If you love 360 panoramics then check this out. This is exactly the kind of thing I've been wanting to do when out filming in some spectacular location.
360 panoramics mapped onto each other so you can jump from one view point to another, including 360 aerials. They are viewable in Flash or QuicktimeVR
The Las Vegas one is so immersive I could waste hours just jumping around. If it incorporated a soundscape it would just blow me away.
http://bigeyeinthesky.com/
30.4.08
Doovling, the BBC & non-linear video navigation
I was recently sent an experimental mock up of a huge Collection of Natural History content made navigatable through something called Doovle, produced by Green Cathedral PLC.
I was interested in Doovle from a "Life" perspective (which is the series I am currently working on) and whether it was a way that we could split our 10 hours of broadcast programme content. When I use Doovle it really changes my viewing, and makes it completely non-linear. I was looking into Caterpillars recently for example and so just watched all the clips featuring caterpillars, pulled out from many different programmes to create a self-assembled "Life of the Caterpillar" - genius.
Green Cathedral has already officially Doovled the 1966 World Cup. Fawlty Towers and Blackadder which can be seen here. I enjoyed searching for words such as "Scrotum" "Turnip" and "Cunning".
I was interested in Doovle from a "Life" perspective (which is the series I am currently working on) and whether it was a way that we could split our 10 hours of broadcast programme content. When I use Doovle it really changes my viewing, and makes it completely non-linear. I was looking into Caterpillars recently for example and so just watched all the clips featuring caterpillars, pulled out from many different programmes to create a self-assembled "Life of the Caterpillar" - genius.
Green Cathedral has already officially Doovled the 1966 World Cup. Fawlty Towers and Blackadder which can be seen here. I enjoyed searching for words such as "Scrotum" "Turnip" and "Cunning".
23.4.08
The Natural World: Naabi, A Hyena Princess
TONIGHT: 8PM - BBC 2
The story of Naabi, a young hyena growing up in Tanzania. Here hyenas aren't just scavengers, they're also skilled hunters when they work together in the clan. But life is still a struggle, and except for the few weeks a year when the wildebeest pass through, there isn't enough food to go around. Lions are their mortal enemies - they are quick to attack hyenas and often scavenge their kills. After Naabi's mother is killed by lions life becomes even more difficult for the young hyena and she's forced to leave the clan, braving the perils of the outside world as she travels alone in search of food. 
Produced by Charlie Hamilton-James
Series Editor: Tim Martin
The story of Naabi, a young hyena growing up in Tanzania. Here hyenas aren't just scavengers, they're also skilled hunters when they work together in the clan. But life is still a struggle, and except for the few weeks a year when the wildebeest pass through, there isn't enough food to go around. Lions are their mortal enemies - they are quick to attack hyenas and often scavenge their kills. After Naabi's mother is killed by lions life becomes even more difficult for the young hyena and she's forced to leave the clan, braving the perils of the outside world as she travels alone in search of food.
Produced by Charlie Hamilton-James
Series Editor: Tim Martin
17.4.08
ByteMe TV with Keeley Hazel - Hilarious!
This is hilarious "ByteMe TV" - Keeley Hazel, The Suns page three girl, trying to present about technology! Her videos have an air of "soft-porn bad acting" about them and clearly show that just because a girl is pretty it in no way means she can also be an engaging presenter. Although the content would probably be quite useful to the less experienced computer user I find Keeley a little too tarted up to be taken seriously. She has a dash of what the girls call "The Beckham effect" about her - gorgeous as long as she doesn't say anything!
This one is particularly funny:
http://www.bytemetv.com/Episodes/latest_ep12.aspx
This one is particularly funny:
http://www.bytemetv.com/Episodes/latest_ep12.aspx
16.4.08
The Natural World: Moose in the Glen
TONIGHT: 16th April 2008
BBC 2 - 8pm
Multi-millionaire landowner Paul Lister is a man on a mission. Fired by a belief that the Scottish Highlands need restoring, he's embarking on an ambitious plan to turn his 23,000 acre estate north of Inverness into Europe's first wilderness reserve. He hopes to reinstate the old Caledonian pine forests and release long lost animals, starting with moose and wild boar, and eventually predators such as brown bears, lynx and wolves. Some of the local people are far from convinced by Paul's vision. Then he has to contend with a mountain of red tape, and outbreaks of foot and mouth and blue tongue. Will he even be allowed to let loose moose in the glen?
