BBC Hidden Kingdoms - 16th of Jan 8pm BBC1

[TW]Taggart · 10 Jan 2014 at 21:00

Nearing the end of editing this epic 18 month Project. Its a series of dramatic Natural History Films featuring some of the cutest creatures of our world. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

More Preview Videos
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01pcjd3
Pictures
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/galleries/p01nwc3b

Watch out later in the year for the 3D special, BBC NHUs first ever 3D project.

[TW]Taggart · 13 Jan 2014 at 21:39

We just found out that we are pick of the day in pretty much all of the papers... even the daily mail likes us....
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...e-fearsome-predators-results-spectacular.html

[TW]Taggart · 16 Jan 2014 at 23:50

If you missed it

we're out again on sunday @ 4:30 on bbc1.

We trended hard on twitter! Very proud. Went to cardiff today to watch the orchestra record for the 3D special. Utterly amazing.

[TW]Taggart · 19 Jan 2014 at 21:24

Mr Jones said:
Watching it on iPlayer.

Some of the scene is a little too edited, it's rather distracting. Loads of scene repeated as well.

Maybe I'm spoilt by the David Attenborough era of Nature program. Still, will keep watching and see if I can use to it.

I'm not sure I what you mean. All natural history is edited... other wise it would be an hour program of not a lot happening.

[TW]Taggart · 20 Jan 2014 at 09:46

There wasn't any cgi, only composites of actual footage. All behaviour is real and is what happens in the wild.

[TW]Taggart · 20 Jan 2014 at 09:52

ChroniC said:
For me it was to over the top. The scenes were so fake I couldn't get into it. Very clever mind you, but not my thing.
An example was the fake mouse crying/roaring. The fake fight scenes etc.

I gave up after the mouse.

the mouse does that in real life, its all true. These mice really do take down prey and really did take down the scorp.

[TW]Taggart · 20 Jan 2014 at 10:02

ChroniC said:
Haha sure...

What scenes did you think were cgi?

This is all very interesting feedback. Our brief was PIXAR story style meets the natural world. Everything that happens in hidden kingdoms, happens in the wild.

[TW]Taggart · 20 Jan 2014 at 11:36

robgmun said:
Now Nature programmes are going the same way, watch my words, this is an end of an era

The next DA series is broadcast this autumn. Just because BBC make this doesn't mean we wont do the 'normal' bluechip content. Diversifying style and content is the way forward, dramatised natural history is a great genre that is just one of many that filmmakers can use.

the sky isn't falling.

[TW]Taggart · 20 Jan 2014 at 14:11

ChroniC said:
I think CGI may be a bit of a blanket term. I suppose it's not quite the perfect way to explain, of course a computer would have been used to stitch the bit and bobs of real/fake stuff together, so I suppose you could say edited.

CGI isn't a blanket term, in my mind it means images created in a computer. We used compositing, which is different. Images captured on camera and composited together.

This video explains it all.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01q25r1

And capturing animal behaviour at this scale is very hard.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01q2c41

Because of our approach, in the 3D version you really do feel like you're 6" tall! Especially in the cinema.

[TW]Taggart · 20 Jan 2014 at 14:21

robgmun said:
Very sad to hear you say this. It's the way forward because that's what the BBC is pushing for, but it's doesn't make it good.

I dont want you to turn this thread into a BBC bash fest, please. But Ill ask you this... If anyone other than the BBC had made this series would you have the same issues?

[TW]Taggart · 20 Jan 2014 at 14:28

robgmun said:
Going back on topic, another thing that annoyed what the F1 car sounds added to the Elephant Shrew running, that really made me cringe, nature is wonderful enough without having to resort to such tricks

Clearly you're not our target audience. BBC4 is < that way!

[TW]Taggart · 20 Jan 2014 at 14:45

robgmun said:
The recent BBC Africa was a good case in point in getting it right.

I'm glad you enjoyed one of my previous!

[TW]Taggart · 20 Jan 2014 at 16:00

robgmun said:
So you're happy with the rot setting into the BBC? Why do we have to allow this constant dumbing down of TV, the result of dumbing down is a dumb audience because nothing will challenge the brain, you might as well make TV for vegetables.

