Interview with David Watts Me and David get into everything from growing up in New Zealand, how I found my way to South Africa, before delving into filming a great white shark hunting a living humpback whale. Listen to full podcast here
INTERVIEW WITH CAPE TALK Shark expert Ryan Johnson recounts, in detail, the strategic way a Great White went about killing a whale 10 times its size. In recent months, we’ve seen reports of orcas moving into False Bay to, possibly, target Great White sharks. Sharks are, usually, apex predators. Some feed on animals as […]
The Great White Shark Breach Attack Nothing beats capturing a great white shark breach attack on camera! They explode out of the water on an unsuspecting prey in a display of extraordinary power and grace. This sequence is a favorite dream of every wildlife camera operator for very obvious reasons. Whilst 10 years ago, filming a shark breaching on a […]
Hi students and aspiring shark biologists, this post will be constantly updated with the interviews and questions I answer for students about sharks, shark teeth, shark attacks, careers as a shark biologist and all those cool sharky things. If you have a project, and I am unavailable for an interview, please feel free to use these […]
Here is a quick radio interview I gave to planet earth diver. Gives a good synopsis of the research we are conducting here in South Africa. How should a diver behave in the water with a bull shark? Are shark dives harming or benefiting sharks? Today I am excited to talk sharks with shark expert and explorer Ryan […]
For 15 years shark documentaries have been a big part of my life. I have a pretty good idea of what producers, commissioners and audiences are looking for in terms of a great shark documentary. Unfortunately, many pitches for shark documentaries follow the old-fashioned formula – the classic ‘shark attack‘ docco appealing to our primal fear of […]
In this interview, the Washington post opened up there lines to callers and social media. Some really great questions from the public about sharks and my views on them. This interview was just after the release of the my documentary ‘Sharkville’ where myself and the production crew from Obsessively Creative discovered and documented great white […]
The OCEARCH project in which we satellite tagged mearly 50 great white sharks, and filmed the expedition for a tem part series called shark wranglers we incredibly rewarding, and somewhat controversial. Here is an interview I gave toMike Gencarelli from ‘Media Mike‘. The original interview can be viewed here: Original interview Ryan Johnson grew up […]
I am often asked how I got into research on great white sharks, and how students can also break into this field. I don’t know if my story is applicable to many, but in this interview with Otago Universities ‘Critic’ magazine. I spell out my journey to becoming a great white shark biologist. The original interview […]
Eat. Sleep. Work. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the routine of modern society. Drifting in through the open office door as I write this are the sounds of hundreds of commuters on their way home from a day at the grindstone. And to be honest, who wants to return home […]
Over the past few years I have been leading expeditions to South Africa’s annual Sardine Run with Blue Wilderness. This year, as we prepare once again to travel to the wild coast and tackle the Sardine Run, I thought it would be useful to reflect on past expeditions and give a few insights into which […]
Wildlife Film festivals provide a great way to get your film (and you!) exposure in the industry…but with escalating competition how can you increase your chances of acceptance? Cream rises to the top, so much of your success is reliant on your creative vision and execution – the film itself. BUT, there are certain steps […]
The pan and zoom. There is so much to say about these two tiny concepts of filming. They can be angles or devils. You must know when and how to properly use them, or you risk your film coming across as amateur, tacky or even lazy. Zooming When buying a camera, too many people get […]
The biggest challenge for wildlife film-makers is getting a program green lit by commissioning editors. Following trends, building gadgets, finding new filming techniques and building relationships and trust with broadcasters are all really helpful, but the one key ingredient that trumps all others is …. The Story. Without a great story to tell, your idea will be […]
Few jobs appear as romantic as a wildlife television presenter. Getting paid to: travel the world and witness incredible sights is the dream of many. Crouching down in front of a rhino to deliver a few lines to a camera isn’t really all that challenging! Or is it? Having worked on international wildlife documentaries for the last […]
