NATURAL HISTORY
an industry, we need to listen to ourselves a bit more and listen to the message we’re telling the people about conservation.”
CHANGING TIMES “A lot of programming is moving towards impact and conservation,” says Bean. “The up-coming generation is demanding a more direct approach to the way we’re going to sort stuff out.” Some indies have a particular focus on
impact/climate change. Studio Silverback has an explicit mission “to reveal the truth of our changing planet.” Its slate includes a series about the Earthshot prize contenders and Jack Harries YouTube series Seat at the Table. “We are seeing an audience separation with age,” says Scholey. “Young people are intensely interested in the climate change debate… while people of my generation often still largely think it’s all a bit tricky and we’ve got all sorts of other problems.” It’s hard to get ideas around climate change
commissioned. “What we’ve found is that if you’ve got a big issue and you know how to do it well, you’re better off getting it going independently,” says Scholey. With self-funding or support from a charity such as WWF, there’s greater editorial control and there may be a market for the finished film. Attaching big names to stories of climate
change is one way to cut through to a mainstream audience. Prince William, David Attenborough, Jack Harries. Off the Fence is producing a feature doc inspired by the Pope’s invitation to talk about
YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IT WELL,
IF YOU’VE GOT A BIG ISSUE AND
“WHAT WE’VE FOUND IS THAT
INDEPENDENTLY”
YOU’RE BETTER OFF GETTING IT GOING
FACTUAL TV
the subject in 2015. Netflix climate change series Endangered was ordered from US broadcast queen Ellen DeGeneres’ indie and featured A listers, including Matt Damon and Jane Fonda. “It all needs to be wrapped up in entertainment,” says Ross at Big Wave. “You have to be clever.” Wendy Darke talks about “smart TV
programme making that has sustainability at its heart.” She cites a “goosebump moment” in a BBC Deadly 60 episode where Steve Backshall removes a fish-line that is dangerously entangled around a turtle. Shows about the natural world engender a
love of nature and encourage the audience to protect the planet. But natural history film-making, especially high-end productions that film in multiple locations and use terabytes of data, are often made at a high environmental cost. It’s an irony that’s not lost on responsible film-makers. “It’s a question of weighing up the big message and the big environmental cost,” says Scholey. “Does the end justify the means?” Covid accelerated some changes. “In lockdown
there was a rush to identify in-country talent to work on projects normally staffed by people coming from outside,” says Marshall. “That’s been married with a genuine and deeper understanding of inclusion and diversity representation…. It takes an understanding that all natural history doesn’t need to be made by white people from Bristol or somewhere in the States. It can be made by people who can tell their own stories brilliantly, if given the money and time to do so.”
Summer 2022
televisual.com
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