Africa, Attenborough & Fishy Super Stars

Africa, Attenborough & Fishy Super Stars !

http://youtu.be/Acs5Ic2RFuA

Twitter / Search - #Africa

BBC One - Africa, Congo, Leap of faith (clip only released after broadcast)

Just to let folks know that the BBC’s landmark television series Africa presented by David Attenborough, is being broadcast locally on the BBC Knowledge Channel on the DSTV bouquet starting this Sunday 17[SUP]th[/SUP] Feb at 18h00.

Myself and Liaquat, were involved for several weeks with the set work and the filming of various West African fish sequences, involving Pantadon (butterfly fish), climbing perch, Synadontus nigriventris (Upside Down Catfish), Polypterus and killifish.

For the building of the underwater sets, we had to match amongst other habitats the terrain and environs of a slow moving tributary of the Congo. We worked with footage and images already shot by the Central African based crew. At least ten tanks were set up as holding or filming tanks with filming done both in the studio and exterior. Along with the bags of fish, a bag full of West African plants including bolbitis and anubias were also flown in to dress the set J

I have not seen the series yet, so don’t know which of our fishy sequences made the final cut in the end, but ‘Congo’ is programme 3 of the series, so will be broadcast on 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] March. Fish aside it’s a remarkably series and well worth marking in your diaries and watching out for. Programme 4 out of the 6 is on the Cape, while a behind the scenes ‘making of’ programme will be broadcast on 24[SUP]th[/SUP] March.

Here a few snaps I took of one of our sets, before the fishy super stars made their entrance. In this shallow tank filming was done through the front glass and underwater using a borescope ….

 

Wow! That must have been interesting. And fun. Did any Neolebias or other African tetras feature?

 

That's awesome man. I watched the "Cape" one the other night and it was pretty cool.

 

I can't believe you got to be involved in this! When I was little I used to wander around the house and garden making imaginary Attenborough documentaries the whole time. Narrating whatever the sparrows or whatever were doing in that whispery voice
That is AMAZING.

 

Yeah thanks Jenn, we did cast a shoal or two of tetras as extras in the background and also what Liaquat called African pencils, if my memory is correct, but filming was over a year ago.

cool Rory, where did you watch it so early or were you in the U.K ...?

@ PsyXe, For my sins I have been working/filming for the BBC and their Natural History Unit on a free lance basis for the last 25 years.. producing complete films for them or doing sequence camera work. I have stories to tell, well some I rather shouldn't, many from far flung corners of the earth which included loosing Sir David in the desert while filming from a chopper or giving him a lift in my rusty Renault 1100 across London in a storm after having done a narration for me, the clever man claims he can't drive..

 

Even more interesting... When I got my Neolebias ansorgii from Liaquat about a year ago I'm pretty sure he called them African pencils. It might just be possible that mine were the stars in your show

 

Yes YES!

@Jenn
TheNeolebias were not the same individuals, although
Trevor also obtained a few from me, some time after the BBC project, from the same batch and tank as yours.:blink1:
A variety of Fish species were sourced from a few different countries for the project.
I do not recall using ANY species smaller than some Nothobranchius killifish, so I do think NO Neolebias were used in the filming.
The slight inclination swimming midwater and when at rest, makes for "African Pencil Fish" as an easy, descriptive name.

There will be new schools of Neolebias, more uncommon yet pretty African characins , Barbs, Cichlids arriving in the hobby very soon.
There is an appreciation for these by peaceful mixed community, and mostly planted tank fans

I used 3 species of "Congo tetra"
If you contact me as a reminder, I will check which those were.

@Trevor Pleco

Shot mate, for the screening dates heads up,
I almost gave up waiting thinking it all on the editing studio floor - though we know that's all HDD now:embarrest:
I should come around and watch the broadcast WITH you.
Bigger Thanks for helping to dress-up tanks.
Wouldn't have been the same without you:nuts:

He makes it sound so simple with " bags of fish ...West African plants including bolbitis and anubias were also flown in to dress the set"

I had ALL the equipment designed , and made for various custom purposes to increase our chances of success.
Some work started 4months beforehand, it ended after a VERY LONG, INTENSE MONTH geared for actual filming

The larger of these tanks, and stands had to be MANUALLY Hoisted a good 6m high into the venue...:cry:

ADD in 100's of kilos of substrate, including sands, wood
KILOLITERS of treated, conditioned, water on tap

LOL
Thankfully we had "authenticated" tank, decor, water colour, chemistry, all sorted BEFORE the BBC showed me any footage.
@Trevor Pleco Do you recall, I thought I was watching tank footage when viewing field footage?
...THAT'S how good a result was achieved.
I Cannot omit the interesting flotsam..carefully extracted from your backyard :cheesy:

PS Pity I wasn't THERE for "the making of ...", by then I Started to suffer some ":burnout: