International Film Festival and a recent AACTA Award for Best Cinematography for “Out of the Ashes.” Here’s a description of some of the films and the main Cinematography & Program awards :
SUMMARY OF FREELANCE WORK SINCE 2009
2021
“SKYLARK” – Koala courtship (vision & sound) – sequence for a series exploring the meaning of sounds in nature – Australia Ep.
(in production)
Offspring Films, UK for Apple TV
2021
“NINGALOO with Tim Winton” – Humpback whales, Killer whales, Rock wallabies, Western Bower Bird, reptiles, wildflowers, Osprey, Wedge-tailed eagle, landscapes – sequences for 3-part series, Ningaloo Coast, Western Australia. (in production)
Artemis Films, Australia
2021
“WA WILDLIFE” – coral reefs, fish, turtles, sea snakes & the Ningaloo Coast – various sequences. (in production)
Albatross Films, Australia
2021
“LADY ELLIOT ISLAND” – Manta Rays, Green Turtles, Leopard Shark sequences, Great Barrier Reef. (in production)
Albatross Films, Australia.
2019
“WILDLIFE IN COLOUR” – Victoria’s Riflebird sequence – for 3-part series with David Attenborough.
Humble Bee Films (UK) & Sealight Pictures (Australia) for Netflix.
2019
“MAWSON – 65th ANNIVERSARY” – archival film compilation for Mawson Station anniversary & Event edit – Antarctic Veterans (ANARE Club).
Albatross Films, Australia.
2019
“WHEN WE WERE YOUNG” – the huskies of Mawson Station, 1970 & 1972 – Antarctic Veterans (ANARE Club).
Albatross Films, Australia.
2019
“THE MANY FACES OF DANIEL MANNIX” – former priest Joe Broderick recollecting about the great Archbishop of Melbourne, Daniel Mannix.
Albatross Films, Australia
2018
“SEVEN CONTINENTS” – Budgerigars sequence – for 7-part series with David Attenborough.
BBC (UK)
2018
“AUSTRALIA’S COASTS”– Sea urchins in Port Phillip Bay – sequence.
Coast Australia Productions, Australia.
2018
“MACQUARIE ISLAND – 70TH ANNIVERSARY” – archival film compilation for 70th anniversary of Macquarie Island Station & Event edit – Antarctic Veterans (ANARE Club).
Albatross Films, Australia
2018
“MY YEAR IN ANTARCTICA”– the story of George Cresswell’s action-packed 1960 winter at Mawson Station – Antarctic Veterans (ANARE Club).
Albatross Films, Australia
2018
“HUMPBACKS” – Humpback whales video, Tonga.
Albatross Films, Australia
2018
“GREAT WHITES” – Great White Shark video, Neptune Islands, South Australia.
Albatross Films, Australia
2017
RESEARCH on Golden Parrot, Crocodiles, Crab Island, Platypus & Cormorant – for Seven Continents – BBC (UK)
2017
PLATYPUS – Platypus sequence, Tasmania.
Wildbear Entertainment, Australia
2017
BIRDS OF PREY – Birds of prey sequence, Victoria
Wildbear Entertainment, Australia.
2017
“HUMPBACKS” – Humpback whale sequence, Tonga.
Albatross Films, Australia
2017
“HEARD ISLAND – 70th ANNIVERSARY” – archival film compilation for 70th anniversary of Heard Island Station & Event edit – Antarctic Veterans (ANARE Club).
Albatross Films, Australia
2017
“GREAT WHITES” – Great White Shark sequence, Neptune Islands, South Australia.
Albatross Films, Australia
2017
“GIANT CUTTLEFISH” – Giant Australian Cuttlefish sequence, Whyalla, South Australia.
Albatross Films, Australia
2017
“THE MAGICAL LAND OF OZ” – Green Tree Python segment.
Northern Pictures, Australia.
2016
“DIVING WITH PLATYPUS ” – tourism promo, Queensland.
Tourism Far North Queensland.
2016
“HUMPBACKS – Humpback whale sequences, Tonga.
Albatross Films, Australia
2016
“GREAT WHITES” – Great White Shark sequences, Neptune Islands, South Australia.
Albatross Films, Australia.
