Director / Lighting Cameraman
Full Member

Michael Potts has over 30 years experience as a natural history cameraman. He has worked on many critically acclaimed series including'Land of the Eagle', 'Spirits of the Jaguar', 'The Life of Mammals', 'The Life of Birds', 'Blue Planet', Planet Earth and many Natural Worlds. Mikes favourite location is Alaska where
he has filmed three 50min programmes, 'The First and Last Frontier' for the series 'Land of the Eagle', 'Great Bears of Alaska'
and 'Arctic Wanderers' for 'The Natural World'.
See under Credits for a selection of the more recent productions Michael Potts has worked on.

Skills

Aerial, Animal Behaviour, Birds in Flight, Digibeta, Extreme Locations, HD, Hide Work, Infra Red, Long Lens, Stills Photography, Super 16, Sync Shooting, Timelapse

Credits

Latest Project. Natural World

A programme entitled Iron Curtain- Green Belt for the Natural World BBC2, now in post production, editor Martin Elsbury.

Wild Places 10mins BBC2 2005-07

I shot 8 programmes for this popular series. Dancing Cranes of Sweden, Ravens Return, Shearwater Island, Eagle Valley(Bald Eagles Alaska), Terns of the Castle Coast, Seaweed Sheep, Avocets-Born Survivors and Strictly Black Grouse.

Planet Earth BBC 2006

I filmed two sequences, one on Locusts for 'Deserts', the other on ground nesting Cormorants for the 'Shallow Seas'.

Cuba Wild Island of the Caribbean 1x50mins BBC2 2005

The amazing wildlife of Cuba. Featuring the worlds smallest bird, the Bee Hummingbird, the worlds smallest frog,bat eating snakes and endemic crocodiles. Shot all but the underwater sequences.

Baja-The Other California 1x50mins 2004

A 50 min film on the wildlife of the Baja Peninsula. Shot on Digibeta and Super 16 for ORF Austria. Producer Paul Reddish Free Spirit Films 2005 Sole Cameraman

1x50mins Natural World BBC2 'Europe Untamed' 2001

The Danube Delta, Europe's last great wetland.We see it's wildlife through the seasons, told by a traditional fisherman. Sole cameraman

1x50mins Bower Birds - The Art of Seduction BBC2 2000

Looking at the many and varied bower structures and decorations used by Bowerbirds to attract a mate. A strongly behavioural film. Featuring and narrated by David Attenboough. Sole cameraman.

Natural World 'Special'. Attenborough in Paradise 1x50mins BBC 2 1996

Producer Paul Reddish (Winner - 'International Ornithological Film Festival 1996' and 'Wildscreen' finalist). Fantastic behavioural sequences of Birds of Paradise never before seen. Joint cameraman.

Spirits of the Jaguar 4x50mins Explores the natural history of the Caribbean and Central America

Producer Paul Reddish. I was a major contributor to the natural history content. (Winner of the Best Photography Award Missoula USA 1997).

The Life of Birds BBC 10x50mins 1998

I shot sequences for several programmes in this series.

Blue Planet 7x50mins BBC 2001

I filmed two sequences, on Brown Bears and Walrus, both in Alaska.

The Life Of Mammals BBC 2

I shot six sequences for three of the programmes in this award winning series.

Equipment

• Arriflex HSR 16mm camera body with 2 magazines, 4 batteries and charger
• Canon 8-64mm zoom lens, variable speed control and time lapse unit
• Nikon 50-300mm zoom lens
• Nikon 600mm prime lens
• Optex 1.4x and 2x converters
• Sachtler 7 + 7 fluid head and short legs
• Sachtler panorama fluid head and tall legs
• Sony TCD D100 digital tape recorder with Sony MS5 microphone, windshields etc.
• Nikon D2x digital with 17-35mm zoom 70-200 f2.8 im' stab'zoom, 300mm/ f4.0, 500/f4.0 and 1.4x converter
• Fugi GX617 panorama camera with 105mm, 180mm and 300mm lenses.