Camera Operator, Photographer & Presenter
WildEarth (South Africa)
During the summer of 2024-25, I joined WildEarth as an intern camera operator, behind the scenes photographer/filmmaker and scientific presenter. WildEarth operates a live safari channel, streaming virtual game drive experiences everyday to millions of people around the world.
Camera Operator: Live Game Drives
When on game drive, I operated as the main independent cameraman, responsible for all things camera, audio and technical.
Given this was live TV, I learnt not only the fundamentals of how to be an effective cameraman, but also how to perform under the pressure of live action and implement instructions from the director immediately.
As the solo cameraman, in the bush, far away from control room, it was also my responsibility to solve any technical issues that may arise while on drive. I gained a greater understanding for a wide array of skills, techniques and equipment, i.e. camera, audio, satellite, communications etc.
Filming wildlife while live is a whole different ball game. Thankfully my academic background in zoology greatly helped, as I was able to predict the animals movements, actions and behaviour, for both the viewers entertainment and for our own safety.
Click the three lines to watch and interact with a collection of all my safari game drives as camera operator
Photography: Behind The Scenes
Videography: Behind The Scenes
Post-Production:
- 2 minute promotional video about WildEarth's culture and values, featuring interviews and b-roll.
- 6 x 30 secs employee introductions, featuring interviews and b-roll.
Coming Soon
Access via my new website - in production*
Science Show: Wild Deep Dive
Pitched, Branding, Research, Script, Filming, Editing, Producing by Brendan Cohen
Episodes:
- Speciation (post-production)
- Symbiotic relationships (post-production)
I noticed a gap in WildEarth's content and sought to fill it. I came up with the idea to create short videos which dive into the science behind some of the questions the viewers ask and some of the unique sightings we capture on WildEarth. The Wild Deep Dive science show will be played in between commercial breaks or as backup content for when we lose signal out on game drive.
Coming Soon
Access via my new website - in production*