2015
RESEARCH on Golden-shouldered Parrots – for NHK, Japan
2015/2016
“PLATYPUS – WORLD’S STRANGEST ANIMAL”
Zaurora Books, Australia
Wrote, designed and published the PHOTOBOOK.
Award:
2016 Whitley Award for Best Illustrated Natural History Book, NSW Royal Zoological Society, Sydney, Australia
2013/2014
“TREE KANGAROOS” – In the wild and rehabilitation – Far North Queensland.
360 Degree Films, Australia
2013-2014
“ANIMAL ARCHITECTURE”
Length 4 x 50 minutes. High Definition.
Coneflower Productions for WNET (New York).
David filmed a detailed sequence on the behaviour of the Australian Bush Turkey for this series. The male constructs a mound of leaves where females lays their eggs deep underground. The heat produced by the rotting vegetation incubates the eggs – while the male daily tends the mound.
2010-2013
“DEVIL ISLAND”
Length 6 x 30 minute. High Definition.
Produced by 360 Degree Films for ITV/NGS-Int/ABC co-production.
The series follows the quest to save the Tasmanian Devil from extinction. A deadly facial tumour disease is ravaging the wild population of devils and a team of scientists trans-locates 15 non-diseased animals onto Maria Island to establish an insurance population of free-ranging individuals to ensure their survival. “Devil Island”. Broadcast on ITV and the ABC. David was DOP for natural history.
2013
“ACID OCEANS”
Length 1 x 50 minutes.
Produced by 360 Degree Films in co-production with NOVA.
Broadcast on SBS Australia
As the concentration of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere rises, the oceans are becoming more acidic and this is having serious consequences on the tropical coral reefs. David filmed night and day time-lapse sequences.
2011-2012
“POSSUMS WARS”
Length 52 minutes.
Produced by 360 Degree Films for the ABC.
Broadcast on the ABC in 2013.
This is the story of how wild possums are rapidly taking over the city of Melbourne.
2012
“AUSTRALIA: LAND OF PARROTS – THE CAMERAMAN”
Produced by Win_K Productions Tokyo for NHK Japan. High Definition – approx 60 minutes. Broadcast on NHK in 2012.
Additional filming and appearing as on-camera talent for a story about how “Land of Parrots” was made from the perspective of the cameraman. It incorporates a lot of footage from the original film.
2011-2012
“REPTILIAN BATTLEGROUND”
Length 56 minutes. High Definition.
Produced by BK Films for NGS-TV/ABC.
Broadcast on National Geographic and the ABC in 2013.
Follows the story of an island in northern Australia where crocodiles gather each year to feast in preparation for their breeding season.
2009-2010
“OUT OF THE ASHES”
Length 52 minutes. High Definition.
Produced by December Films for ABC/ABC Enterprises co-production
Broadcast in Australia, USA, Japan etc
“Out of the Ashes” is the story of the regeneration of the forests and the return of the animals in the year after the Black Saturday fires swept through the Victorian bush in February 2009.
Awards:
2012 – AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary, Australian Film Institute
2011 – Grand Prix – Town of Sondrio Award, Sondrio Festival, Italy
2010 – Gold Award: Australian Society of Cinematographers, Vic/Tas branch
2009-2010
“PENGUIN ISLAND”
Length 6x 30 minute. High Definition.
Produced by 360 Degree Films for BBC/ABC/ARTE co-pro.
Broadcast in the UK on BBC in 2010, Australia, Japan, America etc
The world famous Little Penguins of Australia’s Phillip Island entertain half a million tourists a year with a sunset parade from the surf to their burrows. But behind the scenes, the penguins’ lives are even more fascinating and the series creates a kind of penguin soap. “Penguin Island” follows the fortunes of three penguin families over a year.
Awards:
2010 – Silver Award: Australian Society of Cinematographers, Vic/Tas branch
2011 – Grand Prix of Festival, 17th Int. Environmental Film, Festival Slovakia
PROGRAMS PRODUCED AND FILMED FOR THE ABC NATURAL HISTORY UNIT
by David & Liz (1973 – 2008)
2007-2008
“AUSTRALIA – LAND OF PARROTS”
Length 52 mins 32 secs.
