James Cameron wasn’t near the Penguins this time, but he’s very familiar with their environment.
“When I went to Antarctica myself, I still had a Nikon adapted to the cold with a special lubricant,” he says. Popular science. “I went to Antarctica and when I tried to replace it, the movie shattered in my hands. The camera was frozen, I took my video camera. [died] In 2 minutes. I know well what it takes to bring traditional equipment into that environment and survive. ”
Bertie Gregory
This time the legendary director Titanic, Terminator 2, Avatar He served as executive producer for the series and the three-part documentary of National Geographic. The Secret of the Penguin. The latest in the award-winning series, The Secret of the Penguin It represents the culmination of two-year excursions around the world. Over 70 scientists and filmmakers have crossed the globe from Cape Town and the Galapagos Islands to Antarctica Ekström Ice Shelf Observe these iconic flightless birds.
In Ekström Ice Shelf, the crew of the three films endured a total of 274 days, marking 20,000 powerful emperor Penguin colonies. The team appears to practice rolling eggs of the future using chicks navigating drift ice, penguins climbing through gaps using gaps, and snowman substitutes.
Cameron couldn’t withstand zero temperatures The secret of penguinhe helped edit the resulting hundreds of hours of footage into a new three-part series. And he is grateful that the team was prepared with more than just a Nikon.
“Just adapt the system to cold and tropical heat. [required] “The cutting edge drone technology,” he says. Gopro, Osmo, Canon – that is, you give it a name. ”
Of particular interest, Cameron, a pioneer in deep-sea filmmaking techniques, had a custom rig designed to get a personal glimpse of penguin colonies close by.
[ Related: Poop stains reveal four previously unknown Emperor penguin colonies. ]
“[They have] Cameron says. “That’s a personal admiration. They have to be happy with something odd new in their environment, but in three days they’re beyond that.”
He also cites the need for low light cameras due to the unique sunlight conditions of Antarctica.
“The sun is just sliding down the horizon, and you’ll end up just going, and there’s a lot in that marginal environment. You’ll be in constant Twilight for a few weeks,” says Cameron.
past The secret of The series entry focusing on octopus, whales and elephants says that the theme is part of what sets the new series apart from previous entries.
“Look, you can’t study penguins without hitting climate change… [but] Thematically, we presented the wonders of nature and never beat people above our heads on a trip of guilt about what we do as humans,” he said.[But] They are constantly invaded and are constantly affected.
Cameron says he tried his best to avoid being “too casandran” about the situation, but admits that the temperature effect on temperature was more impressive than the previous season.
“Penguins live in these marginal coastal environments. Many are located in the Antarctic and are affected. The polar regions are first affected, and are most strongly influenced by climate change,” he says.
However, Cameron emphasizes its main purpose The Secret of the Penguin It’s not despair, but I hope.
“The goal of this series is to recruit a new generation of viewers and create a sense of love and wonder for nature,” he says. “If we respect nature and respect the wisdom of how these animals have learned to adapt and survive, it will affect our actions when the push sticks out.”
For Cameron, the world is still full of people dedicated to conservation and celebrations of nature.
“I like to think we do that. I think a lot of people do. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough people in power right now,” he admits. “But you know, you never know. We will do our best.”
The Secret of the Penguin It premiered on National Geographic on April 20th at 8pm on EST, with all episodes available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu the next day.
Other deals, reviews, and purchase guides