Producer & Director Mike Birkhead
Series Editor - Tim Martin
BBC 2 - 8pm
Multi-millionaire landowner Paul Lister is a man on a mission. Fired by a belief that the Scottish Highlands need restoring, he's embarking on an ambitious plan to turn his 23,000 acre estate north of Inverness into Europe's first wilderness reserve. He hopes to reinstate the old Caledonian pine forests and release long lost animals, starting with moose and wild boar, and eventually predators such as brown bears, lynx and wolves. Some of the local people are far from convinced by Paul's vision. Then he has to contend with a mountain of red tape, and outbreaks of foot and mouth and blue tongue. Will he even be allowed to let loose moose in the glen?
Producer & Director Mike Birkhead
Series Editor - Tim Martin
15.4.08
Wild China: Coming Soon
Wild China will be going out on BBC2 - Sunday, May 11th at 9pm.
This promises to be an eye opening insight into the large and enchanting land. I've seen the first programme and it really blew me away. The style felt fresh, a blend of obs docs and traditional blue chip, flowing melodically to take you on journey through the diverse landscapes of China. It kept me completely enthralled and captivated through the whole 50minutes - I never looked at my watch once.
This is a land of unbelievable natural complexity from the glittering peaks of the Himalayas to the barren steppe, the sub-Arctic to the tropical islands, through deserts both searingly hot and mind-numbingly cold and see, in pioneering images, a dazzling array of mysterious, beautiful, wild and rare creatures.
I can't wait to see the rest of the series.
P1 - Heart of the Dragon (produced by Phil Chapman) -Sunday 11th May
an introduction to the diversity of China's natural history
P2 - Shang-ri La (produced by Kathryn Jeffs) - Sunday 18th May
Yunnan province harbours bizarre creatures such as dwarf alligators and giant salamanders
P3 - Tibet (produced by Gavin Maxwell) - Sunday 25th May
life at the extremes in the high Himalayas and on the Tibetan plateau
P4 - Beyond the Great Wall (produced by George Chan) - Sunday 1st June
The eastern part of China's vast interior is the beating heart of the country
P5 - Land of the Panda (produced by Gavin Maxwell) - Sunday 8th June
the bamboo forests and hills of central China, home to the giant panda
P6 - Tides of Change (produced by Charlotte Scott) - Sunday 15th June
wildlife along the shores of the South China Sea must share their world with 600 million people
It has been mentioned by the schedulers that the time may change to 8pm so keep an eye out in the tv guides but hopefully it will stay at 9pm.
This promises to be an eye opening insight into the large and enchanting land. I've seen the first programme and it really blew me away. The style felt fresh, a blend of obs docs and traditional blue chip, flowing melodically to take you on journey through the diverse landscapes of China. It kept me completely enthralled and captivated through the whole 50minutes - I never looked at my watch once.This is a land of unbelievable natural complexity from the glittering peaks of the Himalayas to the barren steppe, the sub-Arctic to the tropical islands, through deserts both searingly hot and mind-numbingly cold and see, in pioneering images, a dazzling array of mysterious, beautiful, wild and rare creatures.
I can't wait to see the rest of the series.
P1 - Heart of the Dragon (produced by Phil Chapman) -Sunday 11th May
an introduction to the diversity of China's natural history
P2 - Shang-ri La (produced by Kathryn Jeffs) - Sunday 18th May
Yunnan province harbours bizarre creatures such as dwarf alligators and giant salamanders
P3 - Tibet (produced by Gavin Maxwell) - Sunday 25th May
life at the extremes in the high Himalayas and on the Tibetan plateau
P4 - Beyond the Great Wall (produced by George Chan) - Sunday 1st June
The eastern part of China's vast interior is the beating heart of the country
P5 - Land of the Panda (produced by Gavin Maxwell) - Sunday 8th June
the bamboo forests and hills of central China, home to the giant panda
P6 - Tides of Change (produced by Charlotte Scott) - Sunday 15th June
wildlife along the shores of the South China Sea must share their world with 600 million people
It has been mentioned by the schedulers that the time may change to 8pm so keep an eye out in the tv guides but hopefully it will stay at 9pm.
