Nature films have become hugely popular, with viewers flocking to see jaw-dropping footage from the wild. But this success has a dark side, as veteran wildlife film producer Chris Palmer reveals in his authoritative and engrossing book on the wildlife film business, “Shooting in the Wild: An Insider’s Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom,” on which this film is based.
Hosted by National Geographic emerging explorer and filmmaker Alexandra Cousteau, the film takes a behind-the-scenes look into the world of natural history filmmaking, showing the reality behind the lens. It’s a revealing glimpse into industry secrets and the trend toward sensationalism, extreme risk-taking and even animal abuse, all in the pursuit of the perfect shot.
Shooting in the Wild is produced by American University School of Communication, and made possible by generous grants from the Park Foundation, the Shared Earth Foundation, and the Norcross Foundation. The film aired on public television stations nationwide, and was directed and produced by Ed Beimfohr, and produced and edited by Frank Fitzmaurice.
Introduction and post-screening discussion with filmmaker and author Chris Palmer.
USA, 2013, 27 min.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXTMzTf5sKk
This event is part of Washington D.C.’s Environmental Film Festival.
EFF seeks to advance public understanding of the environment through the power of film.
For more information, please contact:
Chris Palmer (202) 885-3408 or [email protected]
Or visit www.environmentalfilm.org.