FMP Nature Documentary Research

Existing Product No. 1 –Home Birds
• In order to help inspire and guide the final direction of my Final Major Project, I have begun
looking at audio podcasts as well as David Attenborough documentaries that focus on
different aspects of nature across the planet. The subject of this podcast, originally
broadcast on BBC Radio 4, focuses on bird migration in the UK and how the cuckoo bird
manages to make its journey from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the bird's native
homeland, all the way to the UK.
• Developed in direct response to the COVID-19 lockdown by nature observer Brett
Westwood, this podcast also explores the trials and tribulations that the cuckoo faces to
make the journey in order to find a new home, a connection that he feels also connects to
refugees trying to escape the DRC or other countries that have been badly affected by war
or poverty.
• In researching and listening to this product, I am particularly fascinated by how the main
host has not just been able to put together a thought-provoking half-hour podcast
during lockdown by himself, albeit with the backing of the BBC, but to also get others to
participate in the discussion and provide their unique interpretation and analogies on the
subject at hand.

Existing Product No. 2 – Discovery: Birds
Singing for Survival
• Discovery is a series of podcasts broadcast by the BBC World Service exploring a diverse range
of scientific aspects pertaining to the subject that a presenter or presenters is tackling e.g. an
episode focusing on the climate change crisis might focus on Donald Trump's refusal to sign
the 2015 Paris Agreement or the impact of the destruction of forests caused by humans or
both. However, in this episode, the subject that is being reviewed is birdsong and how birds in
the UK, such as robins, have adapted their songcalls in response to the changes and noises in
human environments.
• As another podcast developed amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, its writer and director Rory
Crawford makes us aware of this at the very start of the episode by incorporating a couple of
background noises into the finished product to remind us of what he calls "the hustle and
bustle" of normal life that the pandemic has disrupted, first in the form of a car passing
by then the engines of a plane in the sky.
• I have chosen to look at this product as part of my research as, having been a member of St
Nick's Fields Wildwatch group for nearly five years (despite recent lockdown rules forbidding
me from attending such sessions), I have developed a particular affinity and passion for
listening to birdsong even in the most unlikeliest of places. One such example of this occurred
nearly two years ago as I walked past West Bank Park, hearing the trademark Great Tit bird call
of "teacher, teacher" fill the sound of the surrounding area. While this took me by surprise at
first, it nonetheless left me satisfied.

Existing Product No. 3 – The Blue Planet
• The Blue Planet, one of many nature documentaries to be hosted by David Attenborough over
his near-70 year career, is the first entry of the Blue Planet documentary series and was
originally broadcast in the final months of 2001. This eight-part series is particularly well-
known for its innovative underwater filming techniques along with its focus on different
aspects on ocean life, such as how the creatures living in the darkest depths of the ocean have
adapted to survive in a seemingly infinite abyss or, as Attenborough calls it, the "twilight
zone."
• As an environmental conservationist and a nature presenter, Attenborough's passion for
preserving wildlife is evident throughout his shows and has regularly expressed concern about
issues such as climate change and human impact to the point of it becoming a subject he
tackles in documentaries such as The Living Planet. While this is not necessarily touched upon
here, the subject is explored extensively a documentary related to the series which focuses on
how man trawling the oceans has bled the oceans dry.
• Having decided to research this product, along with the Africa series, I came to realise
that part of the focus of my finished documentary could potentially take the form of
interviews asking others if they feel we need to do more in order to protect the wildlife on
our planet, both land and water-based.

Existing Product No. 4 – Africa
• Africa, like The Blue Planet, is a 6-part documentary series developed by the BBC Natural History
unit and narrated by renowned conservationist and television presenter David Attenborough.
Broadcast in the early months of 2013, it explores different areas of the country where different
forms of wildlife roam freely from the Kalahari to the Safari.
• As environmental issues such as global warming became more and more prominent over the
years, with documentaries being made about the subject cautioning the audience from the
damaging the planet even further than they already have, David Attenborough decided to
dedicate the final episode of the series to studying these issues and trying to understand what
may happen in the future if nothing is done to resolve them. However, he and the crew wind up
visiting a National Park in Mozambique and has the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to film an
encounter with a baby rhino, thereby concluding the series on an uncertain but simultaneously
hopeful note.
• I chose to research this particular David Attenborough documentary back-to-back with The Blue
Planet as, given my experience with Wildwatch, I feel it is important to document wildlife
encounters whether they be birds or insects so they can be preserved for future generations of
wildlife watchers. Additionally, it also documents the trials and tribulations that different forms of
wildlife face (some more brutal than others) when migrating from one spot of land to the next.