Johnny's New Kingdom
Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 8.30pm on BBC TWO from 4th March
The wild man of Exmoor is back! In this new ten-part series we follow Johnny Kingdom's exploits as he develops a 52-acre plot of land bought with the proceeds of his best-selling autobiography. For Johnny, it's a dream come true: http://tinyurl.com/49oro8
But it's not going to be an easy process, everything needs to be managed from start to finish and he'll have to look far and wide for help and advice. But if there's one thing you can guarantee with Johnny, his enthusiasm will carry him through.
What he hopes to do is attract as much wildlife to the land as possible; it's a massive project. How can he do it; what will he need to bring in the birds and mammals? Can he learn from people who have done similar things elsewhere? With the help of established experts and old mates who like him are self-taught, Johnny's New Kingdom begins to take shape.
The wild man of Exmoor is back! In this new ten-part series we follow Johnny Kingdom's exploits as he develops a 52-acre plot of land bought with the proceeds of his best-selling autobiography. For Johnny, it's a dream come true: http://tinyurl.com/49oro8
But it's not going to be an easy process, everything needs to be managed from start to finish and he'll have to look far and wide for help and advice. But if there's one thing you can guarantee with Johnny, his enthusiasm will carry him through.
What he hopes to do is attract as much wildlife to the land as possible; it's a massive project. How can he do it; what will he need to bring in the birds and mammals? Can he learn from people who have done similar things elsewhere? With the help of established experts and old mates who like him are self-taught, Johnny's New Kingdom begins to take shape.
14.4.08
BBC iPlayer comes to Wii
I've tried the Wii to navigate an EPG created by the BBC's tech team at Kingswood Warren. It wasn't easy and to get the pointer to click on the right box in the EPG (electronic programme guide) and select the programme you want. I would certainly get frustrated with the system I demoed but I can see the potential use of this type of interface. It might help to edge TV back into the life of the avid computer gamer, I just hope the buttons are nice and big when the iPlayer comes to Wii.
Nintendo has already added an official TV channel to the Wii in Japan, which includes an EPG. It's called the Terebi no Tomo (TV Pal Channel) and can be be added for free through the Wii Shopping Channel. The EPG allows browsers to search by genre and keyword in a 3D interface, and then save the programs of interest to individual Mii's. The system even sends an email to the Mii owner 30 minutes before a programme is about to start. This information is used by Nintendo to give programs popularity scores and recommend other programmes you might like.
- Paul Williams
Nintendo has already added an official TV channel to the Wii in Japan, which includes an EPG. It's called the Terebi no Tomo (TV Pal Channel) and can be be added for free through the Wii Shopping Channel. The EPG allows browsers to search by genre and keyword in a 3D interface, and then save the programs of interest to individual Mii's. The system even sends an email to the Mii owner 30 minutes before a programme is about to start. This information is used by Nintendo to give programs popularity scores and recommend other programmes you might like.
- Paul Williams
The BBC's iPlayer video service will soon be available via the Nintendo Wii.
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BBC Natural History on the One Show
The first of 48 Natural History Unit films for the new season of The One Show goes out tonight at 7pm on BBC One. Presented by Ellie Harrison, it features a Seal Sanctuary in Norfolk.
After tonight's debut BBC NHU films will come thick and fast, featuring Ellie, Mike Dilger, Miranda Krestovnikoff, David Lindo and George McGavin.
Check them out on I-Player, or tune in as one of six million One Show viewers!
After tonight's debut BBC NHU films will come thick and fast, featuring Ellie, Mike Dilger, Miranda Krestovnikoff, David Lindo and George McGavin.
Check them out on I-Player, or tune in as one of six million One Show viewers!
9.4.08
Natural World - Reindeer Girls: TONIGHT BBC 2
Elle and Inga, 17 year old cousins from the north of Norway, are far from ordinary teenagers. They are reindeer herders, from one of Europe’s last indigenous people, the Sámi. So they are equally at home helping reindeer swim fjords or ice fishing as playing with the internet and mobile phones. This enchanting film follows the girls and their families as they accompany the reindeer herds on the annual migration across the arctic tundra. It's a unique insight into the lives of the Sami and the reindeer on which they depend in this bleak and beautiful world.
8.4.08
Louis Theroux's African Hunting Holiday
Sunday 06 April 9:00pm - 10:00pm BBC2
Audience: 2.2 Million. 9% Share.
