January 2010
Impossible to Pass Up
Since 1993, I have been documenting the behavior and lives of chimpanzees on film and video for the Jane Goodall Institute’s research center in Gombe National Park.
My wife Kristin is a stills photographer and sound recordist and has been living with me in Gombe National Park since 1997. Together we have worked on many television film projects featuring chimpanzees and all aspects of their lives. Our hope has always been that our work bring a greater understanding of chimps to the public as well as educating people of the challenges chimps face as a species under serious threat of extinction.
In 2001 while in Bristol England I had a meeting with Alastair Fothergill, director of the major BBC’s series’ Life of Mammals, Blue Planet, and Planet Earth. He asked if I was interested in shooting a chimpanzee special. This led to a long and exciting conversation about such an undertaking. For years I have wanted to shoot a major film about the fascinating lives and behaviors of chimps. For me, this was a dream come true.
Alastair and I stayed in touch over the following years. In 2006 I received a call on the phone. It was Alastair and he had big news. Disney was going to produce several motion picture films focusing on nature and wildlife. Alastair asked if I was interested in being the lead cinematographer for the film and if Kristin would record sound and take still images. It would mean a 3-year commitment with a rigorous shooting schedule -- 7 straight months a year in the field with only two 6-day breaks.
While the prospect of such a major endeavor was incredibly exciting, it was honestly a tough decision on several levels. This film will take us away from Gombe where we had spent so much time together. The work is going to be incredibly challenging physically and professionally. Equally, for the Jane Goodall Institute, there were questions about how I could continue to fulfill my duties as research and staff videographer. After many discussions and negotiations, we decided that the opportunity was impossible to pass up. It means a great deal to us to reach a massive audience featuring the species which has become so much a part of our lives.
The CHIMPANZEE Team
Alastair Fothergil: Co-director of Chimpanzee
Alastair has a long and very successful career in wildlife filmmaking. He has produced some of the most successful wildlife programs in history, including the absolutely magical Blue Planet, which is probably my favorite. I had the pleasure of working on 2 of his amazing series, The Life of Mammals, and Planet Earth. I am in great dept to Alastair and his colleagues at BBC for giving me the opportunity to contribute to such amazing projects.
Mark Lindfield, co-director of CHIMPANZEE
I have known Mark as an accomplished filmmaker for many years, but this is the first time I’ve worked directly with him. I met Mark in 2001 while working on a sequence for The Life of Mammals, which Mark’s wife, Vanessa Berlowitz (another very successful producer/director), was producing. Mark has produced some of television’s most amazing wildlife moments ever including the Snow Leopard hunting sequence in the series Planet Earth. He is also an incredibly skilled camera technician who understands more about camera settings and getting the maximum results out of these high tech machines than anyone I know.
Kistin Mosher: Sound recordist and stills photographer (and my beautiful wife!)
Kristin is an award-winning wildlife photographer with an exceptional ear for sound recording. We have shared countless totally amazing moments in the forest over the past 11 years in Gombe. Not only is she the love of my life, Kristin has a deep knowledge and understanding of chimpanzee behavior which makes her an exceptional partner in filmmaking.
Ed Anderson, field logistics manager and camera assistant
As logistics manager and camera assistant, Ed Anderson is crucial to the success of this film. Upon first meeting Ed, it was obvious that his years in the field managing research camps and dealing with challenging situations would be a great asset for this shoot. Ed has 15 years of experience on 5 continents (Africa, South America, Asia, Australia, and Europe) and is also an expert tree climber and tree surgeon. He has a patient demeanor and a great sense of humor, which really pays off when facing the challenges of shooting in rainforest conditions.
Bill Wallauer (Me): principal cinematographer
This film will be the largest and longest single project I have been a part of. Filming and recording the behavior and lives of chimps for research and films have become my life’s work, and it is thrilling to be part of a project which will be both challenging and very high profile. This film will reach an audience who may not ordinarily watch nature or wildlife films, so for me it is the opportunity of a lifetime, to bring the world of the chimps to the center of the public eye.
Preparing for the Shoot
Kristin and I spent the past week packing and throwing together supplies for the next 2 months of shooting in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Our list seems endless: rubber boots, quick-drying field cloths, binocs, Kristin’s stills equipment, maps and field notepads, computers and hard drives, packs, energy bars, rain capes, loads of zip lock bags, air and water tight stuff bags, a few books, and most importantly, very good chocolate. In the time leading up to the first shoot, I felt that I was an indentured servant to my endless lists.
We packed a comprehensive medical kit (another list), which included wraps for my 43-year-old knees and ankles, blister pads, insect repellent and sun block, antiseptics, anti-malaria drugs, Kristin’s contact supplies, foot powers and anti-fungal stuff. It was a real challenge to get everything into our 5 pieces of check-in luggage and 2 or 3 carry-ons. When everything is spread out all over the bedroom, you think, ‘It’s never going to fit’. Sometimes we do have to leave a few items behind -- but never the chocolate.
The flight to Entebbe, a port town near the capital city of Kampala, was smooth and easy. We flew via Amsterdam, our favorite hub in Europe, and arrived in Entebbe just as the sun dropped below the horizon. What a spectacular welcome we received as the clouds turned a thousand shades of yellow and red. The sliver of the new moon followed closely behind the sun, and though my window was a bit smudged, I was able to capture a reasonably good photo of the scene.
Once we cleared customs and immigration, we found our friend of many years Debby Cox waiting for us at the airport. 
Debby is an amazing advocate and voice of chimp conservation and welfare who has been working with the Jane Goodall Institute since the early 90’s. It had been a few years since we had seen each other, so it was great to catch up on all the news at JGI-Uganda. When we arrived at the hotel, Mark and Ed were there with all the filming and sound equipment. We had a few cold drinks, made plans for the next few days and went to bed. In all, the journey from Syracuse to Entebbe, door to door, takes just over 24 hours.
Debby Cox and friends (earlier shot)
