Several Exeter alumni have taken their passion and experience for the natural world and storytelling – honed at the University of Exeter, Cornwall – to the magic of filmmaking and we caught up with them to find out where this interest began and what their careers have been like so far.
Alumni Zac Lazarou (Zoology, 2021), Kate Church (Conservation Biology and Ecology, 2021), Olly Cummins (Zoology, 2021), and Robin Fisher (Zoology, 2019) studied at the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on our Penryn Campus. They are also all part of a group of alumni that then continued their academic journey through a masters at The National Film and Television School (NFTS) after graduating. So, what has inspired them all to carve out this path?
Zac Lazarou (Zoology, 2021)
Freelance filmmaker, camera operator, and editor.
Alumnus Zac is not sure he would have had the courage of pursuing a career in wildlife filmmaking if it wasn’t for his experience at Exeter. More than just the academic side, it was also the activities, community and outdoor lifestyle in Cornwall that shaped him.
For instance, the scientific approach of conducting research shares many parallels with producing a film. Zac believes, “It helps to be a nature nerd after all. Knowing how to digest and translate scientific information into an understandable layman’s format is crucial in producing a story to wider audiences.” Plus, the practical field work in different habitats has helped his own film craft from the Uplands of Scotland to the Savannah’s of South Africa.
He describes himself as “currently a human multi-tool” working as a freelance filmmaker, camera operator and editor, jack-of-all trades and master-of-none. Though there can be uncertainty in the work, he loves the dynamism and that no two jobs are the same. Zac shares, “One day I can be doing high-end YouTube content filming a podcast and the next I could be in South Africa filming vultures rip apart carcasses.” He even filmed Greenday at Wembley stadium, “It was a freak occurrence of luck, and one of the best days of my life. I thrive on the chaos of it all and being part of a collaborative team who aren’t just creatives but incredible problem solvers.”
Zac’s dream is to establish a production company that specialises in wildlife, environmental and climate storytelling. In the meantime, he’s happy growing consistent freelance work from different parts of the industry, from NGO’s to Branded clients, and hopefully landing a job or two in TV and Broadcast, at one of the Natural History production houses in Bristol.
You can follow Zac’s career on Instagram and on LinkedIn.
Kate Church (Conservation Biology and Ecology, 2021)
Currently travelling and also working as an outside broadcast operator in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Alumna Kate started at Penryn already knowing that documentary filmmaking was what she wanted to do down the line, but she also wanted to learn more about our environment. The knowledge she learnt on the course has since benefitted her in creating documentary ideas about wildlife, whilst also developing her confidence and people skills to pitch these ideas.
She is currently travelling but previously worked as a junior camera technician in Bristol and Kate shares that favourite thing about working in that role was the variation of her day to day work life, “Every day was different, with some days in the office, others delivering kit throughout the UK, and if I was lucky, even on a film set!”
During her adventures she’s been based in New Zealand and for the past month she has been working in Dunedin as an Outside Broadcast Operator and assisting behind the scenes to livestream horse races across the South Island in New Zealand. Kate adds, “From inside the control room, I remotely control the exposure and colour temperature of several cameras to make sure they all match and look the same. It’s a busy job that takes me all over the South Island but it’s exciting to be working on something that ends up on TV!”
Looking to the future Kate hopes to work as a camera operator on documentaries, with the privilege of sharing people’s stories.
You can follow Kate’s career on Instagram and on LinkedIn.
Olly Cummins (Zoology, 2021)
Documentary filmmaker working in various locations including, recently, Colombia in South America.
Olly filming a pelican colony in Virginia USA’s Chesapeake Bay for the film ‘Beyond the Bay’. The group followed the lives of people living on a remote island that will be destroyed by rising sea levels in the coming decades.
Olly’s time at Exeter deepened his curiosity for the natural world and gave him the confidence to approach it both creatively and analytically. He learned how to communicate complex ideas in a way that sparks curiosity – skills he now uses frequently in his work as a documentary filmmaker.
