ANTHROPOLOGY
A childhood immersed in the pages of National Geographic magazine led to a lifelong interest in people and places around the world.
The study of history and geography gave over to backpacking, and independent travel through my teens and twenties took me to meet people on far flung Indonesian islands; in remote corners of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam; off the beaten track in India and Nepal; throughout Central and South America; and across northern and southern Africa.
Television has only served to fill my passport faster. Inspired by shows like 'Tribe' and 'Human Planet', I came to Bristol in 2012 and have been fortunate to be able to turn my passion into a paid reality, working on shows like Survive the Tribe (Nat Geo), River Monsters (Animal Planet), Earth's Natural Wonders (BBC1) and Earth's Sacred Wonders (BBC1).
I have filmed with people and tribes all over the world from the Amazon basin to urban Japan, Central African rainforest to remote volcanic reefs in the Solomon Islands. I have been fortunate to spend time living and filming with San bushmen, Congolese Pygmies, Greenlandic Inuit, Bedouin Arabs and many other indiginous communities all over the world, sleeping and eating with them and their families, as we filmed contributors farming, hunting, fishing and surviving in some very inhospitable places.
The study of history and geography gave over to backpacking, and independent travel through my teens and twenties took me to meet people on far flung Indonesian islands; in remote corners of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam; off the beaten track in India and Nepal; throughout Central and South America; and across northern and southern Africa.
Television has only served to fill my passport faster. Inspired by shows like 'Tribe' and 'Human Planet', I came to Bristol in 2012 and have been fortunate to be able to turn my passion into a paid reality, working on shows like Survive the Tribe (Nat Geo), River Monsters (Animal Planet), Earth's Natural Wonders (BBC1) and Earth's Sacred Wonders (BBC1).
I have filmed with people and tribes all over the world from the Amazon basin to urban Japan, Central African rainforest to remote volcanic reefs in the Solomon Islands. I have been fortunate to spend time living and filming with San bushmen, Congolese Pygmies, Greenlandic Inuit, Bedouin Arabs and many other indiginous communities all over the world, sleeping and eating with them and their families, as we filmed contributors farming, hunting, fishing and surviving in some very inhospitable places.
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MIRACLE OF HOLY FIRE: JERUSALEM
Earth's Sacred Wonders (60 mins / BBC1 / BBC Scotland / 2019) Director / 2nd Camera Filming for the week of Easter in Old Town Jerusalem, culminating in the 'miracle' of Holy Fire. We follow the journey of a Palestinian taxi driver who has been chosen to represent the ancient Syriac community at this holiest of festivals, attended by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. With pilgrims coming from all over the Orthodox Christian word - Armenia, Greece, Egypt, Russia, Etheopia - thousands cram into the Holy Sepulchre to witness a miracle, the spotaneous appearance of fire from the tomb from where Jesus is said to have ascended to heaven. It's an emotional frenzy as the fire is rapidly passed around and carried beyond the confines of the church. On the big day I shot second camera next to the tomb - which required me to stand on the spot for for nine hours! We used a further five local camera operators and as many rigged cameras as we could get away with. Camera: Alastair McCormick Series Producer: Matt Barrett Executive Producer: Jane Aldous |
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SHINTO FIRE FESTIVAL: KUMANO, JAPAN
Earth's Sacred Wonders (60 mins / BBC1 / BBC Scotland / 2019) Director / 2nd Camera Rare access was granted to film behind the scenes at the Nachi-no-Ogi Matsuri, a very important Shinto fire festival in Kansai, Japan. Filming our contributor thoroughout, a week's prep and camera set-up boiled down to what was essentially fifteen frenetic minutes of burning torches as local men purified the pathway for Shinto deities to be carried down to the holy waterfall at Kumano. It was an intensely hot, highly pressured environment as I shot second camera / slow motion footage, with three further local operators and a host of locked off rigged cameras. Camera: Alastair McCormick Series Producer: Matt Barrett Executive Producer: Jane Aldous |
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BAYAKA: CENTRAL AFRICAN FOREST, CONGO
Earth's Natural Wonders (60 mins / BBC1 / BBC Scotland / 2018) Ep.3 Living With Animals Director / 2nd Camera Community net hunting with the Bayaka, a nomadic people who have lived a life of hunting and gathering in the Central African Rainforest for thousands of years. An egalitarian society that knows how to pull together, the women and children stand guard with a giant net spread through the forest, while the men scare wild animals straight into the trap. We were also lucky enough to witness forest spirit dances and the most extraordinary polyphonic singing. I shot second camera during bigger scenes, including spirit dances and community net hunting. *Nominated RTS Scotland Awards 2019 - Documentary and Specialist Factual Camera: Dan Etheridge Series Producer: Jobim Sampson Executive Producer: Jane Aldous |
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KALAALLIT INUIT: GREENLAND
River Monsters: Ice Cold Killer (60 mins / Animal Planet / ITV / 2016) Producer / Director On the trail of the Greenland shark, Jeremy Wade visits Umannaq in Western Greenland, to learn the fishing and survival skills of the Kalaallit Inuit, vital if he is going to safely and successfully fish through the sea ice. From hand lining for mackerel in the harbour, Jeremy is taken long lining for halibut in the deep water before heading out to the ice edge where he finally drops a line for a Greeenland shark at a depth of half a mile. Camera: Duncan Fairs / Ross Hamilton Series Producer: Nick White |