• Observation: According to the results provided by survey participants, a large majority
have answered that they are between 18-24 years of age while a smaller portion
(seemingly only one person based on the statistics provided) have answered that they
are under 18.
• What this says about my audience: In contrast to my previous project, where nearly all of
the participants answered that they were teenagers, the majority of these here appear
to be young adults, indicating they have already or are beginning the transition to
adulthood and thus, depending on their attitudes at this point in their lives, my audience
could well be open to hearing what an experienced, albeit young, conservationist may
have to say.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: I hope to create a podcast for this
audience that will be informative and thought-provoking and explore the complex
relationship between humanity and nature while simultaneously expressing hope for the
future without sounding overly critical or condemning of my audience. To ensure this
optimistic note runs throughout the documentary, I will attempt to focus on the more
positive aspects of said relationship.

• Observation: In yet another contrast to my John Williams documentary, the responses
my survey participants have given have been upended, with a large bulk (coded in blue)
answering that they are male while a slightly smaller but equally enthusiastic portion
(colour-coded in orange) have answered that they are female.
• What this says about my audience: Although issues such as conservation and
preservation of wildlife seems to primarily interest men at first glance, which is entirely
dependent upon their political leanings, it is evident that women can also be passionate
about these issues. This passion can often lead to people of both genders to becoming
Park Rangers at an institution such as St Nick's Fields, a documentarian working for the
BBC similar to David Attenborough or going the extra mile and becoming an
environmental activist like Greta Thunberg.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: To demonstrate my passion for this
subject to my audience, I will strive to include references to my experiences as a
volunteer at St NIck's Fields and then, subsequently, as a member of the Wildwatch
group. While I will not be able to talk about this in great detail, as it is likely there will be
time restrictions imposed on this project, I feel it will benefit the audience greatly to
learn about some of the things I have done during my time there.

• Observation: In answering this particular question, nearly all of the survey's participants
(coded in blue) have stated that they look for a clear, cohesive and well thought-out
narration from the host who is documenting the subject while a smaller portion (coded in
orange) have stated that they look for wildlife noises and/or ambient sound to give them a
sense of calm and tranquillity, such as that of birdsong.
• What this says about my audience: It is evidently clear that my audience expect the host of
his or her documentary to know exactly what they are talking about, which often helps
them to pay attention to what is being said. If not, or if they feel the host is making it up as
they go along, they will immediately lose interest and dismiss the host as little more than,
at best, a liar or, at worst, a fraud.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: To ensure that the audience's attention is
captured from the very start of this documentary, I hope to achieve two things, one being
to visit the St Nick's Fields Nature Reserve (which may necessitate travelling by foot) as a
means of inspiration for my script while the other will be to ensure that the delivery of my
narration is warm and welcoming to the audience, almost as if I am including in a
discussion. I hope to include a few interviews as well, to ensure others get a say, but if this is
not possible (either due to time constraints or social distancing), I will focus solely on the
narration instead.

• Observation: As with the previous questions in my survey, the majority of participants in
this survey (coded in blue) have stated they would like to learn more about birds in the
finished documentary, which could range from anything including but limited to robins,
chiff-chaffs, magpies etc., while a smaller portion (just one person, coded in orange) has
stated they would like to learn more about how insects such as tansy beetles,
dragonflies, ants and bumblebees work, particularly the basics of their everyday routines
and the dangers they face from other animals.
• What this says about my audience: While I am unable to say whether the audience has a
genuine interest in nature or not, it is apparent that they are more fascinated in learning
about birds rather than insects, despite many of them having a reputation for being
particularly difficult to find.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: Although I am undecided at the present
moment as to the type of bird I want to explore for my finished product, I nonetheless
feel that the robin would be an interesting creature to dedicate my study to. However, I
may also follow in another friend's footsteps and look into why we associate certain birds
with good while simultaneously associating certain others (crows particularly) as a sign of
ill omen.

