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.