.jpg?ext=.jpg "'The Mating Game' Documentary Captures Fascinating Animal Mating Rituals From Around The World")
It took 271-member shooting crew about three years to shoot just five episodes of the show, with the pandemic adding days and challenges to the whole process.
One of the episodes was shot in Malaysia, highlighting the mating rituals of fireflies and the highlight of the show, Argus Pheasant.
Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, 'The Mating Game' is definitely one documentary that we can go back and watch again.
Rojak Daily managed to have a brief interview with the show's producer, Jeff Wilson, and Episode Three producer, Joe Loncraine who shared some of their experiences producing the documentary, especially the episode shot in Malaysia.
The selection process
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Wilson (L) and Loncraine. (IMAGE: Screenshot from Zoom)
How does one choose which animals to showcase when there are so many out there? It was definitely not an easy process considering that any living thing from the size of an amoeba have interesting mating rituals.
Wilson said that the team worked with researchers to come up with a list, which was pretty big but not necessarily exciting in the beginning stages, and went from there.
"So selecting it down became a process of discussing what we could fill, what we thought was possible, what would be revelatory to the audience, what would be interesting, and from the stories that we were trying to tell around the habitats that we that we were telling them in," he shared.
"I think, from my point of view, it was always a story that often if you if there was an animal that had been brought to the table that you absolutely thought that you didn't want to see mating, that was always something that would be interesting to put on screen, you know, because actually, therein lies the fascination for those of us who love the natural world is like, there's always a good story to be told," Wilson added.
Loncraine chimed in, explaining that there had to be a variety as well.
The selection process at the end of it took into account many aspects including entertainment value, fascination, new-ness and achievability.
Shooting in challenging climate
Rain in the rainforest is no joke even without having to worry about expensive equipment, but the 'Mating Game' crew managed to get what they need nevertheless.
"From someone who lives in the UK and we, we think we have a lot of rain, but there you get real rain, you know, massive raindrops that are just pouring down.
"And the guys have got these cameras that they they're sealed, and they're waterproof from the outside. But when they need to change the batteries, take the cards out in a massive rainstorm, they've walked for two hours to get there, they've got six more cameras to get to that day, they can't wait for the rain to stop.
"And they're having to open these things and take out this camera and, and not wanting to get any rain inside. Because if they get rain inside or water inside condensation means that you'll get mist on the lens and stuff like that. So they're having to cover the camera with umbrellas and stuff like that," Loncraine said.
Wilson added that shooting in rainforest also meant that getting the perfect shot was difficult. The forests are dense and there'll always be something in front of the cameras blocking the view.
"Every camera person whoever's worked in the forest will tell you that when you catch a glimpse, there's always going to be a branch or a leaf, right in the wrong position, right in the way," he explained, adding that getting the sequence correct takes a lot of time.
What made the process even more challenging was that the cameras were left in the rainforest for a minimum of two weeks, and sometimes months. There's no one to make sure everything was in order but things worked out in the end.
While shooting in the rainforest had its own challenges, shooting the firefly segment also had its own difficulties.
If you've been to Kuala Selangor to observe fireflies, you might have noticed that they or not as easily found or as abundant as they used to be. Add light pollution to the mix, and shooting something as complex as the mating ritual of the insect becomes a little bit harder.
Catch more exciting documentaries on BBC Earth
'The Mating Game' premiered on BBC Earth and the channel has many more exciting documentaries. If you're a nature lover, check out more of their shows here.
IMAGE(S) CREDIT: BBC