sign in sign up
<<
Home , African Cats, Alastair Fothergill, Alastair King, BBC Natural History Unit, Big Cat Diary, Born in China

©2019 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Camera Assistants ...... THOMAS HOOKER ROGER HORROCKS JULIE MONIERE FREDERIQUE OLIVIER Underwater Dive Support ...... CORINNE CHEVALLIER presents PAUL RAYMAEKERS Production Services by . .JASON ROBERTS PRODUCTIONS (JRP a.s) D.I. Colorist ...... ADAM INGLIS Sound Design Studio ...... WOUNDED BUFFALO SOUND STUDIOS Sound Designers ...... KATE HOPKINS, AMPS TIM OWENS Sound Assistant ...... JONNY CREWS Supervising Re-Recording Mixer ...... DAVID E. FLUHR, CAS Re-Recording Mixer ...... ANDREW WILSON, CAS, AMPS Assistant Re-Recording Mixer ...... HANNAH GREGORY Foley Mixers ...... OWEN PETERS, AMPS Directed by ...... PHIL JENKINS JEFF WILSON Foley Artist ...... BEN JONES Co-Directed by ...... Foley Editor ...... OWEN PETERS, AMPS Narrated by ...... ED HELMS Narration Recorded by ...... GABRIEL GUY, CAS Produced by ...... ALASTAIR FOTHERGILL Premixing Facilities JEFF WILSON Provided by ...... WOUNDED BUFFALO SOUND STUDIOS Sound Re-Recorded at ...... WARNER BROS. DE LANE LEA ROY CONLI Sound Mix Technician ...... JAMES CASSIDY Associate Producer ...... JANE HAMLIN Sound Mix Assistant ...... CHRIS HOWARD Production Manager ...... EMILY LASCELLES Edit Assistants ...... CHARLIE DYER Head of Technical Operations ...... DAN CLAMP SEAN PEARCE Principal Photography Digital Imaging Technician ...... DARREN CLEMENTSON MATTHEW AEBERHARD JOHN AITCHISON Logging Assistants ...... JULIE MONIERE DOUG ANDERSON TOM BELDAM EMILY VAUGHAN WILLIAMS MARTYN COLBECK SOPHIE DARLINGTON ‘Making of’ Edit Producer ...... SIMON NASH TED GIFFORDS MAX HUG WILLIAMS Silverback Camera Support ...... GUILLERMO AMERO MICHAEL KELEM JAMIE MCPHERSON MARCUS COYLE JULIE MONIERE DIDIER NOIROT KATIE MAYHEW MARK SMITH ROLF STEINMANN Camera Equipment Technician ...... GORDON LEICESTER TOM WALKER JESSE WILKINSON D.I. Facilities Provided by ...... FILMS AT 59 Edited by ...... ANDY NETLEY D.I Post Production Manager ...... GEORGE PANAYIOTOU Music Composed by ...... HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS Project Managers ...... BRIDGET BLYTHE Original Story by ...... ALASTAIR FOTHERGILL HAYLEY SHIPMAN JEFF WILSON Facility Director ...... GINA FUCCI Narration Written by ...... DAVID FOWLER D.I. Editors ...... JAMES AITKEN WESLEY HIBBERD Filmed with the support of SHAUN LITTLEWOOD NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION REBECCA SHEARMAN Online Editor ...... CHRIS GUNNINGHAM A Visual Eff ects Studio ...... AXIS VISUAL EFFECTS LTD SILVERBACK FILMS Visual Eff ects Supervisor ...... HOWARD JONES Production Visual Eff ects Producers ...... ELLA ASKEW SIUBHAN SMITH Production Coordinators ...... HANNAH COFFEY JESSICA PHILLIPS AMY FERRIER Visual Eff ects Artists ...... FERRIOL TUGUES RACHEL NORMAN IVELINA DOBREVA Post Production Supervisor ...... EMMA ZEE KAREN KELLY Post Production Executive ...... BÉRÉNICE ROBINSON LEE FISHER Production Accountant ...... RACHEL JAMES TIAGO SILVA Field Producers ...... SOPHIE LANFEAR Digital Enhancement KIERAN O’DONOVAN Services by ...... LOWRY DIGITAL, PRIME FOCUS TECHNOLOGIES FREDERIQUE OLIVIER Senior Producer ...... AMY BAILEY DANIEL ‘RAZ’ RASMUSSEN Image Processing Supervisor ...... BRUCE PEECHER JASON ROBERTS

I Digital Artists ...... MATTHEW R. MAYBERRY WITH THANKS TO OUR LOCATIONS JULIE ORNBURN Orchestra Conducted by ...... HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS NSF UNDER PERMIT NUMBER ACA 2016-022 & ACA 2017-006 Additional Music ...... STEPHANIE ECONOMOU Location Services ...... PROGRAM Music Editor ...... BYFAR MUSIC, INC. Scientifi c Advisors ...... DAVID AINLEY Orchestrations by ...... ALASTAIR KING GRANT BALLARD Score Recorded at ...... ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS CINDY GILBERT Score Recorded & Mixed by ...... PETER COBBIN Record & Mix Editorial ...... KIRSTY WHALLEY ACTIVITY WAS CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO Score Mixed at ...... SWEET THUNDER STUDIO NMFS MMPA PERMIT NO. 20658 Assistant Engineers ...... JOHN BARRETT Location Services ...... UNITED STATES ANTARCTIC PROGRAM STEFANO CIVETT Scientifi c Advisor...... ROBERT PITMAN Assistant Music Editor/Score Recordist ...... PAUL THOMASON Score Production Supervisor ...... MONICA ZIERHUT BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY Music Preparation ...... JILL STREATER ALISON J MASSEY Orchestra JANE FRANCIS Contractor ...... JENNY NENDICK FOR ISOBEL GRIFFITHS, LTD. Choir & Whistlers ...... APOLLO VOICES POLAR REGIONS DEPARTMENT, UK FOREIGN & Acoustic Guitar & Ukulele ...... VIVIAN MILANOVA COMMONWEALTH OFFICE Ethnic Flutes ...... CHARLES ADELPHIA SIR MARK WALPORT Bass ...... FRANCISCO OJEDA JANE RUMBLE Drum Programmer ...... SATNAM RAMGOTRA UNDER PERMIT NUMBER 23/2017 ABOARD THE HANS HANSSON “Stir It ” Marine Support ...... HANS HANSSON Written by ALLEE WILLIS, DAN SEMBELLO Captain ...... DION PONCET Performed by PATTI LABELLE Crew ...... JULIETTE HENNEQUIN Courtesy of GEFFEN RECORDS under license from ALEC HAZELL UNIVERSAL MUSIC ENTERPRISES GISELLE HAZELL

