Filmmaker Chris Palmer Comes Clean on How Many Wildlife Films are Staged

[Michael Pancier]

Wildlife filmmaker and producer Chris Palmer comes out with new book and essentially confesses how he and others fake a lot of the footage in wildlife films.

See the clip here (http://news.yahoo.com/video/environment-15749659/wildlife-films-staged-producer-comes-clean-22179614).

[Dave Blinder]

Thanks for sharing Michael.

[Ken Watkins]

No surprise for me, even the Tiger shots in the Life on Earth series used "tame" tigers.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

The filmmakers employ such dirty tricks but don't mention it explicitly. Most of the crucial scenes of Disney wildlife films are stage managed. As far as sound is concerned, it is an accepted practice to use sounds that are recreated or recorded later. However, filmmakers don't readily admit to faking wildlife scenes. Getting one crucial scene often takes ages. No wonder the temptation to fake is so high.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Why is that not a surprise? Still, at the end of the day if the movie helps educate the population then that's the key thing isn't it? :)

[Van Hilliard]

I've always thought many of the scenes were fake but thought the movies were worthwhile anyway. Some are among the most affecting and beautiful I have seen. My main criticism is the lack of honesty -- but I'm still glad the movies were made. When I was a child, I was mesmerized by some of the Disney films and still remember thos scenes decades (too many decades) later.

[Todd Frost]

One cannot forget that unless it is a documentary (captive should be noted) then it is "entertainment", nothing more. You should not expect disclosure from these films any more than you should expect truth in "the Blair Witch Project".

[Mark Young]

Has anyone had a look at his book yet? I think it would make for an interesting read.

[Ed Cordes]

What a let down! I thought "Life on Earth" was real :(

[Ken Watkins]

What a let down! I thought "Life on Earth" was real :(

To be fair most of it was:)