Sir David Attenborough: 'The world would be worse off without our stories'
Sir David's programmes have gone from being shot on 16mm film stock with clockwork cameras in to ultra high definition 4k in the present day.
When he was making Zoo Quest, cameras would only film for 40 seconds before the clockwork motor ran out.
Today, filmmakers gather hundreds of hours of video just to capture one special moment which may only last for seconds.
"When we started, the film people in London were very derisory about 16mm, they called it 'bootlace'.
"We couldn't film on 35mm because we couldn't drag around those enormous great big cameras.
"Almost every year, we had better facilities. The film became smaller, the recording apparatus became more sensitive.
"I've tried to film Orangutan, and they do absolutely nothing - they just sit in the trees, and they're very difficult to see.
"Now along comes a drone, and you can film things that you couldn't possibly ever see from the ground," Sir David said.
Biography
David Attenborough, the Godfather of natural history TV, has introduced generations to the world’s furry and feathered friends.
Beyond natural history he’s had a huge influence as a broadcaster, introducing colour TV when he was Controller of BBC Two.
Born in London in , Attenborough collected fossils as a child and gained a Natural Sciences degree from Cambridge. Since the launch of his famous Zoo Quest series in to the recent Planet Earth, he has surveyed almost every aspect of life on earth.
Most Renowned For
Whether he’s chilling with chimps or freezing with polar bears, Attenborough always reassures with his signature dulcet tones. Many have tried – and most failed – to capture his hushed, reverential whisper, full of barely contained excitement. This unique voice has formed the soundtrack to millions of childhoods and TV dinners.Cultural Impact
Attenborough’s trophy cabinet has recently acquired the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, he has been knighted, had species named after him and the Sir David Attenborough Studio is planned for London’s Natural History Museum inWith warmth and intelligence, Attenborough
Born 8 May , the younger brother of actor Lord Richard Attenborough. He never expressed a wish to act and, instead, studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University, graduating in , the year he began his two years National Service in the Royal Navy. In , he joined BBC Television at Alexandra Palace and, in , began his famous "Zoo Quest" series. When not "Zoo Questing", he presented political broadcasts, archaeological quizzes, short stories, gardening and religious programmes.
saw the start of BBC2, Britain's third TV channel, with Michael Peacock as its Controller. A year later, Peacock was promoted to BBC1 and Attenborough became Controller of BBC2. As such, he was responsible for the introduction of colour television into Britain, and also for bringing Monty Python's Flying Circus () to the world.
In , he was appointed Director of Programmes with editorial responsibility for both the BBC's television networks. Eight years behind a desk was too much for him, and he resigned in to return to programme making. First came "Eastwards with Attenborough", a natural history series set in South East Asia, then The Tribal Eye () , examining
David Attenborough
Life on Earth
Attenborough conceived the idea of a TV series based on animals in their natural habitats and, in , the first Zoo Quest programmes were filmed in Sierra Leone. In the second series, Attenborough took over as presenter and also wrote the first of several books to accompany the programmes, Zoo Quest to Guiana (). His ten years of involvement with the Zoo Quest series took him to many of the wilder parts of the world. He was also involved in a wide range of political, archaeological religious, short story and gardening programmes in these years.
In , Attenborough was appointed controller of BBC 2, the BBC's newly created second channel. In this role he was responsible for overseeing the production of such notable series as Jacob Bronowski's
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