For Olly what has excited him about this role has been the variety, the adventures, and people he meets. He explains, “one week I might be tracking owls at dawn, the next interviewing an Amazonian shaman. Every shoot is a chance to solve creative challenges in the field and work with people who share a passion for telling stories.”
In terms of next steps Olly is keen to “continue exploring the world through the lens of visual storytelling. My hope is to work on projects that inspire global audiences and incite change.”
You can follow Olly’s career on Instagram and on LinkedIn, as well as discover all the films he’s worked on via his website.
Robin Fisher (Zoology, 2019)
Currently videographer and photographer for Atlantic Shark Expeditions (ASE) in Halifax, Canada.
Robin working as a second camera on a German natural history documentary in the Philippines.
Robin’s time at Penryn gave him access to a beautiful campus by the coast enabling him to get fully immersed in the ocean plus his degree provided a well-rounded understanding and appreciation of wildlife, conservation and science. He reflects, “The confidence, friendship and experience I gained from studying here (and through societies such as FXU Wild Doc Soc) has set me up so well with my current pursuits now working as a wildlife cameraperson, where good understanding of animal behaviour, discipline and teamwork has been incredibly important.”
Having worked as a story developer on BBC Springwatch and a wildlife camera operator in the Philippines, Robin knows filming wildlife is not always easy. It requires sitting uncomfortably, co-ordinating logistics, lots of travelling and patience, but it is incredibly rewarding when you manage to film a Philippine eagle from different angles, shot sizes and varying behaviours. The aspect of his job Robin enjoys the most is the craft, sharing that “Crafting these shots into sequences and seeing the building blocks fall into place is what makes this job worth doing. In fact, during my last shoot, I spent 12 days living in a tree waiting to film the flying path of a female eagle bringing food to her chick. Only on the last day or two I managed to see the flight path clearly and get a level in flight shot and this was immensely rewarding.” He also loves the teamwork side of his job, explaining, “It is incredible how many people from all walks of life you get to meet. I have loved being able to exchange stories and experiences with many of these people.”
Robin’s dream for the future is to work as a wildlife cameraperson full-time and to work towards working on higher-end productions such as by the BBC NHU or Silverback, particularly as an underwater cameraperson. He is currently working in Canada filming sharks for a research vessel and would love to pursue this further going forward. He adds, “I would like to utilise my skills to help on projects that have a strong conservation goal and impact as I feel storytelling is incredibly important to share these key messages!”
You can follow Robin’s career on Instagram and on LinkedIn.
Speaking those to taught this brilliant collection of alumni, Peter Leonard, leader of the Directing and Producing Science and Natural History masters course at the NFTS – which these four alumni attended – shares, “It’s always rewarding working with the students who arrive at the NFTS from Exeter, and great to see their success when they leave us.” He goes on to say, “I think there are a couple of reasons for their success. It’s partly because they tend to come from life sciences courses which means that they have a firm grounding in the science of the natural world. This is invariably translated into a passion for making films about nature, and our interactions with it. Ultimately, passion for the work is the one non-negotiable qualification for a successful career in science and natural history filmmaking. Looking at the list of Exeter alumni who have come to join us, passion is certainly a quality that I would ascribe to them all.”
Back in Cornwall we spoke with Professor Ben Raymond, Head of the Centre of Ecology and Conservation at the University, who added, “It’s fantastic to see our graduates making their mark in the world of film.” He identifies that, “Their ability to translate scientific knowledge into compelling visual storytelling is a powerful way to inspire others and raise awareness of the natural world. We’re incredibly proud of the creativity, skill, and passion they bring to both science and the screen.”
Many congratulations to Zac, Kate, Olly and Robin, on all their success so far in their careers – we’re very proud of you all and can’t wait to follow your next chapters!
We love to hear news from our alumni so do always feel free to reach out via email at alumni@exeter.ac.uk, DM us on socials or tag us in your posts. And if you’re interested in finding out more about what other alumni have got up to since graduating, take a look at our Alumni Profiles website.