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Alastair Fothergill – Film Producer and Presenter Alastair Fothergill joined the BBC Natural History Unit in 1983 and has worked on a wide range of the department’s programmes, including the BAFTA award-winning ‘The Really Wild Show’, ‘Wildlife on One’, and the innovative ‘Reefwatch’, where he was one of the team that developed live broadcasting from beneath the sea. Alastair went on to work on the acclaimed BBC1 series ‘The Trials of Life’ with Sir David Attenborough. In 1993 he produced another remarkable BBC1 series - ‘Life in the Freezer’- celebrating the wildlife of the Antarctic, again presented by Sir David Attenborough. While still working on this series, he was appointed Head of the BBC Natural History Unit, aged just 32. In 1998 he stood down as Head of the Unit to concentrate on his role as Series Producer of ‘The Blue Planet’, a landmark series on the natural history of the world’s oceans. In 2001 Alastair become Director of Development for the Natural History Unit. In 2002 he co-presented ‘Going Ape’, a film that took him to the Ivory Coast in Africa. He has produced ‘Deep Blue’, a cinematic view of the world’s oceans and he was one of the presenters and executive producer of the innovative live broadcast Live from the Abyss. To great acclaim, the BBC has recently screened Alastair’s latest project – four years in the making – and the ultimate portrait of our planet – Planet Earth. This is the Earth celebrated as never before. Talks The outstanding successes of Alastair’s films are testament to his ability, flair and creativity. Forever pushing the boundaries of technology, he has transformed the world of natural history programme making. The end product may look flawless with seamless transitions from one sequence to the next. But listening to Alastair speak, you soon begin to realise just how often the odds are stacked against the team, and only by applying sheer tenacity and skill, the stunning results that we see on the screen are achieved. The Making of Planet Earth A lavishly illustrated talk on the stories that lie behind the making of BBC1’s recent landmark natural history series on the ultimate portrait of the planet. The multi-award-winning Planet Earth was the first natural history series to be filmed entirely in high definition, providing an unparalleled view of awe-inspiring landscapes from all across the globe and incredible footage of the rarely spotted, almost mythical creatures that live in these habitats. For the first time ever, a world that had never been seen before was captured on camera. Series Producer Alastair Fothergill tells how - equipped with cutting edge technology and the world’s best wildlife cameramen – he and his team achieved this incredible feat. What others have said ... ‘Alistair Fothergill succeeded in holding his audience, from six-year-olds to senior staff, absolutely spellbound for an hour and a half. His relaxed manner, his passion and excitement for his subject was palpable and infectious, and the pictures he showed us were simply breathtaking. The applause said it all... it lasted two or three minutes, and coupled with his warmth and engagement in answering peoples' questions, made it, in their words the best lecture that some of our senior students have ever heard'. Jamie Jameson, Monkton Combe School, Bath Click here to see more testimonials for Alastair ...