Almost a decade ago, the sprawling docu-series Planet Earth made waves worldwide. Now the sequel series, Planet Earth II, looks to shows us the vast wonders of the world closer than ever before. Already a ratings phenomenon and cultural event in the U.K. (where it's already aired), Planet Earth II will air here in the States on February 18th at 9:00 - simulcast across three of AMC's networks: BBC America, AMC, and SundanceTV.
Presenter and narrator Sir David Attenborough, along with the show's producers, answered questions at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour and went into some detail about how different Planet Earth II is from the original series - thanks to advancements made in camera technology. Advancements that made it possible to get so up close and personal with living, breathing nature. Like the awesome spectacle that is Snakes vs. Iguana! Take a look...
"Drones were important," EP Mike Gunton revealed to the TV critics on hand. "I think one of the differentiators between the original Planet Earth series and this series is the technology. The first series had that sense of almost a godlike perspective in observing. Looking down upon the planet from a helicopter perspective is a very strong one using gyro‑stabilized camera mounts. What we did with this series is we took that technology and miniaturized it and effectively put it in the hands of the cameramen so they could take the camera off the tripod. And what that's allowed us to do is, rather than observe, actually experience the lives of the animals. So we are with them. And I think the racer snake/iguana sequence, that sense of being with that animal, the animals as that action is happening, is only possible through this microtechnology."
"In fact," Gunton continued, "that same kind of camera is also what you then put on a drone, and what the drone does is gives you that next, sort of, middle ground. So when you saw that indri leaping through the forest there, you can actually now fly a drone alongside. So you can get that sense of what is it like to be indri leaping through the forest."
Attenborough then added "There's one other break in innovation which I think you ought to mention, and that is camera traps."
"The use of cameras that you can stick them on a rock," he said, "and they will be activated by movement. So if an animal comes to a rock, it will turn them on, and it will keep recording until such time as movement ceases. So you have to know exactly where the animal is going to be in order to frame it correctly, but if you are clever enough, you can get extraordinary shots. Snow leopards are an example."
When the producers were asked whether or not they'd seen the internet parodies of Snakes vs. Iguana, set to different music, they said they had - though Attenborough, who doesn't spend much time online, had not. "It's quite amusing," producer Elizabeth White laughed. "The other thing I love is watching Twitter and seeing people's comments, making these parallels that they are in London, they are riding the subway, and they feel like one of the penguins. Or my mother is going out to kind of face the snow in Britain to go and get her food, and I feel like the mother penquin. And I think those things are just wonderful. When you see people relating to animal stories, then you kind of feel as if you've really got into their minds and you've sort of touched their lives."
As mentioned, Planet Earth II has already become a huge smash in England, drawing in all sorts of viewers. A trend most surprising as documentaries had, previously, primarily attracted older watchers. "What's happened with this series," Gunton explained, "is that people have absolutely come together to watch it, and that's been this extraordinary word of mouth going, a lot of it through social media, but also through the traditional word of mouth so that families get together and watch it, and students get together to watch it. And there's a kind of window at sort of 6:00 on a Sunday night, two hours before of when it's going out. The internet was ablaze, not with talking about what they've seen, but what they are going to see and gathering of sort of, a coat of arms. 'Everybody, don't forget. Get to the TV set.' And that's a really interesting development because for those that think TV is dead or point of view that TV is dead, this has absolutely completely confounded that."
Additional reporting by Eric Goldman.
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association (TCA). Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at http://ift.tt/2aJ67FB.
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