THIS IS WILD!
ELEPHANT SEALS
(1998)
(1998)
THIS IS WILD!
KIT FOXES
(1998)
(1998)
THE
STORY OF THE CALIFORNIA CONDOR
(1997)
(1997)
This one-hour,
award-winning film reveals the filmmaker's
personal observations of a colony of Northern
Elephant Seals during their season on the beaches
of coastal California.
I
made this film during a year of El Nino where the
warm water currents along the equator create
powerful storms along the Calfornia Coast. It was
especially difficult to observe the pups getting
washed out to sea, one after another not able to
withstand the powerful storm surge. It was quite
an experience to actually live amongst a large
Elephant Seal colony for 5 weeks straight. I shot
this film as a pilot for a series entitled THIS
IS WILD!, where I would travel to unexpected
wildlife havens and through personal
observations, tell an intimate story about
animals coexisting with humans in places we don't
expect them to. In this case, in the shadow of
Hearst Castle on the California Coast.
Part of the
THIS IS WILD! series, I found this unique story
while searching for kit foxes on the Carrizo
Plain of Central California.
I
was quite skeptical when I arrived in
Bakersfield, CA for this first time after hearing
that upwards of 400 San Joaquin Kit Foxes could
be living in the city limits. This was at the
beginning of the Bakersfield Kit Fox Study so not
a whole lot was known about them back then. I was
thrilled when I filmed my first kit fox. The
rumors seemed to be true, the kit fox seemed to
be thriving in the city limits of Bakersfield.
After completing this 30 minute film, I vowed to
come back when more was learned and do a proper
one hour film on this amazing story. 5 years
later, I returned to Bakersfield to film
Hollywood Fox.
This multiple
award winning film tells the epic story of the
fight to save the California Condor from
extinction.
Although this
film was originally supposed to be a 5 minute PSA
piece to inform the public that the Condor was
returning to the skies, something profound
happened in the process of making it. I became
enamored with this most incredible human story of
a disparate group of people thrust together to
save the largest flying bird in North America.
After a year of filming, editing and scoring the
music, I released The Story of the California
Condor, a one hour documentary.