A nature filmmaking masterclass provided by a team that brings international wildlife stories to the screens of National Geographic, Nat Geo WILD, BBC, WWF, Disney+, WildEarth, and more.
The bush is humming full of life, and if we are agile enough to witness and read it, we can share its story through film. Nature lovers and storytellers can now merge and master these two worlds through Too Wild. Meet South Africa’s first immersive wildlife filmmaking course while living and learning directly in the bush.
Be mentored. Get hands-on experience. Build a showreel. All in the bush
Too Wild is excited to bring industry professionals and eager learners together in their wildlife filmmaking course. Learners can anticipate a life-changing experience in the wild discovering how to ethically film wild animals while living 6 weeks in the heart of the African bush – in the Timbavati Game Reserve of The Greater Kruger National Park.
Throughout the nature cinematography programme, learners utilise industry-standard camera equipment to create stories and build a showreel, all the while enjoying mentorships from experienced naturalists, trackers, cinematographers, and the post-production team.
Candidates will study directly from a team with collective experience working with National Geographic, Nat Geo WILD, BBC, WWF, Disney+, WildEarth, SABC, DSTV and CGTN. Additionally, students are treated to a premium experience: having a renowned wildlife filmmaker as our guest speaker for a day.
Together with our four experienced core team members, students focus on four distinct aspects of wildlife documentaries with a generous film set of over 7,000 hectares to hone their craft.
4 Core Components of the Wildlife Filmmaking Course
The programme’s lessons are conducted in an immersive panoramic teaching style in a small group of 8 learners, with dedicated one-on-one mentoring. We will establish the foundations of researching a story through to final development as our team of expert mentors contribute their unique skills from different fields to understand animal behaviour, the natural environment, storytelling, and post-production.
1. Filmmaking
This practical course pillar focuses on teaching learners how to:
- Shoot to wildlife industry standards while discovering their creative flair
- Understand animal behaviour and the surrounding environment from expert naturalists and highly skilled trackers
- Operate safely and ethically in the wild confidently
- Build wildlife camera rigs
Create captivating and immersive sequences with their technical skills
2. Storytelling
- Tell captivating stories from the natural world
- Build a story from concept to execution including scriptwriting, storyboards, narration and post-production
- Explore different and complex biological concepts which will change their perspective of the natural world for more immersive storytelling
Narrate their films in our sound recording facility
3. Post-production
Our partners, Think Lemonade, specialise in natural history and will be hosting the post-production part of our programme.
This technical course pillar focuses on teaching learners how to:
- Complete a documentary with meticulous attention to detail using post-production foundations.
- Creatively weave pictures, sounds, words and colour grading to move in harmony and produce a moving picture.
4. Ecology
At Too Wild, we believe in creating an immersive experience that changes the way people walk through the world by inspiring curiosity, wonder and empathy. As such, we enforce a strict non-interference policy through eco-friendly filmmaking so that the well-being of the animals will always come before the shot.
This ethical course pillar focuses on teaching learners how to:
- Learn about the ethics of filmmaking
- Observe and film animals safely and ethically in the wild
Ideal Candidates
This course is open to ANYONE and all skill levels. We aim to be all-inclusive, as long as the student is above the age of 18. We welcome wildlife enthusiasts, documentary hobbyists, and budding filmmakers ready to jumpstart their career and their portfolios.
Plus, our course is ideal for you if you:
- Are a wildlife enthusiast and have an inherent respect for nature and animals
- Are an adventurous soul who is looking for an authentic experience with wildlife
- Have an interest in film and/or photography
- Are a filmmaking student who wants to gain field experience in a Big 5 territory
- Are starting in your professional journey and want to get some hands-on experience whilst expanding your skills
- Want a break from your day-to-day life to focus on your passions
Committed to Uplifting Local Talent
In addition to sharing our knowledge and love of capturing the bush with the world, we have a special focus on equipping local talent with skills. Too Wild has partnered with the Timbavati Foundation, Wild Shots Outreach and Ruggedwear to create a community outreach programme.
A percentage of every student’s fee from the course will go towards sponsoring a student from one of the local communities to nurture local talent and produce the next generation of South African wildlife filmmakers. Together, we have the power to inspire change and uplift the youth.
More than a course, a community
Additionally, participants also gain access to the exclusive Too Wild community. Learners depart from the programme, but never fully leave the Too Wild experience. Our course participants are supported as part of a larger network of like-minded individuals with resources and more.
Once a participant, alumni become members of the Too Wild community, which includes:
- Joining the global Too Wild WhatsApp Group
- Access to exclusive content and workshops
- Discussions, networking and opportunities
- Staying notified of wildlife-focused science
- Support from Too Wild, with access to the mentors
- Updates on Too Wild’s evolution and future projects
- Plus, special discounts and offers
Sign up now to begin
For more information on this wildlife filmmaking course, contact the team by sending an email to immersed@toowild.co now.