13 April 2018
Sir David Attenborough proved the perfect choice for an on-screen chat
with Her Majesty, as the two 91-year-olds hit it off and the
conversation flowed, says Nathaniel Lippiett
It all came down to our final shoot, one summer’s day in June last year: a simple walk through a garden with two
91-year-olds.
The gardens were those of Buckingham Palace, and our contributors two
of the most prestigious pensioners on the planet, but the idea was
simple: a conversation between two old friends.
They had plenty to talk about. The Queen can trace her ancestry
through the trees of Buckingham Palace garden, from the London planes
planted by her great, great grandparents, to oak trees planted for her
own children.
Her companion on the day, the inimitable Sir David Attenborough,
remains endlessly fascinated by the natural world, and, crucially, he is
almost uniquely comfort able in Her Majesty’s company.
In some ways, it was the simplest shoot in a challenging 18 months of
on/ off production that had taken our small team from the lush, verdant
rainforests of the Caribbean alongside Prince Harry to the unique
wilderness of the Great Bear Rainforest in Canada with the Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge.
We were following the progress of the
Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, an
extraordinary environmental initiative designed to protect the
bountiful forests of the Commonwealth both now and for future
generations.
A simple shoot then, but not without its challenges. There would be
no rehearsal, and no second takes. Timing was tight, and every step
required careful planning.
In the hours before the walk, we recced the route one final time,
then ate our sandwiches in the cool shade provided by the great London
plane trees that dominate the palace garden.
In the end, it was a day of perfect timing. The sun was out and the
roses in bloom, but most crucially, the comic timing of our
two
remarkably playful contributors made the most welcome surprise. The pair
sparked off each other, making jokes and sharing stories as they
wandered among the trees.
This was a rare treat to witness – and an even rarer one to capture on film.
As the conversation flowed, the subject matter became more intimate.
The Queen spoke profoundly of
her legacy, of a time when the trees in
the garden will change, though she will not be around to see them. It
was a fitting conclusion to a production full of quite extraordinary
moments.
Cut to south-west Africa, earlier that same month. As I sat in the
back of a tiny turbo prop plane piloted by Angelina Jolie, flying low
over the Namibian desert as the sun set among the dunes, all I could
think about was whether I’d pressed record on the GoPro suckered to the
cockpit.
There was enough room – just – for two in the back of the aircraft,
but with the main camera on a fixed 50mm prime, we needed that wide shot
looking back towards the film icon actually flying the plane. As we
prepared to take off, I had a chat with Angelina about her sunglasses.
As you would imagine, the bright African sun meant she was wearing
shades (effortlessly cool A-list aviators, naturally), but this was a
key scene where she would talk personally about her love of Namibia, and
about the conservation work that needs to be done here.
It would be nice to see her eyes. On the other hand, she was flying the plane, and it would be nice if she could see.
As it turned out, she was an excellent pilot, but she is a film-maker
too, and was keen to get the right shot. So off came the glasses and
off we flew into the African sunset to shoot a beautiful sequence in the
skies above the desert.
Keeping it simple
These were not overly expensive shoots. When you have David
Attenborough and the Queen together for a short sequence, the tendency
might be to pile on cameras and crew, to cover all angles and maximise
coverage.
The Buckingham Palace garden scene was shot on a single camera, with
very little time for cutaways or non-synch footage, but the result was
considered and magical: an intimate feel, both on the shoot and on
screen, with a distinctive and consistent visual tone.
Likewise in Namibia, which was also shot towards the end of our
production process (and budget), a skeleton crew – equipped with an Arri
Amira and a GoPro – kept logistics simple, the atmosphere relaxed and
intimate, and focused on what mattered:
passionate contributors talking
about an extraordinary project. That might just change the world.
Bringing together a cast list that includes the Queen, Sir David
Attenborough, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and film
star and activist Angelina Jolie requires patience, planning and quite a
bit of pulling power. We supplied the first two and Buckingham Palace
provided the third.
UNGUARDED MOMENTS
Two and a half years later, The Queen’s Green Planet offers, I think,
a unique, unguarded glimpse of the Queen’s character while following
the evolution of the Commonwealth Canopy initiative in an accessible
way.
It is an unexpectedly
joyful film full of optimism and purpose. I
hope it brings the QCC to a larger, worldwide audience – and I guarantee
you won’t have seen this version of the Queen on camera before.
Nathaniel Lippiett - My tricks of the trade
-
However huge the kit and crew, or grand the setting, make the
filming atmosphere as relaxed, intimate and conducive for contributors
to open up as possible.
- Deciding what not to shoot can be just as important as deciding what to shoot, and can help focus the film – and the edit.
- Start with a plan, then go with the flow.
- Make sure your GoPro is fully charged, and check it is recording before you take off.
Thanks Felicity and Pride&Joy