“Can’t Fight This Feeling” FRENCH POLAR INSTITUTE Written by KEVIN CRONIN TERRES AUSTRALES ET ANTARCTIQUES FRANÇAISES Performed by REO SPEEDWAGON AUDE SONNEVILLE By arrangement with TC MANAGEMENT and HORIPRO ENTERTAINMENT GROUP REALISED AT THE DUMONT D’URVILLE STATION 2016. LOGISTICAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY “Work To Do” INSTITUT POLAIRE FRANÇAIS PAUL-EMILE VICTOR Written by , , O’KELLY ISLEY Performed by AVERAGE WHITE BAND ACTIVITY WAS CONDUCTED WITH SUPPORT OF Courtesy of ATLANTIC RECORDING CORP. OCEANWIDE EXPEDITIONS By arrangement with Captain ...... ERNESTO BARRIA WARNER MUSIC GROUP & TV LICENSING Pilots ...... MARCELO LIRA MARCELO YAÑEZ “Here I Go Again” Support ...... MICHEL VAN GESSEL Written by DAVID COVERDALE, BERNIE MARSDEN CHERYL RANDALL Performed by WHITESNAKE LYNN WOODWORTH Courtesy of WHITESNAKE PRODUCTIONS/WARNER MUSIC UK LTD. By arrangement with WARNER MUSIC GROUP FILM & TV LICENSING

Title Graphics ...... THE M FACTOR CREATIVE Stills Colorist ...... STEPHEN JOHNSON Production Legal Services ...... FRASER BLOOM, BLOOM MEDIA Production Auditor ...... SAFFERY CHAMPNESS Production Insurance ...... QUARTZ INSURANCE MATTHEW TORRIBLE CAREY NICHOLSON EPK Writer ...... CHERYL HANSEN

II ACTIVITY WAS CONDUCTED WITH SUPPORT OF With Special Thanks to ARGENTINE ANTARCTIC INSTITUTE MANDEY AGINONE LESLEY ALLERY ’S NATIONAL ANTARCTIC DIRECTORATE LINDA BORGESON PAUL BRIGGS LYNDSIE CHOLWITZ KEVIN DETERS RODOLFO (ROLO) SANCHEZ MARK DINDAL NANCY DOLAN MARIANO CURIEL KAYLIN FRANK MÁXIMO E. GOWLAND STEPHANIE HARRIS SCOTT HOLTZMAN FERNANDA MILLICAY RYAN HOPMAN SCOTT HUMMEL JONNY HYLTON BRIAN KESINGER NOEL ALBIERO JERRY KETCHAM NANCY KRUSE LEONARDO MARTIN SAKAMOTO CLAIRE MARTIN CHRISTINA MAZZELLA BILL NEUSCHAEFER DAVID OKEY MERCEDES (MECHA) SANTOS PAIGE OLSON MARK PENNING, BVSc ANAHÍ (ANI) SILVESTRO CIEMEP JUAN PABLO REYES LANCASTER LUTZNER RODRIGUEZ JUAN-MANUEL LIRIO MATT RUFFNER NICHOLAS RUSSELL KIM SAMS MARC SHAW THE PRODUCERS WOULD LIKE TO THANK OSNAT SHURER MARC SMITH PAUL D STEINKE PHILIP STEUER ANTZWORKS LTD CARRIE TRETTEEN GABRIEL STEWART HECTOR SKEVINGTON POSTLES DEAN WELLINS STEVIE WERMERS-SKELTON ELLY SALISBURY & TARA KNOWLES GINA & SAM AT SILVERBACK FILMS ABI SEABOURNE AT STAGE & SCREEN HOME JAMES Soundtrack Available on TONY & ANTHONY AT WAM DHL GLOBAL FORWARDING NEIL JONES AT RENTARAID STEVE FROM PYGOCELIS ADELIAE

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE TEAM

JEAN-FRANCOIS CAMILLERI PAUL BARIBAULT MPAA #51847 JASON ALVIDREZ BEATRIZ AYALA NADIA BOMBINO BRYAN DAVIDSON RICK DEMPSEY NOAH DUMAN BRIAN ESTRADA MICHELLE FLOYD JENNIFER HAMILTON BRIDGET HAUSERMAN BRYAN KULIK MITCHELL LEIB ©2019 DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC. All Rights Reserved. BRYAN MONROE TINA L. NEWMAN MATT SCHOLEY For the purposes of copyright, Disney Enterprises, Inc. was the owner of copyright in this fi lm immediately after it was made.

Distributed by STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES

III OPENS IN U.S. THEATERS ON APRIL 17, 2019

DISNEYNATURE’S “” INTRODUCES STEVE, AN ADÉLIE WHO’S SEEKING HIS HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Finally, Steve has reached his desƟ naƟ on—the big . It’s a tough place for a fi rst-Ɵ mer. —Disneynature’s “Penguins”

Disneynature’s all-new feature fi lm “Penguins” is a coming-of-age story about an Adélie penguin named Steve who joins hundreds of thousands of fellow males in the icy AntarcƟ c spring on a quest to build a suitable nest, fi nd a life partner and start a family. None of it comes easily for him, especially considering he’s targeted by everything from killer to seals, who unapologeƟ cally threaten his happily ever aŌ er.

According to director Alastair Fothergill, not all penguins are created equal. “The Adélie penguin is by far the most characterful penguin on the planet,” he says. “People may be more familiar with Emperor penguins, but they’re actually preƩ y mellow. I like to say that Emperor penguins are the surfers and Adélie penguins are New York City taxi drivers. They have aƫ tude. They’re feisty. They have an extraordinary amount of expression in their eyes. They almost look animated. And I knew—with their big personaliƟ es—the fi lm would have a lot of comedy.”

