An exclusive interview with Bertie Gregory

Wildlife filmmaker Bertie Gregory recently embarked on an epic 219-day adventure to document animals in their natural habitat. With its new version of six episodes of Animals up close on Disney+, Gregory will present the wonders that accompanied this experience. By discussing with Innovation and technology todayGregory discusses the experience of filming, his daily inspiration to get closer to these creatures, and what he hopes viewers take away from this new series.

Innovation and technology today: So you have a great series about to come out, a six-part series filmed over 219 days. How was it?

Bertie Gregory: It was a lot of time, but it was great. We did these 219 days over the course of a calendar year, so it was pretty epic. The most days of filming we did for an episode was Puma. We spent 51 days for this episode in Patagonia. In wildlife films, it’s all about time because you have to learn the habits of the animals and know the landscape in which they live. And what’s more, you have to be lucky, and the more time you spend in the landscape following the animals, the more likely you are to be lucky. And we certainly got lucky on this project.

I&TT: Are you guys on foot? Do you have four-wheelers? How do you get around?

Gregory: Yeah, so in this case (Puma episode), there is like a road that crossed his main territory. So we were driving 4x4s every day and scanning from many different viewpoints, whether it was mountain tops with beautiful views or from the road. And as soon as we found her, there was no road network where she was. So yes, we led with cars and then carried everything we needed.

I&TT: It’s incredible. What brought you to this amazing, incredible, super exciting career field? Like, did you have any inspiration coming? Were there any important people who made you want to get into this field?

Gregory: My family. I have my mother, my father and three brothers. They are all obsessed with water sports and the ocean. So from a very young age I was always thrown into the sea and grew up sailing and surfing. I think when you spend so much time in the ocean, cold and wet, you gain an appreciation and love for it.

As I grew up, I began to be obsessed with the natural world and discovering how to surprise animals. When I was a teenager, I started taking photos of the animals I was obsessed with because I found it was a great way to channel my obsession.

I&TT: One thing I find universal is that people love animals. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, your political background, or anything like that. People love animals. Why do you think this is the case?

Gregory: Well, I think because we are animals ourselves. We have these innate caveman and cavewoman instincts buried deep in our DNA. We love the ocean view. We love the sound of birdsong. This is unanimous among humans. And I think because modern society is so disconnected from nature, a lot of people are losing that connection.

And I think that’s the power of wildlife documentaries: it’s the opportunity to reconnect people, to remerge these neurons that maybe haven’t been activated for a long time. And I hope that when people watch Animals up closethey come away really excited about the natural world and the beauty of some of the animals we live with.