• Observation: As an unusual first for this survey, the responses to this question appear to be polarised as to what type
of bird they would like my documentary to study. While people would understandably confuse the data as one
percentage of people standing out more than the other, this has ultimately proven to not be the case. One half of
participants (coded in blue) would like to see an image of a robin, should I wish the documentary to focus on a robin,
while another half (coded in red, matching the same number of people coded in blue) have stated they would like to
see an African Swift as the centre of the documentary, which would require the image of said bird being attached.
Finally, a single participant (coded in orange) has stated they would like the tansy beetle to be the focus of the
finished documentary.
• What this says about my audience: While most of the audience are quite keen to see a bird as the final subject of my
finished product, they appear to be somewhat undecided as to which one they would like to see be studied in great
deal leaving it to me, my host, to make the final decision on this matter. Having undertaken this decision during the
development stage of several of my projects, this is a process I have more or less become familiar with. In asking
questions such as these, the audience is permitted to have a say in the development of my project while
simultaneously retaining full creative control (a statement I also made during development of my Williams podcast.)
• How will your product appeal to this audience: Having thoroughly reviewed the data, I have ultimately decided to
dedicate the bulk of my documentary to studying the robin, due to its association with love, innocence and purity.
While the robin itself can be a very complex and tempramental creature, it is nonetheless one that is worthy of
catching people's attention in any capacity. To ensure the audience understands the importance of the robin in terms
of wildlife, I will strive to write a concluding speech which stresses said importance and the efforts we must
undertake, as individuals, to prevent them from going extinct. To this end, I will also study the symbiotic relationship
between humans and wildlife.

Nature Audio Documentary – Q6

• Observation: As a comment box question, the participants have listed a number of pet hates have when
they are listening and/or watching a nature documentary. As one of them has stated they do not watch
nature documentaries, their answer will not be taken into consideration here. One has answered that
they get easily annoyed when they "can't hear the narration" which would presumably take the form of
either the narration being too quiet or the music drowning out the narrator's words, while another has
stated they are taken out of the documentary if it is little more than a series of "random cuts that don't
show the result."
• What this says about my audience: When watching or listening to a nature documentary, it is clear that
the audience has very high expectations of what they are going to see e.g. if they are watching a David
Attenborough documentary, they would expect to see an in-depth analysis of what can happen when a
mother whale and her calf travel into shark-infested waters. These expectations would undoubtedly
carry over to my finished product, with many expecting an in-depth analysis of what can happen when
the robin is terrorised by other animals. (Note: This is just an example and will not be representative of
what I will show in the finished product.)
• How will your product appeal to this audience: In order to keep the audience interested in this
documentary, I will dedicate my time (particularly when editing the finished product together) to
ensuring that my narration is clear and loud for all to hear. While I would worry about not showing the
results had this product been created in a visual format, this ultimately remains void, having
restructered the finished product as a podcast due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nature Audio Documentary – Q7

• Observation: In keeping with the large majority of questions, nearly the entirety of the
survey's participants have stated (coded in green) that they would like to hear a
combination of film-based tracks along with copyright-free music while one has stated
(coded in blue) they would like to hear only film-based music, bearing in mind the 30-
second copyright rule.
• What this says about my audience: One of the key benefits that the audience can
sometimes take away from a documentary is original music and/or film music for a
soundtrack being used to place emphasis on a place, a creature or a river, as it allows the
quality of such a piece, be it visual or audio to be improved exponentially.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: Depending on how development of this
project turns out, I may have limited access to certain bits of software such as Adobe
Premier Pro. However, to ensure the music is of the best quality possible, I will create an
original piece of music to open proceedings and, following this, choose a piece of film
music which I feel may be appropriate for the subject I am studying I.e. the robin's theme
within the documentary may take the form of "The Eagles" track from The Lord of the
Rings.

• Observation: In an unusual first, everyone who has participated in this survey has agreed
(coded blue) that they consider David Attenborough to be the most influential
documentarian, either living or deceased internationally. None have provided answers
for the other options (Jacques Cousteau, Marlin Perkins and so on), either because their
work is before their lifetime or they simply haven't heard of them.
• What this says about my audience: Having most likely grown up on the documentaries of
David Attenborough, they consider his work as well as his stance on climate change to
have set the standard for other aspiring documentarians and/or environmental activists
to follow, demonstrating the inspirational effect he has had on peoples' lives, whether
they are aware of it or not.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: While it would be completely unfair to
hold an aspiring environmentalist like me to the same standard as David Attenborough, I
will do my utmost to ensure that my finished documentary is structured in such a way
that it will allow people to awaken a love and passion for nature that they may not have
realised they had before.