Adds Ed Helms, who narrates the fi lm, “Even though they’re , they’re really aquaƟ c creatures, and in the water they’re unbelievably graceful and elegant, fast and agile. But on land, they’re so awkward; they walk with this sort of weird wobble. And yet, they have such spirit and moxie because they persevere in these crazy AntarcƟ c condiƟ ons.”

To capture the footage for “Penguins,” a team of the best polar experts in the world was dispatched to mulƟ ple locaƟ ons over the course of three years. Cinematographers immersed themselves in the icy , gathering footage on land and underwater, from boats, from helicopters and on foot—shooƟ ng for a total of nearly 900 camera days. The logisƟ cs of accessing the shooƟ ng locaƟ ons were challenging—it can take up to two weeks just to travel to certain areas. “These locaƟ ons may be the hardest locaƟ ons to get to of any Disneynature fi lm we’ve made so far,” says Fothergill. “It’s hard to think of a tougher habitat on the planet.”

Antarc ca is an unforgiving environment—temperatures dropped to -40 degrees on several occasions, and the coastal locales drew kataba c winds that twice topped 150 miles per hour. And yet, the crews persevered.

It turns out perseverance is a key theme in the story, as Steve’s journey is fi lled with more than his share of stumbles. “There’s such chaos of living in a colony with that many penguins,” says director Jeff Wilson. “In the middle of it all is a fi rst- me Adélie father trying to raise chicks with his partner in the harshest habitat in the world. There’s a lot of hear elt drama—weather, leopard seals, killer whales. But in the end, he’s just trying to fi gure out how to be the best father he can be. That’s the core of the story—it’s not about being a perfect father. It’s okay to make mistakes—we all do—and in making mistakes we become stronger parents. Being a good father isn’t exper se or excellence, it is eff ort.”

Says Helms, “Disney movies are fi lled with poignancy and real emo on, but also are extremely funny and relatable—this movie is no diff erent. It’s a True Life Adventure with real footage of penguins in Antarc ca, but told in a way that tugs at your heart strings a li le and also has quite a few chuckles. For me, this movie is a very cool mash-up of narra on and character work. I get to voice Steve’s inner monologue as well as straight narra on. It was a really fun challenge for me—a privilege ge ng to imagine what this penguin might be thinking—and I’m really excited about it.”

“Penguins” is the eighth theatrical release for Disneynature, which celebrates 10 years since its fi rst feature-fi lm debut. The fi rst seven theatrical releases, “,” “Oceans,” “,” “,” “Bears,” “ Kingdom” and “Born in ,” are seven of the top-eight highest grossing feature- length nature fi lms to date, with “Chimpanzee” garnering a record-breaking opening weekend for the genre.

“Penguins” con nues Disneynature’s conserva on tradi on: for every cket sold opening week (April 17-23, 2019), Disneynature will make a dona on to the Conserva on Network (WCN) to help protect penguins across the southern hemisphere. Founded in 2002, WCN invests in a select network of on-the-ground conserva onists, including top experts in the fi eld of penguins like the Global Penguin Society (GPS). The worldwide leader in science-based penguin conserva on, GPS champions specifi c programs that align with Disneynature’s conserva on mission. Conserva on is a key pillar of the label, and the fi lms empower the audience to help make a diff erence, with each fi lm suppor ng wildlife featured in the fi lms.

“There are s ll places le on Earth that are remote, untouched by presence

2 and where real-life dramas out on a daily basis,” says Wilson. “Adélie penguins deserve our JUST THE FACTS: respect and adora on and stewardship for the fact ADÉLIE PENGUINS that they are superbly adapted to living in one of the harshest con nents on Earth.” • An adult Adélie is about 27 inches tall and weighs between 6 and 13 pounds. “Penguins” is directed by Alastair Fothergill • They eat , fi sh and small . (“Bears,” “Chimpanzee”) and Jeff Wilson (“”), co-directed by Mark Linfi eld, and • They live in large groups called colonies. produced by Fothergill, Wilson, Keith Scholey • Adélies mate with one partner for life, fi nding each (“Bears”) and Roy Conli (“,” “Big Hero other each year among hundreds of thousands of penguins via unique vocaliza ons and displays. • They can travel more than 3,000 miles during the winter migra on before returning to their breeding colonies. • Breeding season begins in late September and runs through December. • Adélie penguins build nests out of rocks and pebbles to keep their off of the icy ground of Antarc ca. • Males spearhead the building of the nests, which help them a ract a mate. It’s a compe ve process Six”). Ed Helms (“The Offi ce,” “The Hangover” in which some penguins steal rocks from others’ trilogy, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”) narrated nests. the fi lm, and Harry Gregson-Williams composed the • Females typically lay two eggs. score. “Penguins” opens in theaters and in IMAX®— it’s the fi rst-ever Disneynature fi lm to be released in • The male and female take turns protec ng the eggs IMAX—on April 17, 2019. from chilly temps and feisty polar , predatory birds who prey on Adélie eggs and chicks. • Adélie eggs hatch a er about 30 days. MEET STEVE One Adélie Penguin’s Quest to Start a Family • The male and female take turns foraging, feeding Proves Complicated and Compelling and protec ng the chicks for four weeks a er they hatch. Steve is a 5-year-old Adélie penguin who’s ready to • When Adélie penguins are a month old, they team tackle the next phase of life: building a family. “He’s up with other young penguins in groups called becoming a father for the fi rst me,” says producer creches for about 7-8 weeks, trading their down Roy Conli. “He returns to the place where he was a coats for waterproof during this chick to build a home and fi nd a mate.” me.

Filmmakers knew they wanted to tell the story of • When they get their waterproof feathers, they’re a new father—so fi nding a young male penguin ready to fl edge and go in the water. was important. But what makes Steve Steve? “He’s • Leopard seals target fl edging penguins, but once feisty,” says director Alastair Fothergill. “He’s full penguins reach the open sea, they can easily of character, and in a sea of penguins, he’s the guy outswim the seals. performing.”