High Definition, 5.1 surround sound.
ABC/PBS/National Geographic International
Parrots and cockatoos are the most conspicuous birds in Australia. They’re everywhere, and often in large numbers. From the dense rainforests of the tropical north to the cold, wind-swept coast of Southern Australia and the arid deserts of the interior, every region is inhabited by parrots. “Australia: Land of Parrots” explores the diverse & spectacular life of parrots & cockatoos across the varied landscapes of the island continent. Inhospitable forces of nature – cyclones, drought, flood & fire shape their life as do humans who unwittingly provide food & water in abundance.
Program Awards:
*Prize for Best Knowledge and Discovery of the Animal World, 18th International Wildlife Film Festival, Albert, France, 2008
*Grand Prix for Bird in It’s Natural Environment,18th Festival de l’Oiseau et de la Nature, Abbeville, France,2008
*Golden Eagle, Environment & Natural Science Category in Professional Non-Fiction Telecast Division at CINE 2008 Spring Awards, USA
*Best of Festival – Japan Wildlife Film Festival, Toyama, Japan, 2009
*Best Film, Audience Choice – The Waga Brothers International Festival of Nature Films, Tykocin, Poland, 2010
2005
“SURVIVING EXTREMES” Length 53 minutes 16:9
ABC/National Geographic International
In 1912 the Mawson led an expedition into the unexplored wasteland of the Antarctica. The sledging party suffered tremendous set-backs, isolation and physical hardships that resulted in the deaths of his two companions. In the 1990’s Western astronauts lived aboard Russia’s MIR space station and had to deal with the worst fire in space history and a collision with a re-supply ship, incidents that nearly killed them. While these two journeys are 100 years apart, they reveal much about what sort of people can cope with life in extremes environments giving vital clues to the sort of person who should be selected for NASA’s recently announced missions to Mars.
2004
“TERRORS OF TASMANIA”
Length: 50 mins Digital Stereo 16:9
ABC/National Geographic TV
Set against the striking landscapes of Tasmania, “Terrors”, reveals the complex life of the Tasmanian Devil – from choosing a mate, birth, rearing young, dispersal and finally to a certain death from the recently discovered facial cancer which is decimating the population and may bring the species to the edge of extinction in the wild. The story follows Dr Menna Jones’ groundbreaking work on how female devils live and choose a mate.
Cinematography Awards:
*Australian Cinematographer of the Year (MILLI Award) to David Parer, Australian Cinematographer’s Society (ACS) National Awards, Australia, 2005
*Gold Tripod, Wildlife and Nature Films, ACS National Awards, Australia, 2004
2003
“PLATYPUS: WORLD’S STRANGEST ANIMAL”
Length: 50’30”. Digital Stereo 16:9
ABC/Discovery Channel/Canal Plus
The platypus has webbed feet like a duck, and venom like a snake – but strangest of all it lays eggs like a bird. So much of its life is spent underground that the platypus is still largely unknown – an irresistible challenge to film-maker, David Parer. Using state-of-the-art technologies, David and two researchers reveal new and fascinating aspects of the life of “Shy” – a female platypus as she goes about her daily life and raises her young. The film features rare footage of courtship, the growth of platypus twins inside their nest and some never-before-filmed interaction between mother and baby platypus.
Documentary Program Awards:
*Grand Prix, 14th Festival International du Film Animalier, Albert, France, 2004
*Best Scientific Film, 14th Festival International du Film Animalier, Albert, France, 2004
*Special Jury Prize for the Understanding and Protection of the Water World, 14th Festival International du Film Animalier, Albert, France, 2004
*Special Distinction for Best Technical Performance, Festival de l’Oiseau et de la Nature, Abbeville, France. 2004
*Special Jury Prize for Subject Matter, Third Waga Brothers International Festival of Nature Films, Goniadz, Poland. 2004
*Junior prize, 11th Valle D’Aosta International Nature Film Festival (Progetta Natura), Italy. 2003
Cinematography:
*Australian Cinematographer of the Year (MILLI Award) to David Parer, (ACS), National Awards, Australia. 2004
*Gold Tripod, Wildlife and Nature Films, (ACS), National Awards, Australia 2004
1998-1999
“THE DRAGONS OF GALAPAGOS”
Length: 55m
ABC/National Geographic TV/BBC
This is the story of the incredible struggle for survival of the dragons of the Galapagos Archipelago. The lives of these giant lizards called land iguanas are intimately linked with the archipelago’s most active volcano. On the island of Fernandina, filmmakers David Parer and Elizabeth Parer-Cook follow the annual migration of the land iguanas up the steep slopes of the 5,000ft volcano and into the steaming caldera where they lay their eggs. Along the coast of the island, the world’s only sea- going lizards – the marine iguanas – takes us into one of the most exciting marine environments on earth – a world of huge bait- balls and masses of seals, dolphins and penguins.
