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.