All of this, of course, is your opinion. Its important to remember that BBC1 is a mainstream channel and thats what its target is. BBC2 and 4 have more highbrow content like http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01k73zy which was applauded for its science content.

[TW]Taggart · 20 Jan 2014 at 16:31

covenantuk said:
Have to agree with some of the sentiment here.

The natural/scientific world is amazing enough - the hubris of some blue sky execs thinking that they can improve it by making it look like a Pixar movie is incredible. Why the need to treat the audience as brain dead and just there to be entertained with "ooh look pretty"?

My pet peeve is the often far-too-intrusive music added for "dramatic effect" - it's seems to have lost any attempt at subtlety over the years.

its not like this style of film is going to be the replacement for bluechip/DA...We are dramatised natural history, It's just another way of telling compelling true to life stories. Its not like we have thrown lemmings off a cliff and told you its real.

I suppose gone are the days where innovation and trying something new were applauded...

[TW]Taggart · 20 Jan 2014 at 17:06

Mr Jones said:
And to answer this: I won't have the same issue if this was done on Channel 4 or ITV. I have however, come to a certain level of expectation of BBC Animal Documentary to be head and shoulders above the competition. Factual, seamless editing, even if it's 2 entirely different elephant herd.

I will however continue watching it to see if it gets any better and hope the BBC will move away from this approach.

We are not a documentary. And this is where I think the issue lies, People don't know what Hidden Kingdoms is.

Watch this week and then ask yourself:

[TW]Taggart · 20 Jan 2014 at 19:33

Mr Jones said:
Edit: I am looking forward to next week's Chipmunk duel...

The chipmunk dual was shot in native 3D at 1500fps

,

this review sums us up. http://juleshoward.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/tv-review-bbc1s-hidden-kingdoms.html?m=1

[TW]Taggart · 21 Jan 2014 at 07:37

bloodiedathame said:
What post house are you in Taggart?

a big red one with a hole up the top!

[TW]Taggart · 21 Jan 2014 at 09:15

bloodiedathame said:
Bristol based? I only know a few companies up there.

Looks great btw, really like the direction it's taken. I'm intrigued by a lot of the photography in it, some of the shots look so unreal that I assumed they were comped. The snake going for the shrew and the hawk going for the mouse spring to mind.

We cant exactly put these animals together... that would be unethical. By taking this approach we can show what happens in real life, but get more interesting angles than you would in a 'normal' observed Nat-hist show, for example see any lion hunt.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01q0ht1

[TW]Taggart · 21 Jan 2014 at 10:24

robgmun said:
This has been promoted and presented as proper natural history programme and not to say otherwise is not on. Funny enough is that if you did have a quick announcement or title card at the beginning saying this i wouldn't have any issues with the programme at all!

It does say in the opening. I think that its so overt and obvious that this is different.

bbc site said:
This is a different approach to a traditional wildlife series. Based entirely on biologically accurate behaviour, it employs a unique range of filming techniques and constructed storytelling to recreate these animals' own distinctive perspectives and to illustrate the dynamism of their lives.

Journey behind the scenes with Hidden Kingdoms to explore some of the techniques used to create this unique viewpoint, and why they were so important when revealing behaviour never before filmed.

[TW]Taggart · 22 Jan 2014 at 09:29

Sunbed said:
Watched about 1/4 of this before swapping over to Wild Brazil. I see what they are trying to do, but I watch a Nature program for just that... 'nature'. If I'm sat there wondering 'ooh that filming was clever, how did they do that..?' then the program has failed.

You missed out on some fantastic behaviour then. Some filmed for the very first time ever.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01q2c41

All we've done is filmed it in a new way and told the story from their perspective. I doubt you cant watch the film Inception and not say, blimey how did they do that! Why can't that same awe apply to nat hist?

I think its a real shame some people, especially in the UK, aren't more open to different styles of natural history films. Fortunately they seem to be the minority.

HK is also being broadcast in 10 different territories this year, including china!