Documentary Program Awards:
* WWF GOLDEN PANDA for the Best Production of the past two years, WILDSCREEN ’98 International Festival and Symposium – Film and Television in the Natural World, Bristol, UK, 1998
*Golden Spire Winner, Nature and Science Category, Golden Gate Awards, San Francisco Film Festival, 1999
*Best Animal Behaviour category, Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, USA 1999
*Silver Plaque, Documentary – Science/Nature Category, The Chicago International Film & Television Festival, 1999
*Jurors’ Special Prize, Earth Vision ’98, Japan
* Golden Anchor, Prix de la Ville de Toulon,Festival International du Film Maritime et d’Exploration, Toulon, France, 1998
*Best Documentary, Australian Film Institute Awards (AFI), Australia, 1998
*Special Prize of the Festival: Nature, International Nature & Environmental Film Festival of Grenoble, France, 1998 *Grand Prix, International Wildlife Film Festival, Albert, France, 1999
*Public Special Prize, International Wildlife Film Festival, Albert, France, 1999
*Special Prize for the Best Picture, International Wildlife Film Festival, Albert, France, 1999
*Prix Nature, Festival de l’Oiseau, Abbeville, France, 1999
*Golden Ibex Trophy, Progetto Natura, Italy 1999
*Best International Co-production, Il Prix Leonardo, Italy 1999
*“Strand” Documentary Award, International Documentary Association (IDA), USA, ‘99
Cinematography :
*Australian Cinematographer of the Year (MILLI Award) to David Parer, ACS National Awards, Australia, 1999
*Gold Plaque, Special Achievement – Cinematography/Videography category, The Chicago International Film & Television Festival, 1999
*Best Cinematography in a Non-Feature, Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, Australia, 1998
*Gold Tripod, Experimental & Specialised Cinematography category, National Australian Cinematographers’ Society Awards, Australia, 1999
*Gold Tripod, Wildlife & Nature Films, National Australian Cinematographers’ Society Awards, Australia, 1999*Best Photography, European Nature Film Festival, Valvert, Belgium, 1998
*Gold Award, Experimental & Specialised Cinematography category, (ACS) Vic/Tas Australian Cinematography Awards, Australia 1998
*Gold Award, Wildlife & Nature Films category, Vic/Tas Australian , Australia 1998 Editing: Best Editor – Paul Cantwell, EMMY Awards, New York, 1999
Music: Best Music – Martin Friedel, EMMY Awards, New York 199
1999-2000
“ISLANDS OF THE VAMPIRE BIRDS”
Length: 50 minutes 16:9
ABC/National Geographic TV
The Galapagos Island are a remote archipelago made famous by the father of evolution, Charles Darwin. In 1834 when Darwin visited the islands he was fascinated by the variety of different species of finches that lived there – some with fine beaks to crack small seeds; others with broader bills to break bigger ones; some ate cactus; some fashioned a tool to winkle out grubs from rotting timber; and yet an even more gruesome one that pecked the skin of seabirds to make them bleed and then drank their blood like a vampire. Now known as Darwin’s Finches they remain a classic example of the theory of evolution by natural selection, first proposed by Darwin in 1859. This is their story.