3 Steve measures two feet tall and weighs about 15 pounds. When the fi lm begins, it’s late September and summer is underway in Antarc ca. A er walking more than 100 miles on the ice to get to the colony where he hatched, Steve joins 300,000 other males in an eff ort to choose a site and build a spectacular nest out of assorted rocks, and pebbles to prepare for the females’ arrival. Good nests a ract poten al partners. But it’s not as easy as it sounds.

“This guy has a big challenge,” says director Jeff Wilson. “He has to fi nd some real estate within the breeding colony and build an appealing nest while every other male is trying to do the same thing. It’s that classic issue of keeping up with the Joneses that we might deal with in our own neighborhoods. In some ways, penguins are very similar because they’re so compe ve over their nest sites and rock collec ons.”

“It’s so fun to watch Steve compete with all the other penguins to set up his nest and win his mate,” says Conli. “It’s hard not to relate to this guy.”

And these penguins do compete. “The male penguins can be troublemakers—sneaking in and stealing other penguins’ stones or even their nes ng sites,” says Wilson. “This behavior can lead to some serious fi ghts.”

Adds Fothergill, “More experienced penguins claim the best real estate in the middle of the colony, while guys like Steve are forced to set up camp farther out. The colony is so big that it stretches all the way out from the top of a hill down to the sea, which is a 40-minute walk. If you’re a penguin and going to get food, that’s quite a problem. Some are very clever, choosing to nest in areas where just as their chicks are hatching, the begins to break up, giving them an easy commute.”

When the females arrive, they assess the nests, but that’s not all they assess. “They’ll evaluate the male’s feathers, as well as the strength of his display call,” says Wilson. “If he does everything right, a female will sit next to him for a li le while.”

Steve does his best with his nest and his display call eventually a racts the a en on of Adeline. Once they’ve commi ed to each other, they reinforce their bond with a lyrical demonstra on of sound and movement. Principal photographer Rolf Steinmann captured the exchange. “They looked very shy at fi rst,” he says. “They reminded me of shy teenagers who’ve fallen in love with each other. She was always looking up at him, he was always looking down at her, and they looked at each other for a long me. I fi lmed these ma ng rituals for two days.”

4 JUST THE FACTS: KATABATIC WINDS

Among AntarcƟ ca’s unique characterisƟ cs is a phenomenon of nature called katabaƟ c wind. When cold air masses move from higher elevaƟ ons onto the vast ice sheets on the ground, strong—someƟ mes hurricane-force—winds are generated, whipping up snow and intense blizzard-like condiƟ ons. The storms, which can go on for days, are ground-level— oŌ en accompanied by sunny blue skies.

Steve ulƟ mately earns the heart of penguin named Adeline, who lays two eggs, and she and Steve take turns keeping them warm and safe. “In our story, while she’s incubaƟ ng the eggs, a terrible thunder storm occurs,” says Fothergill. “They’re called katabaƟ c storms and Steve, who’s been out at sea fi shing, gets completely lost. Meanwhile, Adeline is siƫ ng on her eggs—she’s such a good mom, she won’t leave her eggs. But she eventually gets buried under a foot of snow. When Steve returns, they fortunately are able to fi nd each other.”

Adds Wilson, “They try to feed as much as possible to build up reserves of fat so that they’re able to feed the chicks when they hatch—which happens aŌ er a few weeks.”

As soon as the chicks hatch, the game is on. “Steve has to go out to sea because he needs to fi nd food to feed the chicks,” says Fothergill. “That’s a really demanding job that he does on his own at fi rst. But as the chicks get a liƩ le bit bigger, Adeline joins Steve, leaving the chicks on their own. The chicks join 10 or 20 other chicks in a creche designed to defend themselves against predatory birds that try to steal the eggs early in our fi lm, and later they try to steal the chicks.”

Steve struggles to do everything correctly—fi nding food, meeƟ ng the hungry chicks’ demands and protecƟ ng them from the skuas. Wilson, who has three sons of his own, says it’s parƟ cularly tough for Steve because he’s never done any of it before. “First-Ɵ me fathers really don’t have a clue,” he says. “We could pick out the fi rst- Ɵ mers—like Steve—and none were doing it perfectly. That really spoke to me as a father—the idea that it’s trial by error in everything that you do.

“SomeƟ mes you have to laugh,” conƟ nues Wilson. “He’s such a dufus. We’re all dufuses in that scenario— trying to feed your chicks, overfeeding them, they’re vomiƟ ng everywhere and it’s your fault. I was really interested in developing the idea that fi rst-Ɵ me fathers have no playbook for guidance—whether you 5 are a human or a penguin.”

According to Wilson, the teams were instructed to spend as much me recording the failures as the successes. Says Wilson, “At the point Steve becomes a father for the fi rst me, responsibility becomes a new challenge— one that is exacerbated by the environment in which he fi nds himself.”

Editor Andy Netley was responsible for tying all the footage together. “Disneynature movies are unique because they’re so character driven. We defi nitely wanted to do an emo onal and informa ve story, but above all, it’s Steve’s story.”

ADVENTURES IN THE ANTARCTIC Filming in AntarcƟ ca Requires Extensive Planning, Lengthy Travel and Oh-So-Resilient Filmmakers

Antarc ca is a place of mystery to many. The southern- most con nent is a sparse and icy expanse situated almost en rely within the Antarc c Circle, where temperatures rarely rise above 14 degrees F. “We’re taking audiences to a place that’s extraordinary and almost otherworldly,” says director Jeff Wilson. “Antarc ca is almost viewed as a place of fairytales, so we wanted to present a unique insight into a world.”

Adélie penguins are among the few creatures who call Antarc ca home. “Penguins” footage was captured from four key loca ons—all accessed by fl ying to , or and taking a boat or aircra from there to the Antarc c loca on.

Cape Crozier served as the main loca on for the produc on, where they worked alongside Adélie penguin scien sts from Point Blue Conserva on Science. It was accessed via McMurdo Sta on, the logis cs hub of the U.S. Antarc c Program. Small teams lived in the penguin colony—residing in tents—and u lized long lens photography, as well as the specially designed “penguin cam.”

