, interesting and original storyline if it is to stand any chance of success, and be accompanied by a realistic budget. Once the proposal is accepted and the budget is approved, the crew will have to be chosen and the equipment for the filming put together.

Production: This is the stage where the actual filming takes place based on a rough script. The duration of this stage depends on two factors – the proposed duration of the completed film and the complexity of the subject. If many different seasons have to be covered, the filming will have to be spread over several months. Likewise, if behavioural scenes such as mating, laying eggs or giving birth, or predation are to be covered, weeks or months of effort may be required. While capturing some of this may be pure luck, more often it is a result of careful planning and being at the right place at the right time.

Post-Production: The post-production of a film begins once the shooting is over, and encompasses all the stages that go into the making of a finished film. Editing, scripting, graphics, music, narration, sound effects and incorporation of credits are all a part of the post -production process. This is a vital part of the filmmaking process, where all the raw material gets converted into a finished product. Good post-production can convert even somewhat mediocre footage into an absorbing film; conversely, bad post -production can completely ruin excellently shot footage. Employing good video and sound editors will help a filmmaker get the best out of the material shot. The post-production of a one-hour wildlife documentary for international television could take 3-4 months of full time work.

The Crew
A good wildlife film requires the dedicated efforts of several like-minded and talented individuals. A typical wildlife film consists of the following key people:

The Producer: The producer is the lynchpin of the production, responsible for taking a film from concept to completion. The producer’s job includes, but is not limited to, conceiving an idea for a film, writing a proposal, obtaining funds, finalising locations, assembling the right crew and working out the logistics.

The Production Manager: The production manager ‘manages’ the production by taking care of the hundred and one administrative and logistic details of a project. Keeping track of the expenditure, organising air tickets and transport for the crew, coordinating between the various personnel on a project, and organising studio bookings for the post production, are just some of the duties.

The Wildlife Cinematographer: This is the person who shoots the actual sequences, which are conceptualised by the producer. A complex project may require more than one cinematographer, and sometimes require cinematographers with different skill sets. For example, if the shoot demands both terrestrial and underwater sequences, it may be necessary to employ two specialised cinematographers. However, some cinematographers are so versatile that they can undertake any kind of shooting.

The Location Sound Recordist: This is a person who records ambient sounds, which will add the feeling of ‘being there’ to the film. The sound recordist sometimes accompanies the cinematographer and sometimes works alone to record sounds of the landscapes and animals that have been shot by the cinematographer.

The Equipment
The technical quality of a film can only be as good as the equipment used to make it. The following is a list of some of the equipment required for wildlife filmmaking:

Camera: Wildlife filmmaking usually requires specialised equipment. Until a decade ago, most high quality wildlife documentaries were shot on a film format called Super 16mm, which had several advantages, such as long shelf life, ability to support varied lighting conditions, and rich, true-to-life reproduction. However, today, most television wildlife documentaries are shot with High Definition video cameras, whose picture clarity rivals that of 35mm film, with the added advantage that you can review what you have shot immediately.

Lenses: A wildlife cinematographer needs an array of lenses to be able to capture different kinds of images. Telephoto and long zoom lenses bring distant subjects closer, ‘macro’ lenses are a must for close-up filming of insects or other tiny subjects, and wide-angle lenses are useful for filming landscapes.
Tripod: All professional wildlife cinematographers use a rock-solid, heavy-duty tripod virtually at all times. The best film or video tripods provide smooth panning (side to side) and tilting (up and down) movements. These are called ‘fluid head’ tripods and are very expensive.

Sound Recording Equipment: A sound recordist uses a variety of different microphones to suit different situations. Shotgun microphones and parabolic microphones are used to home in on specific sounds - for example, to isolate the song of a bird from other ambient sounds.

Once all the footage has been shot and all the sound has been gathered, several people with different skills have to work closely under the supervision of the producer. These include an editor, a scriptwriter, a music composer, a sound designer and a narrator. Each of them contributes towards the successful completion of the film. As difficult as it is to make a wildlife film, it is even harder to get a break in this specialised field. It takes years of hard work to master the art of wildlife filmmaking and gain enough recognition to be commissioned by broadcasters. The competition is tough, and one also has to keep up with constantly evolving technologies. Only a few individuals with the right mix of talent and determination will make it big. That is the way it has always been and that is the way it always will be.

About the writer
Shekar Dattatri is one of India’s leading wildlife and conservation filmmakers. During the last 25 years, his films have received several national and international awards, and aired around the world on channels such as National Geographic and Discovery. A committed conservationist, his well-researched films combine craftsmanship with a profound understanding of conservation issues. In 1998, the UK trade magazine, Television Business International rated him as one of the top ten rising stars of wildlife filmmaking in the world. In 2004 he received a Rolex Award for Enterprise (Associate Laureate) for his conservation filmmaking. He has served on the final juries of several prestigious international wildlife film festivals such as Wildscreen in the UK and the Japan Wildlife Film Festival. Since 2000, he has focused his attention on using his filmmaking skills to tackle conservation problems in India. Some of his notable conservation films include ‘Mindless Mining – the tragedy of Kudremukh’, ‘The Ridley’s Last Stand’ and ‘The Truth about Tigers’. From 2007 to 2010, he served as a Member of the National Board for Wildlife, which is chaired by the Prime Minister.

For more information about his work visit : www.shekardattatri.com