Documentary Program Awards:
*Rockie Award, Best Popular Science and Natural History Programs Section (shared), BANFF, Alberta, Canada, 2000
*Best Wildlife Documentary Award, Japan Wildlife Film Festival ’99, Japan
*Prix De La Ville De Toulon Award, Festival International du film Maritime et D’Exploration ’99 FRANCE
*Prize of Transpetrol, Inc., Ekotopfilm ’99, Germany
*Prix de Documentaire , Festival International du film d’Environment 1999
*Golden Ibex Trophy, Progetto Natura, Italy 1999
*Crystal Eagle for Best Comment, European Nature Film Festival, Valvert, Belgium 1999
*Silver Plaque in Individual TV Programs: Documentary – Science/Nature Category at TV Fest Chicago International Television Competition,1999.
*Best Photography XXV Festival Internazionale del Film Turistico, Milan. 2000
*Prix de Cote Picarde, Festival de l’Oiseau et de la Nature, Abbeville, France,
*Prize in Getting to Know & Protecting Wildlife Category, 1oth Festival International du Film Animalier, Albert, France, 2000
Cinematography:
*Best Cinematography in a Non-Feature, AFI Awards Australia 1999
*Gold World/Medal for Best Camera-work, New York Festival 1999
*Gold – Wildlife & Nature Films, ACS Awards, Victoria, Australia 1999
*Gold – Experimental & Specialised, ACS Awards, Victoria, Australia 1999
1999-2000
“TWO YEARS IN GALAPAGOS”
Length: 50 minutes
ABC/National Geographic TV
This is the story of David, Liz and Zoe’s two year adventure in the Galapagos Islands during the production of “Dragons of Galapagos” and “Islands of the Vampire Birds”. For months on end they camped along the coast of Fernandina, one of the most active volcanos on earth where Zoe swam with sea lions and tramped over the sharp lava fields in bare feet. They journeyed by boat to the northern islands where four year old Zoe swam with Whale and Hammerhead sharks. It was a once- in-a-lifetime experience.
1994
“SPIRITS OF THE FOREST”
Length: 30 minutes ABC
This film looks at the magic of Papua New Guinea’s birds of paradise that live in the mountainous highlands where local tribesmen highly value their plumes.
1993
“MYSTERIES OF THE OCEAN WANDERERS“
Length: 54 mins Digital Stereo
ABC/National Geographic TV/BBC
A film about the wildlife of the Crozet Islands, a remote sub-Antarctic group in the Indian Ocean half way between Cape Town and the Antarctic continent. Here a group of French scientists are using the latest technologies of satellite tracking and time- depth recorders to uncover the incredible lives of wandering albatross, king penguins and elephant seals at sea and helping to explain large scale changes in their populations over the last forty years – all of which appear to be human induced.
Documentary Program Awards :
*WWF GOLDEN PANDA for the Best Production of the Past Two Years, WILDSCREEN ’94 International Festival and Symposium – Film and Television in the Natural World, Bristol, UK, 1994
*Best Ecological/Environmental Program First Place (tie), 17th International Wildlife Film Festival, Missoula, USA, 1994
*Silver Hugo Award in the Documentary – Science/Nature Category, 30th Chicago International Film Festival, Chicago, USA,
*Le Grand Prix Rolex for the Best Film for the Protection of the Underwater World, 26th Festival International Du Film Maritime and D’Exploration, Toulon, France, 1994
*Naturalistic Section Prize,8th International Festival of Documentary Films on Parks, Sondrio, Italy, 1994
*Audience Award, 8th International Festival of Documentary Films on Parks, Sondrio, Italy, 1994
*Special Honour Guest Award for Production (especially in the fields of Wildlife and Protection of the Environment) to Australia (shared), 10th International Festival for Scientific Films of Palaiseau, France, 1994
Cinematography:
*HTV Award for Photography, WILDSCREEN ’94 International Festival and Symposium – Film and Television in the Natural World, Bristol, UK, 1994
*Best Cinematography, 17th International Wildlife Film Festival, Missoula, USA, 1994
*Gold Plaque Award in the Special Achievement – Cinematography Category, 30th Chicago International Film Festival, Chicago, USA 1994
*Golden Tripod Award for Specialised Cinematography, (ACS) 25th Annual Awards, Australia, 1994
*Kodak Prize for the Best Images, 6th International Festival of Documentaries of the Sea, San Teodoro, Italy, 1994
1993
“WOLVES OF THE SEA”
Length: 58 mins Digital Stereo
ABC/National Geographic/Turner Broadcasting
A natural history of the killer whale filmed entirely in the wild over two years using specially developed underwater camera techniques. “Wolves” looks at the killer whale’s cultural traditions around the world including their hunting techniques, their eloquent use of sound and the way they teach their young. Filmed in Canada, Alaska, Norway, Patagonia and the Crozet Islands in the sub-Antarctic.