"It's all suddenly gone a bit Ernest Hemingway," murmurs a nervous Theroux as he boards a truck and heads into a South African game farm. Quite what old Hemingway would make of such places is a moot point, as all the farm's animals are bred simply to be "hunted", for pleasure, mostly by rich American men and their lipsticked wives. It seems craven and a cheat - the animals in question (and you can kill what you like, if you are prepared to pay anything up to $50,000 for a rhino) aren't really hunted at all, they just happen to be standing around as people shoot them, often from yards away in specially constructed hides. Theroux professes himself as baffled as doubtless many viewers will feel, asking the "hunters" what possible pleasure they can take in shooting something that's basically been put in front of them. But he meets his match in a game farmer who mounts a passionate defence of the "sport". It's horrible, gripping stuff.
Read more http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7329425.stm
Audience: 2.2 Million. 9% Share.
"It's all suddenly gone a bit Ernest Hemingway," murmurs a nervous Theroux as he boards a truck and heads into a South African game farm. Quite what old Hemingway would make of such places is a moot point, as all the farm's animals are bred simply to be "hunted", for pleasure, mostly by rich American men and their lipsticked wives. It seems craven and a cheat - the animals in question (and you can kill what you like, if you are prepared to pay anything up to $50,000 for a rhino) aren't really hunted at all, they just happen to be standing around as people shoot them, often from yards away in specially constructed hides. Theroux professes himself as baffled as doubtless many viewers will feel, asking the "hunters" what possible pleasure they can take in shooting something that's basically been put in front of them. But he meets his match in a game farmer who mounts a passionate defence of the "sport". It's horrible, gripping stuff.
Read more http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7329425.stm
2.4.08
Natural World - Lobo - The Wolf that Changed America 8pm BBC 2 - TONIGHT
Lobo - The wolf that changed America Wed 2 Apr 8.00pm BBC Two
Ernest Thompson Seton's account of how he hunted a cattle-killing wolf became a pivotal part of American history, helping to change the way people see wolves and the wilderness. In his efforts to find, capture, and kill Lobo, Seton came to understand the animal's intelligence, loyalty and warmth. Although he finally succeeded in his task, he never killed a wolf again. A combination of wildlife and history, this film is based on the personal diaries of Ernest Thompson Seton himself.
1.4.08
Tiger: Spy in the Jungle - Sunday 8pm BBC One
New to BBC One this Sunday was the innovative Tiger: Spy in the Jungle. The first episode attracted 6.3m (24.5%) who watched as the cameras, carried by elephants, captured the lives of four tiger cubs. Captivated audiences awarded the programme a whopping AI (Audience appreciation Index) of 93. This is right up there as joint highest for factual TV alongside the recent "93" that Life in Cold Blood recently achieved.
"Wonderful, words cannot express how thrilling, beautiful and exciting this programme was. More more please." 10/10 - Female 65
"As a person who has a good knowledge of the subject I consider this to be the finest wildlife programme of all time. It was absolutely superb in every way and deserves the highest possible accolade." 10/10 - Male 66
A remotely-operated tusk-cam, which was smaller than the trunk cam and could be carried by the elephants for much longer periods.
Log and rock cams - cameras disguised as logs or rocks - which could be set down either by an elephant or human crew member and were activated by motion sensors. 
"Wonderful, words cannot express how thrilling, beautiful and exciting this programme was. More more please." 10/10 - Female 65
"As a person who has a good knowledge of the subject I consider this to be the finest wildlife programme of all time. It was absolutely superb in every way and deserves the highest possible accolade." 10/10 - Male 66
Visit the BBC wesbite to watch some of the videos .
Narrated by Sir David Attenborough Spy in the Jungle is the latest creation of John Downer who has been recording footage over a period of 3 years in the Pench National Park in India… using some ingenious “trunk-cams”, which allowed the team to follow four newborn tiger cubs through adulthood.
The crew used three types of high-definition cameras, designed and built by Geoff Bell and operated by cameraman Michael Richards: A remotely-operated trunk-cam, which could film while the elephants were on the move and could also be set down.
A remotely-operated tusk-cam, which was smaller than the trunk cam and could be carried by the elephants for much longer periods.
Log and rock cams - cameras disguised as logs or rocks - which could be set down either by an elephant or human crew member and were activated by motion sensors.
Bootifull! - Paul Williams
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