OUR PLANET
NETFLIX - APRIL 2019
RESEARCHER / FIELD DIRECTOR
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In the past years, you may have marvelled at 'The Hunt' on BBC1, and series like 'Blue Planet', 'Frozen Planet' and, most of all, 'Planet Earth'. Now Silverback Films are making a new global landmark series - 'Our Planet' - due to air globally on 5 April 2019 on Netflix - in close collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
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Working with a team of researchers and producers, my role was to find and deliver exciting new natural history stories for two programmes, Grasslands and Jungles. Current predictions estimate it may reach a global audience of more than 100 million viewers, and the series will include a very strong conservation message.
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SPRINGWATCH
BBC2 2014
RESEARCHER / STORY-DEVELOPER
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In 2015, working as a production researcher and story-developer on Springwatch was a joy. The 12-hour shifts we worked, from 4pm to 4am, flew by, as we captured a range of fantastic behaviours on our remote cameras, from nesting Bitterns to tree-climbing Badgers, and an adder attacking the nest of a Goldfinch.
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As a live TV researcher, you find yourself at the very heart of Springwatch, reporting back to producers and presenters, who then broadcast the live content to nearly 2.4 million viewers. Based at the RSPB Minsmere's reserve in Suffolk for the first time, Springwatch's human and animal stars captivated audiences around the country.
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THE ONE SHOW
BBC1
RESEARCHER / DIRECTOR
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With over 5 million viewers, 'The One Show' is a magazine format packing a huge range of factual variety. In 2013, I worked as a researcher and production coordinator across twenty short films, at award-winning production company Icon Films.
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I worked with a brilliant team to set-up one-day shoots - tasks ranged from script-writing to logistics, second camera and archive. This short montage ranges from Hobbies hunting on the wing, to dangerous blowhole diving. Copyright Icon Films / BBC.
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RIVER MONSTERS
ANIMAL PLANET / ITV
RESEARCHER
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'River Monsters' is a hugely successful factual series devised and produced by Icon Films. In the United States it remains Animal Planet's highest-ranking broadcast. In the UK, it is shown on ITV.
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Before moving to 'The One Show', I researched potential new story-lines for Season 6, based largely around the Amazon. The trailer above is for Season 4. Copyright Icon Films / Animal Planet / ITV.
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NORTH AMERICA
DISCOVERY CHANNEL 2013
RESEARCHER
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Three years in the making, 'North America' (2013) was an epic series produced for Discovery by Silverback Films in Bristol. It charted the wildlife of a continent through the eyes of its iconic animals.
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I worked as a post production researcher, fact-checking scripts and tracking down scientists who could explain many of the unique behaviours shown in the series. Copyright Discovery.
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THE HUNT
BBC1 2015
RESEARCHER
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Many of you may have enjoyed six amazing episodes of Polar Bears, Blue Whales, Tigers and ninja spiders in Autumn 2015 thanks to 'The Hunt'. This six part epic uncovered the world of predation as never seen before, laying bare the strategies of hunter and hunted in jaw-dropping detail. It was watched by over 5.5 million viewers.
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As the development researcher for the first six months of the series, I had the rare opportunity of helping to find stories for six episodes from scratch. Liaising with hundreds of scientists across the globe, I had great fun uncovering new stories - my best find was the abseiling Portia spider, featured in the episode 'Hide and Seek'.
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DEADLY ISLANDS
DISCOVERY CHANNEL 2012
RESEARCHER
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'Deadly Islands' (2014) is a four-part presenter-led series, produced for Discovery Channel by Silverback Films in Bristol. It charts some of the fascinating communities - both human and animal - on four of the world's most remote and pristine islands.
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Before moving to 'The Hunt', I worked as a researcher, identifying key animal story-lines and shooting logistics for an episode set on the island of Coiba, off Panama. I helped set up a recce of the island to establish key areas for filming in 2013.
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JOHNNY KINGDOM & THE BEARS
BBC4 2012
RESEARCHER
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Johnny Kingdom was one of television's most engaging and instantly recognisable presenters, who tragically died earlier in 2018. In this one-off special, Johnny leaves Britain - for the first time - for Kodiak Island in Alaska, to film bears catching salmon. Here he learns how to cast for wild salmon, all whilst watching the 'professionals' at work.
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I provided logistics, locations and contacts for filming Brown Bears, Sea Otters, Humpback Whales and Bald Eagles. On location, I worked as a sound recordist and field assistant. This was a trip filled with memorable people and illuminated by Johnny's kind, larger-than-life personality. Rest in Peace. Copyright Available Light / BBC.
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