How to become a conservation and wildlife filmmaker. (Or not)
Barred Owl - Photo by Me
I think the concept of being a wildlife/conservation documentary filmmaker is something that a lot of people with a camera love the idea of. But strangely enough, a lot of photographers and filmmakers kind of turn their nose up and laugh at you when you tell them you’re going birding. A lot of photographers want to be Sean Penn from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, but tell them you’re into birding, and they look at you sideways. It’s a paradox.
Anyways, I recently gave myself a small project to go out and film wildlife 30 times in 30 days, or thereabouts. And quite frankly, I was amazed at how much I learned. Not only about wildlife filming, but also wildlife behavior and habitat. But before I get to that, I want to rewind to September of 2023. I attended the B&H Bild conference in New York City, where a ton of incredible photographers and filmmakers gave talks, and did meet and greets afterwards. I chose to attend the panels primarily in the conservation and wildlife space. One of the panels I attended was from Andy Mann, who is the co-founder of Sea Legacy and a marine conservationist, a national geographic photographer, and an Emmy-nominated filmmaker/director. His talk was so incredible, entertaining, and educational. Afterwards, I navigated around a line of several hundred people from another panel waiting to talk to a TikTok influencer - to find Andy Mann standing by himself with his hands in his pockets, not a single person around him. There’s a whole other philosophical discussion to be had about that, but I’ll skip it for now. Long story long, I was eager to ask Andy Mann a question that has plagued me for years as I aspire to be a filmmaker (experimental narrative short films, and especially documentaries in the conservation and wildlife space).
What is, and how to overcome, the barrier to entry? How to get into, how to become, a wildlife/conservation filmmaker?
I wasn’t looking for a shortcut. I know there is no substitute for putting in years and years of work, but I suppose I was just looking for a nugget to kickstart me. Something to act as a catalyst for this passion of mine. His response? “Start small, in your own back yard”
I took that with me. And here I am today. Learning about the last remaining interior forest in my own backyard, Ridley Creek State Park. Learning about riparian corridors. Learning about the food web from trees and plants to insects to birds. It’s been revealing to say the least. And, equally as sad. Seeing our township constantly selling off land to developers, clearing a dozen acres of old forest for a temporary parking lot for a single golf event, and people prioritizing a biological wasteland of a sterile green grass yard with non native ornamental trees and shrubs…to name a few. But it’s not all bad. There are great people doing great work. Trusts acquiring huge swaths of private lands to preserve them in perpetuity (See Natural Lands Trust), more and more people voicing their support in groups and at town meetings and fighting to preserve space, and more and more people (I think) trending towards birding, nature, and the outdoors. Admittedly, I don’t know yet where I fit into all of this. I believe it will take time, experience, and being educated to find my place in the conservation and wildlife world. But I digress.
A few other things happened during this project that surprised me even more. First, I realized that even though my goal was to film wildlife (and hopefully get some great footage), that goal became less and less important the more time I spent doing it. Eventually, the act of just going to the park and walking through the woods every morning became the reward. Next, I learned that going on these daily walks for 2 to 3 hours every morning, although a significant amount of time to be out capturing wildlife…was nowhere near enough. In other words, I realized why wildlife filmmakers go out into the wilderness for months just to capture a few good shots of a specific animal. That said, I still got some decent footage.
Lastly, as it relates back to “start small, in your own back yard”…I have a friend I grew up with who is a scientist and the assistant curator of birds at the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science. One day halfway through this project, I sent him some footage I captured of 2 barred owls. Lo and behold, he reached back out and said that the museum might like to use this footage in their bird exhibits. As of writing this, nothing else has developed on that front. And I would happily provide that footage for free if it helps in the conservation and wildlife (or educational) space. But the point is, it’s an example of how starting small, in my own backyard, might lead to something bigger. It might not be today, or tomorrow, or next week…but I think, if my passion is there, if I put in the time, and yes…if my execution is there…I may yet just be able to call myself a wildlife filmmaker and documentarian. These little missions in the state park near me could lead to something bigger. And if not? No problem. Because I’m perfectly fine with walking through the woods and learning about my own backyard anyways.
I think a lot of photographers and filmmakers want to use their cameras and go right to saving endangered rhinos in Africa…but there are raptors and migratory song birds and river otters and box turtles all hiding in plain sight that need our attention too. So that’s what I’ll do, keep it small, keep it simple, close to home.
