Book Review: Careers in Wildlife Filmmaking

Career on the wild side
Careers in Wildlife Film-making by Piers Warren; Wildeye; Price: Rs.848; 187 pp

With a growing number of satellite channels invading the drawing rooms of middle class India, career opportunities in the multi-billion dollar television industry are multiplying. Though information about jobs and opportunities in this new and booming industry is readily available, it’s largely restricted to work opportunities in desi entertainment/ news channels (song-n-dance included). There’s little information in India for employment opportunities in high-potential niche or special interest channels featuring animal and wildlife (Discovery, National Geographic and Animal Planet). Against this backdrop, wildlife enthusiasts toying with the idea of making careers out of their interest will find Careers in Wildlife Film-making by Piers Warren very useful.

This unusual and information-laden book is a complete guide for the small but growing minority looking to venture into the fascinating world of wildlife, underwater and conservation filmmaking. The author is a well-known UK-based wildlife film-maker who is also the editor of Wildlife Film News and producer of www.wildlife-film.com. This book lists over 60 jobs in wildlife filmmaking, complete with eligibility requirements and case studies.

The book starts with a detailed introduction to this esoteric craft and states its objective clearly: “The aim of this book is to look at the career of every person involved in the making of a wildlife film and to give you a deeper understanding of the wildlife film industry and the career opportunities available.” According to Warren, who is also vice president and webmaster of the Filmmakers for Conservation (FFC), wildlife filmmaking is a challenge because “there are far more people wanting to be involved in the making of wildlife films than there are jobs, so it is very competitive”.

Written in a easy-to-understand lucid style, the volume is divided into eight chapters: ‘How a wildlife film is made’ (this chapter provides a brief overview of the whole process, plus an introduction to formats); ‘The variety of jobs’ (describes each function in the process and a few associated careers which can be employed positions or freelance ones, and each is illustrated with a number of case studies); ‘How to get started’ (strategies and tips to get your foot in the door); ‘Education and training’ (what study courses are available and how useful they are); ‘Wildlife film festivals’ (a discussion of festivals and why they are particularly important to this industry, plus a directory of the major international ones); ‘Organisations, projects and further information’ (where to find out more organisations that might help you, and recommended further reading); ‘The future of the industry’ (a unique discussion of the future presented by a number of experienced professionals from the industry) and ‘Contributors’ Index’ (a list of all the contributors to this book – with further information and contact details).

For individuals planning a career in the wildlife filmmaking industry the most informative and useful chapter is ‘The variety of jobs’. The list is exhaustive: producer, assistant producer, researcher, production assistant, administration and publicity coordinator, director, cinematographer/ camera operator, camera assistant, sound recordist, presenter, narration script-writer, narrator, music composer, dubbing mixer, picture editor, distributor, broadcaster/ commissioning editor, location manager, stock footage library manager and multimedia producer. Each career choice is discussed in great detail with an introduction, essential qualities one must possess/ develop to get the job and finally a case study of a successful professional.

In the chapter on education and training, Warren provides information about the few universities (with contact addresses) across the world offering courses in animal and wildlife filmmaking.

This compact book concludes crystal ball gazing by well-known wildlife movie professionals. They include top names from the industry such as Jane Krish, CEO of The Wildscreen Trust; Mark Bristow, producer BBC Wildlife Magazine; Michael Hanrahan, founder president, The Ocean Channel; and Amy J. Hetzler, membership officer Filmmaker for Conservation.

Though the book is US and UK specific, Indian wildlife enthusiasts can cull useful information on where one can pursue wildlife filmmaking courses (Alas! No Indian university/ college offers courses in this field). Moreover the numerous case studies in the book are certain to inspire enthusiasm. Contact details of every contributor and industry professional mentioned in the book are provided for networking. Careers in Wildlife Filmmaking is a useful compendium for Indian students anxious to break away from traditional career choices to walk on the wild side.