Condi ons at Cape Crozier were harsh. Team members traveled on foot to their shoo ng loca ons and endured big storms, including intense kataba c winds. “There are so few places were the Adélie penguins can fi nd rocky areas to build their nests,” says director Alastair Fothergill. “Cape Crozier is a par cularly good place for bare rocks—one of the reasons is that it’s one of the windiest places in Antarc ca.”

Principal photographer Sophie Darlington can certainly a est to the intense wind. Filmmakers resided in tents—yes, tents, though a special kind of tent—at Cape Crozier. “We had a sleeping bag called a Snowy , which is unlike any other sleeping bag,” says

6 Darlington. “But you can sleep in shorts and a t-shirt. In Antarc ca.” JUST THE FACTS: A team of scien sts was next door in a slightly more secure hut. “A storm was coming in one night,” says • Antarc ca is covered in ice and surrounded by Darlington. “The scien sts warned me that if the wind ice. The surrounding ice band is called pack ice. should get worse than 80 miles per hour, I should leave This sea ice moves with the wind and currents. my tent and make my way into the hut. Off I went to my tent and climbed into my owl. I’m lying there and • Antarc ca is the driest con nent on Earth. Its the wind begins to pick up, which is when I realized precipita on is comparable to that of a hot that I didn’t have an anemometer. I don’t know what . 80 miles per hour sounds like in a tent. Finally, I decided • Temperatures in Antarc ca range from 14 to head to the scien sts’ hut—maybe 20 meters away. degrees F on the coast to -76 degrees F on But I struggled on my hands and knees to get there, the elevated inland areas. It’s dropped as low as wind was so strong. They opened the door and said, -112 degrees F during the winter. ‘Well done, you held out ll the wind was 102 miles per hour.’ We were in that hut for three days.” • Antarc ca spans more than 5 million square miles. It’s larger than . Named a er a French explorer, Dumont d’Urville Sta on • The Transantarc c Mountains divide the is a French scien fi c sta on in Antarc ca. Teams here con nent. Mount Kirkpatrick is the highest captured both long lens footage as well as underwater peak at 14,855 feet. shots. Principal photographer Max Hug Williams spent nearly three months on loca on at Dumont • Antarc ca’s posi on at the dictates d’Urville, arriving, along with fellow cinematographer its exposure to sunlight. During winter Rolf Steinmann, just as the winter season was ending. months, when Antarc ca is on the opposite Approximately 30 scien sts and researchers had spent side of Earth’s lt toward the , it’s dark for the long, dark winter there. “They get locked down— six months. In the summer, it is light for six nobody comes in or goes out—and live without new months. faces or fresh vegetables for months,” says Williams. “We were the fi rst fl ight in—the fi rst new people anyone • Antarc ca has only two seasons: summer and there had seen in fi ve months. So we brought some winter. iceberg le uce with us—they literally had a party.” • Antarc ca was the last con nent on Earth to be discovered. Dumont d’Urville is posi oned adjacent to a penguin colony. Filmmakers were able to bunk in cabins on-site, located about a half mile from the main base where they ate their meals. “When we arrived, we thought the presence of this rope leading from our cabin to the base was a bit strange,” says Williams. “Two days later, there were 100-mile-per-hour winds and we learned that the rope was there to clip into to follow it to the main base.”

Filmmakers were able to bring more equipment to the sta on, so crane shots were captured here, for example. It’s also where the underwater teams fi lmed.

7 The produc on’s largest crews lived and worked off the Hans Hansson explora on boat as it made its way down the coast along the Antarc c Peninsula—the northernmost part of the mainland of Antarc ca. Teams had to travel to Punta Arenas in Chile, then on to King George Island, where they caught the Hans Hansson. The boat’s skipper, Dion Poncet, was actually born aboard a yacht off South Georgia Island and has been sailing in Antarc c waters ever since.

The team captured long lens footage, as well as underwater imagery and some penguin cam footage. This loca on was ideal for capturing the fl edging penguins—and their eff orts to elude the predatory leopard seals.

The land-based Peninsula teams lived on the Esperanza base, a permanent, year-round Argen ne research sta on in Hope Bay, Trinity Peninsula. Filmmakers worked with long lenses as well as the penguin cam.

Associate producer Kieran O’Donovan was part of the team at Esperanza. “It’s quite an impressive thing to see thousands and thousands of penguins in one area—as far as you can see,” he says. “It’s a strong auditory experience and then, of course, there’s the smell. I found it all to be overwhelming and exci ng and interes ng. It’s almost like a city, because it has that same density and energy. They’re all going back and forth, as if they’re running errands.”

Filmmakers traveled along Phantom Coast, sharing the ship with an onboard helicopter to fi lm aerials. “It’s called the Phantom because it’s rarely visited,” says director Alastair Fothergill, who was part of the aerials team. “I think we were probably the 20th ship ever to go there. It’s the dark side of Antarc ca. We worked on an ice breaker with amazing Chilean pilots who had trained with the Chilean Police Force.”

GETTING THERE When it comes to fi lming Adélie penguins during breeding season in Antarc ca, ming is everything. A number of events ed to climate, weather and sea surface temperature, among other factors, aff ects the forma on, expansion and mel ng of sea ice. The penguins’ arrival to the coastal breeding areas and subsequent departure when the resul ng chicks are ready to fl edge to sea depends heavily on how much ice is—or isn’t—present. The same highly unpredictable events presented innumerable challenges to the team determined to capture footage of these penguins.

To get one crew into one loca on required intense and detailed planning. Mul ply that with mul ple crews in mul ple loca ons—then repeat the eff ort every few weeks. “We found that a er about six weeks in Antarc ca, you get pre y exhausted by the demands of the habitat,” says director Alastair Fothergill.

According to director Jeff Wilson, logis cs to and from Antarc ca are enormous. “If you leave from the South American side, it can take seven days to sail to the Antarc c Peninsula,” he says. “For the teams heading to Dumont d’Urville, the French base, the icebreaker that took them in took 10 days. To arrive at the American base, the crews fl ew down with two tons of equipment on an American Air Force plane that landed on the ice. Once on con nent, our teams were then dropped by helicopter into the colonies where they camped for two months at a me in condi ons that frequently dropped below -13 degrees F.