• Observation: Having reviewed the data of this question thoroughly, nearly all of the
participants are unanimous agreement that the finished product should take an
analytical and logical approach, but with humour inserted when appropriate to the
documentary's needs. By contrast, only two people have stated that it should be strictly
analytical and logical with humour whatsoever.
• What this says about my audience: Based on these results, there is a conclusive consesus
between most of the audience that the documentary should have an eductional yet
thought-provoking feel about it, which will allow them to follow the documentarian's
views and opinions clearly, without the host being condescending or belittling to his or
her listeners.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: Although including a humourous
statement about the robin will be particularly difficult, given that conservation of wildlife
is an issue I take very seriously, I could describe its song voice as being "the closest thing
to a music concert a bird like this could have" should I so desire. This would give the
audience the humour they require to help them escape from current woes while
simultaneously providing the host with material that will allow them to connect with
their audience's sensibilities.

Nature Audio Documentary - Q10

• Observation: In answering this question, my survey participants have revealed a multitude of
different moments they consider their favourites when watching a nature documentary. Although
they do not specify whether said moments belong to the beginning, middle or end of a
documentary, this is hardly relevant as one has stated they find it fascinating when they see "how
animals behave when they are with others" while another is fascinated by what happens when
animals get into fights or, to put it in their own words, seeing "the part when the animals kill each
other."
• What this says about my audience: As I have been unable to determine a percentage throughout
this essay, due to it being constructed on Microsoft Teams, a definitive conclusion can be reached
that the audience are struck by the different behaviours of different animals, which narrators
regularly touch upon as the footage documents what the narrator is describing to the audience or,
if footage is not being used (as is the case here), sound can often be relied upon to tell the story.
These answers have invariably shown that the audience have been particularly helpful in telling me
what they expect from a nature documentary and, as such, I will take these opinions forward and
use them as a guide in the product's final direction.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: While I will not be focusing on violence, due to the
fact that this would likely make my finished documentary somewhat downbeat, I think it will
nonetheless be fascinating to go into detail about how the robin behaves when it is around other
animals, whether it greets them with a warm welcome or it becomes upset and tells them to go
away. Depending on how much time I am allowed to run for, I may touch upon this briefly.

• Observation: With the exception of at least one reviewer, whose issue seems to be with how the
audio is structured instead of with the material itself (which would have made a more compelling
case), the audience of Discovery clearly enjoy listening to the series with one of them going so far
as to say that the podcasts "make tricky and nuanced bits of science accessible", indicating that
they find science to be an interesting albeit complex area of expertise, while another describes it
as a "true information journey", due to the fact that it wasn't studio-recorded.
• What this says about my audience: While details on the exact age range of this product are a little
dubious, it would undoubtedly come as little surprise to the seasoned documentary
watcher/listen that this product is not age-bound. In other words, the product will most likely
appeal to people of all ages with the key audience group being adults from 20 to 25 years of age
upward. Additionally, although the reviews do not clarify which episode of Discovery they are
referring to, it is evident that my audience will benefit from insight into complex subjects others
would be reluctant to tackle, save for those knowledgeable in the ways of nature.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: While I consider the review about audio problems
to be somewhat petty and unfair towards the presenters, I shall attempt to make my delivery as
clear and concise as possible without appearing too deliberating or slow. I will also strive to
ensure that the audience knows what I am discussing throughout the show, which may
necessitate references to birdwatching and other activities.