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BAJO SEA GYPSIES: SULAWESI, INDONESIA
River Monsters: Coral Killer (60 mins / Animal Planet / ITV / 2016) Producer / Director Looking for a fish that can literally spear a human, Jeremy Wade visits the Bajo or 'Sea Gypsies' of Wakatobi, on the island of Sulawesi. These semi-nomadic people have lived on the ocean for centuries, and take Jeremy out night fishing in open canoes. He doesnt find the fish he's looking for but ends up with a sea krait - one of the world's most poisonous snakes - caught in his net. Camera: Rory McGuinness / Ross Hamilton Series Producer: Nick White |
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TARAHUMARA: CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO
Kings of the Wild: River Canyon (60 mins / Discovery / Betty / 2015) 2015: Series Director Stranding a British chef and a Kiwi outdoorsman in the Copper Canyon for a week, we relied heavily on the local knowledge and survival skills of the Tarahumara, who advised us behind the scenes. This helped us to navigate otherwise impenetrable canyons, avoid poisonous plants, and successfully hunt and fish, as well as avoid bears, vipers, mountain lions, and narco gangs who grew heavily in the region. Armed convoy was deemed necessary to travel in and out. Camera: Dan Etheridge Executive Producer: Tom Sheahan |
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ORANG SUNGAI, KINABATANGAN, BORNEO
Kings of the Wild: Mangrove Swamp (60 mins / Discovery / Betty / 2015) 2015: Series Director The Orang Sungai or 'River people' of Sabah were off-screen advisers as we stranded our Odd Couple, a British chef and a Kiwi bushman, in the wilds of Borneo. For seven days they survived in the tidal wetlands of Kinabatangan with the very real threat of saltwater crocodiles, spiders, vipers, wild boar, and even leopards and elephants. Learning from local techniques, we had them build leaf shelters and fish and animal traps from bamboo. Camera: Dan Etheridge Executive Producer: Tom Sheahan |
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REEF ISLANDERS: SOLOMON ISLANDS
Survive the Tribe: Solomon Shark Hunters (60 mins / National Geographic / ITV / 2014) Series Director / 2nd Camera Hazen heads to the outer Solomon Islands to learn how to fish like the locals. He begins his education by felling a tree and hollowing it out. After mastering the basics of breath hold diving and spear fishing, he takes part in a commmunity vine fishing expedition on the local coral reef. Only then can he hone his canoe skills before venturing out beyond the reef into deep water ready to face his biggest challenge: landing a shark on a hand line. Camera: Rory McGuinness Series Producer: Nick White Executive Producer: Harry Marshall |
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SAN BUSHMEN: KALAHARI, NAMIBIA
Survive the Tribe: Desert Hunters (60 mins / National Geographic / ITV / 2014) Series Director / 2nd Camera Brushing up on his survival skills, Hazen Audel visits a community of San bushmen in the Kalahari in Western Namibia. Starting with the basics, he learns how to find water in the parched desert, use a bow and arrow, track local wildlife and is then hopelessly challenged to outrun the local warriors. Staking out a Kudu at the local watering hole is then cut short by a charging herd of angry elephants. But salvation for Hazen comes when they find and dig out a porcupine den. Camera: Duncan Fairs Series Producer: Nick White Executive Producer: Harry Marshall |
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HUAORANI: AMAZON RAINFOREST, ECUADOR
Survive The Tribe: Rainforest Masters. (60 mins / National Geographic / ITV / 2014) Series Director / 2nd Camera Wilderness explorer Hazen Audel spends time with the Huaorani, deep in the Ecuadorian rainforest. After teaching Hazen basic survival skills and setting him the dangerous challenge of collecting honey from a wild bee hive, the Huaorani warriors eventually share with him knowledge of how to make poison darts before taking him out monkey hunting in order to feed the village. Camera: Duncan Fairs Series Producer: Nick White Executive Producer: Harry Marshall |
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HOMOSEXUALITY IN THE ARAB WORLD (30 mins / BBC Arabic / 2010)
Director / Cameraman A powerful undercover documentary, filmed entirely in Arabic, detailing the challenges facing gay communities in Dubai, Israel / Palestine, Bahrain, Egypt and Morocco. In constant fear of losing their jobs, suffering beatings, risking custodial sentence and in some cases even death, these brave individuals gave candid interview on what life was like for gay Arabs. Facial blurring, voice changing and silhouettes were used to protect identities Executive Producer: Naglaa El-Amary |
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HOWEITAT BEDOUIN: JORDAN
Lawrence of Arabia: An Arab Perspective (2 x 60 mins / BBC2 / PBS / Lion TV / 2002) Associate Producer / BTS Camera Filming in and around Petra, Ma'an and Wadi Rumm and through the Arabian desert down to the border with Saudi, we interviewed Howeitat tribesmen, descendants of the Arabs who lived in the area and fought in the Great Arab Revolt from 1916-18. A scheduled interview with the Hashemite King, Abdullah II, was frustratingly cancelled days before due to his last gasp efforts to stop George Bush's war in Iraq. But we did secure an interview with Jordanian Senator Alia Abu-Tayeh, granddaughter of Auda Abu-Tayeh, the great WWI Arab leader and hero of the Revolt. * CINE Golden Eagle Awards - Winner Camera: James Aspinal Director: James Hawes |