“It took three years of fi lming,” Wilson con nues. “All fi lming takes place between October and February, which

8 is the window of access to Antarc ca before the Antarc c winter takes over, the sea ice freezes over, the sun sets for six months.”

“Antarc ca is one of the few areas in the world that most people will never have an opportunity to see fi rsthand,” says producer Roy Conli. “It’s one of the most remote and harshest environments on Earth—but its stark beauty is breathtaking. Cul va ng an understanding and apprecia on of the area, the surrounding oceans and the animals who live there is essen al to the future of . That’s one of the reasons I love sharing the story of Steve—a penguin who’s working so hard to thrive in this world and doing his part for the next genera on.”

GETTING THE PERFECT SHOT Veteran Cinematographers Capture Footage on Land, in the Air and Underwater

To capture the stunning and diverse imagery for Steve’s story, some of the world’s best cinematographers were assembled and dispatched to Antarc ca, including specialists in long-lens fi lming, me-lapse, underwater, aerial and the specially designed penguin cam.

“Our teams were made up of very experienced Antarc c operators,” says director Jeff Wilson. “Most people on our teams have been there six or seven mes, which doesn’t sound like many, but is a lot when it comes to Antarc ca. As experienced polar operators, and with the connec ons to science that we have made in the past decades, we could predict the behaviors we needed to capture. Day-to-day decisions are made on the weather condi ons—whether it will be safe enough to operate, whether there is likely to be a change in sea ice condi ons or whether the water clarity is good enough to fi lm in. Also, exci ngly, this type of fi lming is dependent on good old tradi onal fi eld cra , which is rare these days. Technology plays li le role in Antarc c fi lming. Boots on the ground, using your eyes and wisdom counts for a lot more, which is why making a fi lm like this is a joy.”

Most of the footage was captured using RED Dragon 6K professional cameras—the modular design made them adaptable to long lens, penguin cam shoo ng and underwater produc on. Since the sun never really sets in Antarc ca during the summer months, fi lmmakers had a lot of light to choose from, but found that the light when the sun was low in the sky— which was in the middle of the night—off ered a par cularly magical look. “One of my favorite moments happened one morning when the light just kicked,” says principal photographer Sophie Darlington. “We were up above the colony and there was this incredible mist rising up from the edge of the colony by the ice. The penguins were all backlit. It was one of those moments that in my eye, it will be with me for the rest of my life, it was so beau ful.”

Each of the cinematographers brought a unique skillset to the produc on. Their objec ves depended on when they were on loca on and which

9 loca on they called home. • Principal photographer Max Hug Williams helped capture nest-building. He was behind the camera when a lone Adélie penguin wandered through the colony. “This guy turned up out of nowhere,” says Williams. “He just marched straight through the middle of the colony on his way to look for rocks. The Emperor chicks were bigger than he was. They were checking him out, ‘Who’s this character?’ They gave him a li le slap, but he was so confi dent.” • Principal photographer Mark Smith was part of the Cape Crozier team. “I wanted to get loads of very low angle shots,” he says. “Adélie penguins are only two feet tall, so we developed a new tripod so we could get down to their eye level.” • Darlington did a lot of long lens work, scou ng the massive colony at Cape Crozier for the best of the penguin behavior. One day the penguins came to her. “I was suddenly caught in a massive adult penguin commute,” she says. “I looked up and there was just a sea of penguins coming towards me. I was kneeling down, so I had the camera at their level. It was like being in rush hour in . It was an amazing feeling—being on the edge of the world and surrounded by these other people, it was like being transported to Lilliput.” • Principal photographer John Aitchison fi lmed from Avian Island, capturing young penguins. “I was there toward the end of their me on land,” he says. “I fi lmed them when they took the plunge and jumped into the sea. One of the diffi cult things with any group of animals that look similar is to isolate an individual penguin. There are various ways to do that: You can get low, perhaps exclude some of the background. You can use shallow depth of fi eld or a longer lens that keeps your penguin in focus while the other ones are not. Or you can very ghtly follow him while he’s in the middle of the frame.”

PENGUIN CAM According to Wilson, there were two primary methodologies when it came to the cinematography in the fi lm. “One is the tradi onal long lens, which is fantas c in isola ng behavior and characters amongst hundreds of thousands of penguins,” he says. “But we wanted to go one step further and introduce a look and feel to our essen al character, and that meant moving with him and giving him a bigger, more pronounced presence on screen.”

For fi lmmakers to be able to give audiences the penguins’ point of view, they had to get crea ve. “A Ronin is a stabilizing rig developed for feature fi lm use that’s designed to follow at eye level,” says Wilson. “It’s built so that you can hold a camera at human eye level—fi ve feet or so off the ground. But a penguin eye level is 12 inches off the ground. So we had to fl ip the Ronin on its head and create new handles and new support systems that provided the same level of stability.”

The teams used the penguin cam extensively. “We wanted to track and walk along with Steve,” says Wilson. “We

10 could use wide angle lenses, shallow depths of fi eld and the focus to put him right in center of frame, so that you always know that we’re in Steve’s world.”

Principal photographer Julie Moniere captured a great sequence in which Steve is pursued by two very hungry creatures. “His chicks were hungry and Steve had just returned from the sea with a full belly,” she says. “They chase him up and down the colony begging for food. It was really funny. It was a very rewarding moment for me. I was nearing the end of my second trip and I was red. To get the shots a er so much eff ort and to see those shots in the fi lm was quite emo onal.”

UNDERWATER Didier Noirot captured breathtaking imagery of the penguins underwater. He spent two-and-a-half months at Dumont d’Urville, but for the fi rst two weeks he saw no penguins. The massive sheet of ice that surrounds Antarc ca hadn’t broken up, so the Adélie penguins couldn’t yet access their breeding colonies. A er two weeks, fi lmmakers found a couple small openings in the ice—and Steve. “There were just a few Adélies, but one was very nice,” says Noirot. “Each me we arrived, he seemed to recognize the noise of our vehicle. He’d just show up and stand close to us so we could do everything we needed. I must say we were lucky.”

