They Said It Couldn't Be Done: In-Flight Movie
(1999)
Discussing a truly groundbreaking production, They Said It Couldn't Be Done: In-Flight Movie sees David Attenborough chatting with award-winning cameraman John Downer. In front of an audience at the Royal Geographical Society, John shares the inventive filming methods he employed, with photographs and footage documenting the numerous, less-than-perfect, trial runs.
Skillfully demonstrating flight for a number of bird species, In-Flight Movie used innovative filming techniques to give viewers at home a unique view of avian flight. Strapping cameras to trained buzzards and establishing the use of helicopters as filming mounts, this landmark production successfully indicated how a bird's evolutionary design is optimally adapted to a life on the wing.
Followed by a repeat screening of this insightful production, They Said It Couldn't Be Done: In-Flight Movie is the third of seven programmes celebrating pioneering natural history documentaries, and offers an intriguing glimpse into the technology used in the complex world of wildlife cinematography.
John Downer