Documentary Program Awards :
*An EMMY in the Special Classification for Outstanding News and Documentary Program Achievement Category, 1993
News and Documentary Emmy Awards, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, New York, USA, 1994
*Best Film – Festival Choice, Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, Wyoming USA 1993
*Silver Award for Nature and Wildlife, Houston International Film Festival, USA, 1994
*Silver Hugo for Documentary Science/Nature, Television Production, 29th Chicago International Film Festival, USA, 1993
*Best Television Documentary Second Place, 17th International Wildlife Film Festival, Missoula, USA, 1994
*Bronze Medal for Best Television Documentary & Information Program-Nature and Wildlife, 36th Annual International Television Programming and Promotion Awards, The New York Festivals, USA, 1993
*Best Film and Video Grand Format (Palme D’Or), 20th Festival Mondial de L’Image Sous-Marine, Antibes, France, 1993
*Best Film of the Festival, 6th Stambecco D’Oro International Nature Film Festival, Milan, Italy, 1993
*Best Film of the Festival, 5th International Festival of Documentaries of the Sea, San Teodoro, Italy 1993
*Best Film of the Festival (Ancre D’Or), 25th Festival International Du Film Maritime et D’Exploration, Toulon, France 1993
*Grand Prix, 10th International Nature and Environment Film Festival, Grenoble, France, 1994
*Prix Special du Jury, Festival International de la Nature et du Cinema Du Mont-Dore-Sancy, France, 1997
*Best Natural History Film – Whose Subject is Not Necessarily Ornithological (Prix Du Credit Agricole), 9th Festival International du Film Ornithologique, Menigoute, France 1993
*Nature Prize, 4th Festival de l’Oiseau, Abbeville, France, 1994
*Best Television Feature or Documentary, Michael Daley Awards for Science, Technology and Engineering Journalism, Department of Industry, Technology and Regional Development, Federal Government, Australia, 1993
*Natural Environmental Film Award, Earth Vision ’94 – The Third Global Environmental Film Festival, Tokyo, Japan, 1994
*Special Honour Guest Award for all Production (especially in the fields of wildlife and protection of the Environment) (shared) to Australia, 10th International Festival for Scientific Films of Palaiseau, France, 1994
Cinematography :
*HTV Award for Photography, WILDSCREEN ’94 International Festival and Symposium – Film and Television in the Natural World, Bristol, UK, 1994
*Nominated for an EMMY in the Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Cinematographers’ Category, 1993 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, New York, USA, 1994
*Gold Hugo for Special Achievement-Cinematography, Television Production, 29th Chicago International Film Festival, USA, 1993
*Golden Tripod Award for Cinematography, Wildlife & Nature Films, (ACS) 24th Annual Awards, Australia, 1993
*Gold Award for Cinematography, Wildlife and Nature Films, (ACS), Victorian-Tasmanian Awards, Australia 1993
*Gold Award for Specialised Cinematography, (ACS), Victorian-Tasmanian Awards, Australia 1993.
1988
“NATURE OF AUSTRALIA”
Series 6x 55 minutes
ABC/BBC/PBS/Australian Heritage Commission
A series of six programs for Australia’s Bicentenary about the evolution of the island continent and its animals and plants – part of the ABC’s contribution to the celebrations in 1988. Three of these programs were produced and filmed by David Parer & Elizabeth Parer-Cook:-
Episode 1 – “A SEPARATE CREATION”
Length: 55 mins
Traces the beginnings of the unique plant and animal life in the primeval world of Gondwana 150 million years ago to the evolution of the marsupials and their radiation as the dominant mammal group in Australia today – culminating in the iconic Red Kangaroo.
Awards:
*Gold Award for Specialised Cinematography, (ACS), Victorian-Tasmanian Awards, Australia 1993.