Noirot says none of the penguins were afraid of humans—in part because humans are not considered predators, but also because of the close proximity of the colony to the scien fi c sta on. Noirot has extensive experience shoo ng underwater in icy environments. He wears a dry suit, which is cumbersome, and carries a rebreather and a backup, plus the camera, which was put inside Cinefl ex housing. He limited his me underwater to an hour. Doug Anderson also specializes in underwater cinematography. He was tapped to fi lm the sequences featuring fl edging Adélie penguin chicks as they dive into the sea for the fi rst me, preparing to head out to sea for the winter. Shoo ng from just off Avian Island, Anderson also captured footage of another creature under the sea: leopard seals.

Says director Alastair Fothergill, “The last big drama in our movie is when the chicks fl edge. Broken ice fi lls the bay, so the chicks struggle to maneuver through the ice. And hiding beneath it are leopard seals, amazing predators with terrifying teeth that are almost impossible to avoid—they can catch 40-50 chicks a day. Steve shows his chicks the way to go, but then he and Adeline have to watch as they try to do it on their own.”

Anderson says some seals were reluctant to be fi lmed, but with pa ence, he found a group of confi dent animals hun ng in the same area. “They were big and mature and didn’t mind me being in the water close to them,”

11 he says. “There is a degree of sociability about them, but if you don’t present as a threat to them and stand your ground if they’re posturing, they accept you in their environment. But they’re big—maybe 16 feet long with a head the size of a small dog. And they’re very interac ve. But once they accept you, they will slip back into preda on.”

Anderson captured a surprising behavior one day a er the seals had had their fi ll. “The seals weren’t really hungry, but they con nued hun ng,” he says. “We no ced that the penguins seemed to be playing dead in hopes that the seals’ predatory response would go away if they stopped moving.”

It worked. “It’s innate behavior,” says director Jeff Wilson. “These chicks have never been in the ocean before. That moment of fl edging that we capture in the fi lm is when they are being introduced to the water for the very fi rst me. But there’s an ins nct, a core behavior, an understanding that’s wri en into their genes that shows them how to escape.”

Principal photographer Jamie McPherson was fi lming at the surface. “The would nudge a chick underwater,” he says. “But when the chick played dead and fl oated to the surface, the seal would get bored and swim off . Then the chick would hop out of the water as fast as it could.”

AERIAL Filmmakers wanted to showcase Antarc ca’s expansive se ng. “We wanted a helicopter aerial to give a sense of the amazing scenery around Antarc ca,” says Fothergill, who accompanied aerial cinematographer Ted Giff ords and fi eld producer Jason Roberts and to the Phantom Coast. “I’m pre y certain helicopters have never fl own over these areas because they’re so remote. We got a wonderful variety of scenery that appears all the way through the fi lm.”

According to editor Andy Netley, the aerial imagery is a highlight of the fi lm. “There are big, sweeping aerials of the male Adélies marching out on the ice,” he says. “It’s really quite cinema c. It’s just terrifi c seeing it on the big screen. Magic.”

For Wilson, who’s probably spent more me in Adélie colonies than any other fi lmmaker in the world, telling their story is both a dream and a nightmare—in the best possible way. “It’s some mes fi lled with dread and always fi lled with awe,” he says. “Working amongst

12 500,000 screaming penguins, in 24-hour daylight, o en for 30-hour days (because you can), hauling more than 65 pounds of gear with temps dipping to 13 below (F) is mentally very challenging. Trying to develop a character story in those condi ons takes focus and resolve. But more important than the achievement of the capture of the fi lm is the fact that when I have shown the fi lm to my boys, the screams of delight, the stomach-origina ng guff aws and the endless ques ons about Steve make doing something like this worthwhile. It is s ll hard to believe that I get paid to make my kids excited about the natural world. That’s a double win.”

DISNEYNATURE’S CONSERVATION TRADITION CONTINUES Moviegoers Who See “Penguins” to Benefi t Penguins Around the Globe

For every cket sold opening week (April 17-23, 2019), Disneynature will make a dona on to the Wildlife Conserva on Network (WCN) to help protect penguins across the southern hemisphere. “People love penguins,” says Dr. Pablo Borboroglu, founder and president of the Global Penguin Society (GPS). “We feel a racted and emo onally connected to them. Maybe it is because they walk upright, or just because they are cute and cuddly. Perhaps it is their tendency to waddle, or just because they look so well-dressed that we iden fy with them. Or it could be that we feel a racted by their devo on to their partners and off spring, because they have to make a living, provide for their chicks and commute to fi nd food.

Founded in 2002, WCN invests in a select network of on-the-ground conserva onists, including top experts in the fi eld of penguins like the GPS. The worldwide leader in science-based penguin conserva on, GPS champions specifi c programs that align with Disneynature’s conserva on mission. “For example, one of our aims is to track diff erent species of penguins’ movements across four con nents in the southern seas,” says Borboroglu. “Penguins swim thousands of kilometers to migrate and look for food. What they encounter during their journeys determines their survival, aff ects the viability of their species and informs science and conserva on ac on. We are also dedicated to cleaning plas cs from the beaches, breeding areas and seas impac ng penguin popula ons. Campaigns to clean up beaches around penguin colonies along selected coastal sectors will help secure a healthy and safe habitat for penguins.”