Reviews for Best of Natural History Radio

• Observation: As I was ultimately unable to find reviews for the Home Birds podcast, the closest I was
able to find was Best of Natural History Radio. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, since
nature conservationst Brett Westwood has extensive involvement in both podcasts. This has, in turn,
allowed me to recognise that both programmes would most likely have a similar audience.
Additionally, I have discovered that, while at least one person seems to be having an issue with
getting the podcast to download (which, like the audio review, would have made a more reasonable
case had they focused on the material), the audience of this podcast have unanimously given the
podcast glowing feedback of various capacities, one even going so far as to state that "the sound of
the dawn chorus alone is worth the download," indicating that the listener would be equally as
happy listening to this aforementioned ambient noise on its own.
• What this says about my audience: The main audience of this podcast will undoubtedly be listeners
of 25-30 years of age with the podcast itself being suitable to audiences of all ages, classes and
persuasions, all of whom are bound to appreciate the different subjects each new episode tackles,
such as our obsession with ferns or what makes the bee such an interesting creature and why we
look at it in a certain way. While my podcast does not look at these subjects by themselves
specifically, it does, however, focus on a subject relatively similar to these, namely humanity's
relationship with wildlife and what draws us to looking for it, with the intention of demonstrating,
without sounding too preachy or condescending, to my audience the importance of preserving
wildlife for future generations.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: Depending on the resources that are available to me
during development of this project, I will attempt to include ambient noises that will give the
audience a sense of tranquility and feel of the countryside, since they are unable to leave their
houses at present. I will attempt to intercut these noises with my recorded dialogue, following
criticism on my previous product that my words were too hard to hear over the music I'd inserted.

• Observation: Despite being a visual nature documentary instead of an audio one, it immediately
became clear that my search for documentaries in the latter category would be limited at best. As a
result, I immediately set about searching for documentaries by David Attenborough on BBC iPlayer
with one of these being his most famous contribution to the genre second only to Life on Earth, The
Blue Planet. Having searched relentlessly for reviews on imDB, it is evident that the vast majority of
them seem to shower the series with unanimous praise. One review describes the series as "jaw-
dropping" and later goes on to state that it "contains some of the most beautiful sequences ever
captured on film", though the reviewer fails to specify what he or she means by this, while another
describes David Attenborough's narration as being "intelligently written and ceaselessly informative."
This indicates that, in listening to the narration Attenborough has provided, he or she is able to learn
things about the ocean that they never knew before.
• What this says about my audience: When it comes to the majority of documentaries, the audience is
almost always prepared to listen to what the narrator has to say, provided that he or she has
extensive knowledge of the subject they are tackling both inside and out. As David Attenborough is
one of the leading voices on nature conservation and tackling climate change, this often serves as a
driving force for certain episodes in his documentaries, including Africa and Blue Planet II.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: While I do not consider myself to be a first-class
narrator, compared to Attenborough himself, I will do my utmost to deliver a compelling finished
product for everyone to listen to and, in so doing, demonstrate my passion for the subject that I have
chosen to make the basis of said product.

• Observation: Continuing my research into reviews of visual nature documentaries with
Africa, the reviews, along with those of its sister documentary The Blue Planet, continue to
display criticial acclaim for David Attenborough's work along with praise for the film
techniques used to capture footage, with one reviewer describing the resultant footage as
"breathtaking and amazing" while another would go on to state the series as a whole was
"fantastically photographed."
• What this says about my audience: Even though some bits of footage would undoubtedly be
heartbreaking or distressing to more sensitive viewers, I believe that my audience would be
fascinated by the visual look of Africa itself due to the advancement of filming technology at
the time the series was made. Although my documentary would not have been on the same
advanced level as Africa, I would have strived to make the visual look of my finished
documentary as stunning as possible, had I been able to make it how I originally intended as
a short featurette.
• How will your product appeal to my audience: While I will not be able to create my finished
product as a short film, due to the pandemic as well as limited resources available, I will use
those resources to ensure (including a built-in audio recorder on my phone) to ensure
that the finished product, while first and foremost an audio product, has plenty of material
worthy of visual interpretation in the audience's minds.

Bibliography
• Attenborough, David. (2001). The Blue Planet. Available:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b008044n/the-blue-planet. Last
accessed 8th January 2020.
• Attenborough, David. (2013). Africa. Available:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p010jc6p/africa. Last accessed
8th January 2020.
• Crawford, Rory. (2020). Discovery - Birds: Singing for Survival. Available:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3csz9fd. Last accessed 8th January
2020.
• Westwood, Brett. (2020). Home Birds. Available:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000kgsl. Last accessed 8th January
2020.

FMP Nature Documentary Research

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