The Green Planet

I worked on the baobab and elephant sequence for the desert episode of The Green Planet, filmed in Mana Pools at the height of the dry season.

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Temperatures were regularly around 45°C, and most of the work was done either on foot or from a vehicle, tracking elephants and finding the right baobabs at the right time.

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What made this sequence especially enjoyable was the range of filming techniques involved. I worked with probes, macro, timelapse, drone, wire cams and long lens, covering the story from every possible angle — from elephants feeding on baobabs to the extraordinary adaptations that allow these ancient trees to survive such extreme conditions.

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I worked closely with Lance Featherstone, who directed the sequence, Micaela Hamilton, who was field producing and assisting camera, and our guide Nick Murray, who was brilliant at getting us into the right places at exactly the right time.

I’m used to working in extreme heat, but normally the middle of the day gives you a chance to find some shade and slow down. Not on this shoot. Trees don’t stop because it’s hot, so neither did we. We worked right through the hottest part of the day, and we also filmed at night, which brought a completely different challenge once the heat and exhaustion had properly set in.

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Despite the conditions, it was one of my favourite shoots. Everyone had a great sense of humour, and the belly-aching laughs in between the long, hot hours made the whole experience incredibly memorable.

 

Camera work included: probe · macro · timelapse · drone · wire cam · long lens