Dir
Ade has directed natural history for eighteen years and has never once used a library track. He built this season around four questions rather than four locations, and held the crew to the filming policy even when it cost the season three sequences that were already in the cut.
Lead camera
Shot the 34-day elephant walk on a long lens from a moving vehicle. Holds the production record for consecutive days without a usable shot: eighteen.
Field biologist
Sets approach distances and can end any shot. Spent the Patagonia winter scat-sampling to confirm the puma's litter before we filmed her.
Location sound
Recorded the Arctic ice-shift audio that opens episode four. Every ambience in the series is location sound — there is no library track in the mix.
