The nature of the nature documentary business is quite sluggish. Crews post up in rainforests or on towering piles of bat guano for hours, days, or weeks waiting for the perfect shot. I mean look at Planet Earth, probably the most successful nature doc in a long time. It took four years to film and this is a crew of 71 in 204 locations.
When something truly remarkable in nature is captured on film, the Internet provides a place for news to spread. Prior to the web, there was no way for news of natural curiosities to travel, aside from blurbs on page 6 of the paper. Social media gives a means of distribution that is so effective, we rarely have to wait for any Discovery Channel premieres.
This week an incredible story broke off the coast of Australia where the body of a Great White Shark was found. This shark was measured at 10 feet long and had some pieces missing. It turns out these pieces are the chomp marks of another shark, estimated to be around 20 feet long. Surfers are staying extra cautious, which is generally a good idea when your supposed biggest fear’s body is found with jaw-shaped pieces missing from its side.
This is just the beginning but a profit-distirubtion system needs to be worked out so the guy who has to capture a shot of hippopotami marking their territory with a mist of fecal matter, gets the money he has earned. Once there is a reliable platform, the web will revolutionize this type of documentary and change it from being something you watch months after filming to possibly something you watch live. Imagine Grizzly Man live-blogging. The value of Animal Planet and Discovery Channel increases exponentially with digital video archives.
I’ll leave you with an epic hippo fight:
Filed under: Uncategorized
Good stuff. Playing Hungry, Hungry Hippo will never be the same!