*High Commendation for Specialised Cinematography, (ACS) 24th Annual Awards, Australia, 1993
*Best of TV Series Category/International Wildlife Film Festival (IWFF), Missoula, USA 1989
*Blue Ribbon Award/American Film and Video Festival, 1989
*Gold Award for Specialized Cinematography/ACS, (Victoria/Tasmania), 1988
Episode 2 – “SEAS UNDER CAPRICORN”
Length: 55 mins
The birth of the seas which encircle Australia with its unique chain of marine environments, from Antarctica, to the storm tossed kelp forests of the temperate south, to the marvels of the Great Barrier Reef. It features the reproductive behaviour of corals and fish and their relationship to currents and tides.
Awards:
*Best Underwater Film, 1990, Pacific Festival of International Nature Films,New Zealand
*Best of Festival, 1988 Festival Mondial De L’Image Sous-Marine, Antibes, France (FMISMA)
*Best Underwater Film, 1988, Television (FMISMA)
*Best Music Adaptation, 1988, Television (FMISMA)
*Gold Award for Cinematography for Wildlife & Nature Films/ACS (Victoria/Tasmania), 1988
*Gold Award for Specialized Cinematography/ACS (Victoria/Tasmania), 1988
Episode 4 – “THE SUNBURNT COUNTRY”
Length: 55 mins
Explores the living heart of the continent. One of the driest and flattest areas on earth, these deserts support a remarkable wealth of life through a hidden network of watercourses recharged by rare and dramatic rainstorms and floods.
Awards:
*Science & Nature General Award/Atom Awards, Australia, 1989
*Golden Tripod Award for Wildlife & Nature Films/ACS Australia, 1988
*Gold Award for Cinematography for Wildlife & Nature Films/ACS (Victoria/Tasmania), 1988
*Gold Award for Specialized Cinematography/ACS (Victoria/ Tasmania), 1988
Series Awards For “Nature of Australia”:
*Special Panda Award “To honour the overall exceptional calibre of the epic production Nature of Australia”/WILDSCREEN ’88, U.K.
*Special Prize for “Best Monographic Series of Films Dedicated to a Continent”/Stambecco D’Oro International Nature Film Festival, Italy, 1989
*For Cinematography in the News, Documentary Category Pater Awards – For Professional Excellence in Television and Radio Arts and Sciences, Australia, 1988
*Penguin Award for Achievement in Television in Victoria/Television Society of Australia, 1988
*Penguin Special Award for Excellence and Achievement, Documentary Category/Television Society of Australia, 1988
*Penguin Award for Excellence, Camerawork/Television Society of Australia, 1988
*Logie Award for Most Outstanding Single Documentary or Series/ TV Week, Australia, 1989
*WNET (USA PBS Station) Series called “Nature” was awarded an EMMY for Outstanding Information Series.1/3 of this Series was made up of the “Nature of Australia” programs.
1983
“ANTARCTIC MAN” Series
Episode 1 – “FEARS DO NOT KILL YOU“
Episode 2 – “THIS IS NOT A PLACE FOR HUMANS”
Length: 50 mins each
ABC/Australian Antarctic Division
A two part story of the International Biomedical Expedition to the Antarctic in which scientists acted as their own subjects to look at the psychological and physiological adaptation of man to the Antarctic environment.
Awards:
*Michael Daley Award for Excellence in Science and Technology Reporting/ ANZAAS, 1984
1982
“DOUGLAS MAWSON – THE SURVIVOR”
Length: 53 mins
ABC/Australian Antarctic Division
A docu-drama, largely filmed in the Antarctic and based around the 1911 epic sledge trip of Sir Douglas Mawson in which his two companions were lost during a journey of exploration.
Awards:
*GRAND PRIX/Melbourne International Film Festival, 1983 *Cinematography Award/Australian Television Society
1981
“THE KIWAI – DUGONG HUNTERS OF DARU“
Length: 50 mins
ABC/PNG Wildlife Division
A wildlife/anthropological film that looks at the way in which a group of coastal Papua New Guineans – The Kiwai – hunt the dugong and incorporate it into their religious beliefs and daily life, and how modern technologies have led to the over exploitation of this animal.
