Winner
Life in Cold Blood
BBC1, BBC Productions
Another breathtaking, blue-chip natural history television triumph from the BBC’s NHU. David Attenborough was again in front of the camera for Life in Cold Blood, which gave an overview of the behaviour and biology of the cold-blooded animals that walk the planet, from tortoises through to lizards, chameleons to salamanders. It also made use of the BBC Natural History Unit’s advanced filming technology, such as tortoise cams, probe, miniature and ultra-high-speed cameras. Cameramen involved in capturing the fabulous images were Gavin Thurston, Justin Maguire, Keith Brust, Kevin Flay, Paul Stewart, Mark Yates, Alastair MacEwen, Mark MacEwen, Michael Male, Tom Fitz, Rod Clarke, Peter Nearhos, Mark Lamble, David Wright, Luke Barnett, Richard Fitzpatrick and Roger Munns.
2nd
Tiger - Spy in the Jungle
BBC1, John Downer Productions
This documentary series, narrated by David Attenborough, takes a unique approach to cinematography, with elephants taking the role of camera man to get as close as possible to the animals. The series follows a family of tigers, capturing footage of the playful cubs for the first three years of their lives on their journey towards adulthood. John Downer and his team, including cameraman Michael Richards and Geoffrey Bell, were in charge of specialist camera devices.
3rd
Britain from Above
BBC, Lion Television
Britain From Above sees journalist Andrew Marr explore Britain from a bird’s eye view. Dramatic swooping aerial shots give a rare angle of Britain’s most impressive landscapes, which are all captured in high definition for extra detail and impact. Throughout the documentary series we see innovative aerial photography techniques used as Marr microlights and paraglides to gain a unique perspective of the UK landscape. Directors of photography were Lee Pulbrook, Steve Gray, Chris Vile and Peter Thompson.