1980
“VOICES IN THE FOREST“
Length: 50 mins
ABC/PNG Wildlife Division
A wildlife/anthropological film that looks at the way in which the Western Highlanders and Huli tribesmen of the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea draw on the beauty, behaviour and spiritual power of birds of paradise in their religious ceremonies and dances. It includes footage that shows the splendour of the birds in display as well as the way in which the use of shotguns in some areas is leading to the drop in numbers of some species – particularly the now rare Blue Bird of Paradise.
1979
“BIRD OF THE THUNDERWOMAN” Length: 50 mins
ABC/PNG Wildlife Division
A wildlife/anthropological film that examines the importance of the cassowary to the Southern Highlanders of Papua New Guinea. It follows the final stages of the Sar ceremony – a long term exchange cycle in which hundreds of cassowaries and pigs are gathered together, then slaughtered and given away in a great show of wealth.
Awards:
*Logie Award for Best Single Television Documentary/TV WEEK, 1981
*Kodak Silver Award for Best Non-Feature Cinematography/ Australia Film Institute
*Best Television Documentary/Henry Lawson Festival Award, 1981
1979
“THE ELUSIVE MERMAID”
Length: 30 mins. ABC TV.
A story of the study of the Dugong in Shark Bay off the coast of Western Australia.
1977
“EDGE OF THE COLD” Series
Episode 1 – “MAN THE KILLER, MAN THE KEEPER“
Episode 2 – “OCEAN WANDERERS”
Episode 3 – “THE DOMINANT MALE”
Episode 4 – “THE YEAR OF THE KINGS”
Length: 30 mins. each
ABC/Antarctic Division
A four part series on the history and wildlife of Macquarie Island – a sub-Antarctic island halfway between Australia and the Antarctic. It follows the seasons and includes the stories of the breeding cycle of the Elephant Seal, King Penguin, several species of Albatross as well as many other animals. It looks at their previous exploitation by man for skins and oil and their present recovery from the brink of extinction.
Awards:
*Silver Boomerang Award, Documentary/Section Melbourne International Film Festival *Kodak Silver Award for Cinematography/Australian Film Institute, 1978
1975
“WILDLIFE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA” Series
Episode 1 – “THE IMMIGRANT DEER”
Episode 2 – “BIRD OF THE VOLCANOES”
Episode 3 – “HOME OF THE BIRD OF PARADISE”
Length: 30 mins each. ABC/PNG Wildlife Division
A series on the wildlife of Papua New Guinea. Episodes include stories of the Rusa Deer on the floodplains of the Fly River, a jungle fowl that incubates its eggs in volcanically warmed soil and the Birds of Paradise of the highlands.
Awards:
*Shell Award Best Documentary/Australian Television Society
1973-1974
“WILD AUSTRALIA” Series
Length 30 mins each
ABC/Australian Antarctic Division
Episode 1 – “ANTARCTIC WINTER”
Episode 2 – “ANTARCTIC SUMMER”
The two films follow the changing seasons and the breeding cycle of the Emperor Penguin, Adele Penguin and many other species found in the Antarctic.
Awards:
*Silver Documentary Award/Australian Film Institute, 1973
1971
“BROKEN SILENCE”
Length: 30 mins
Australian Antarctic Division
A film that looks at the summer scientific operations of mapping, geology and glaciology in the Prince Charles Mountains – an area of inland Antarctica, south of Mawson Station.
SEQUENCE WORK FOR OTHER FILMS
Footage and sequences (both above and below water) have been shot for a number of other films including:
– “NATURE OF AUSTRALIA” Series/ABC/BBC/PBS/Heritage C. Length: 30 mins
Episode 3: “THE MAKING OF THE BUSH”
Episode 5: “LAND OF FLOOD AND FIRE”
Episode 6: “END OF ISOLATION”
– “LIFE ON EARTH” Series
– “RIBBON OF LIFE – ONE MAN’S REEF’/ABC
“WHERE ANGELS SWIM”/ABC
– “THE LAND THAT SANK”/ABC
– “THE STORY OF YELLOWFOOT”/ABC
– “THE MAN WHO LOVES FROGS”/ABC
– “BUSHFIRE SUMMER”/ABC
– “URBAN WILDLIFE”/ABC
David Parer & Elizabeth Parer-Cook 