“Disneynature has an amazing pla orm,” says Charles Knowles, president and co-founder of WCN. “They’re able to reach a global audience in a way that we can hardly fathom. They are uniquely posi oned to tell the real story of penguins and the challenges they face. By teaming up with Disneynature—which is so strongly aligned with

13 our own mission—we are able to uniquely communicate about the species we care so much about. JUST THE FACTS: GLOBAL PENGUIN SOCIETY “We should care about penguins because they are to oceans what canaries are to coal mines,” con nues Knowles. “They tell The Global Penguin Society (GPS) is dedicated us about the health of our oceans because that’s where their to the survival and protec on of the world’s food source is. If oceans are not healthy enough to sustain penguin species, fostering integrated ocean penguins, they’re not going to be healthy enough to sustain conserva on through science, management human communi es.” (policy making) and educa on. GPS is an interna onally recognized leader in the The WCN’s mission is to protect endangered wildlife by conserva on of penguins, and the coasts suppor ng conserva onists who ensure wildlife and people and oceans they inhabit. The Global Penguin co-exist and thrive. WCN invests in a select network of on-the- Society endeavors to: ground conserva onists, off ering the fi nancial resources, tools and services they need to eff ec vely protect wildlife. WCN • Develop sound science to use in the also creates large-scale Crisis and Recovery Funds, inves ng conserva on of penguins and marine environments at local, regional and global scales; • Educate communi es and decision makers about the importance of penguins and their , aiming at achieving las ng behavioral changes; • Iden fy priority areas for the conserva on of penguins and their , propose and implement guidelines for their protec on; and in projects that can protect a threatened species across its • Infl uence the establishment, implemen- en re habitat. As no one organiza on or person can save ta on and effi cacy of public and private wildlife alone, WCN emphasizes collabora on, connec ng conserva on policies. conserva onists and supporters and crea ng a community united in a passion for wildlife. Learn more about WCN’s unique GPS is celebra ng its 10th anniversary. approach to saving wildlife and the work of our conserva on Learn about penguins and how GPS helps partners at wildnet.org. them globally at: globalpenguinsociety.org.

HITTING THE RIGHT NOTE Harry Gregson-Williams’ Score and 1980s Songs Help Bring Steve’s Story to Life

Disneynature is known for its unique storytelling style, and a major aspect of that storytelling is the music. “Penguins” takes it up a notch or two with a soundtrack that dares moviegoers not to smile. “The music is twofold,” says director Jeff Wilson. “The tone of the fi lm is driven by drawing from a genre of music that should speak to every parent, regardless of whether you’re an uber-cool parent or not.”

According to Wilson, fi lmmakers turned to Steve to help populate the fi lm with songs that serve as his tonal mo f. “We say that Steve has chosen the songs because these are the kind of tracks that are playing in Steve’s mind when he’s wandering around the colony, trying to fi nd the stones, or when he’s out there trying to get food for his kids.”

14 The penguin-approved songs hail from the 1980s and include “SƟ r It Up” by Paƫ LaBelle, “Can’t Fight This Feeling” by R.E.O Speedwagon, “Work to Do” by Average White Band, and “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake.

SCORE “Harry Gregson-Williams has wriƩ en a massive orchestral score,” says director Alastair Fothergill. “He’s done an amazing job. It’s a wonderful combinaƟ on of inƟ mate and amusing with big epic landscape-type pieces and we’re preƩ y happy.”

Adds producer Roy Conli, “Harry is an amazing arƟ st. The spirit of the music in this fi lm is fl awless. It carried a signifi cant weight and helps drive our story.”

The score was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, uƟ lizing a large orchestra and a choir. Says Gregson-Williams, “It has a wide range of emoƟ ons— from mischievous and humorous for the young and rather clumsy Steve when we meet him, to epic and awe-inspiring to refl ect the extraordinary landscape and environment that these penguins live in.”

The composer created individualized themaƟ c material for Steve, Adeline, the chicks and predators like the leopard seals. AddiƟ onal themes represent the changing of the seasons as well as a central theme for the penguins as a whole. “The music in a Disneynature fi lm can be criƟ cal–just as it might be in a mainstream feature, but perhaps more so in this instance,” says Gregson-Williams. “Given the fact that the story is told via a single voice, the narrator, the music has to play a large part in seƫ ng the tone.”

The orchestral score also features ukuleles, a saxophone quartet, guitars and unusual percussion. “The melody for the penguins’ march was whistled by the choir, who oŌ en found themselves doing more than just singing on this score,” says Gregson-Williams.

15 For “Penguins,” the power of music is best summed up by the early direc ve given Gregson-Williams. “Alastair Fothergill wasted no me in poin ng out to me that penguins don’t smile. They can’t. So a lot of the fun and color had to come from the score.”

ABOUT THE NARRATOR

As an actor, writer and comedian, ED HELMS (Narrator) has established himself as one of Hollywood’s most beloved performers with scene-stealing roles on both fi lm and .

His latest fi lm, “Corporate Animals,” co-starring Demi Moore, recently premiered at the Sundance Film Fes val and was acquired by Screen Media for a summer 2019 release. Helms produced the fi lm under his produc on banner, Pacifi c Electric Picture Co., which he founded in 2012 with Mike Falbo. Pacifi c Electric also produced the Comedy Central special “The Fake News with Ted Nelms,” a subversive, apoli cal news show sa re, hosted by a guy who kind of looks like Ed Helms. The special was recently honored with the Writers Guild of America Award for the best comedy/variety special. Among his diverse list of credits, Helms is known for his tenure on NBC’s award-winning comedy series “The Offi ce,” and the box offi ce smash-hit fi lm trilogy, “The Hangover.”

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

ALASTAIR FOTHERGILL (Director/Producer) was described by The Wall Street Journal as “the Spielberg of nature fi lms.” He is the director of four previous Disneynature produc ons: “African Cats” and “Bears” (with Keith Scholey), as well as “Chimpanzee” and “Earth” (with Mark Linfi eld). Fothergill was also a co- director of “Monkey Kingdom” (with Mark Linfi eld), and more recently “ Reef” (with Keith Scholey). Fothergill’s Disneynature fi lms number among the highest-grossing feature-length nature fi lms in North American box-offi ce history. Fothergill is also currently a series producer of the Ne lix original series “Our Planet”, and execu ve producer of the BBC series “Perfect Planet.”

Fothergill’s other theatrical credits as a director include “Deep Blue.” From 2002 to 2006, Fothergill was series producer of “,” one of the most cri cally acclaimed documentary series of all me. He later execu ve produced the BBC/ series “ Planet,” a natural history of the polar regions.

More recently, he was execu ve producer of the landmark BBC series “The Hunt,” examining the strategies used by predators and prey. His many other credits include “” and “.”

Fothergill studied at and began his career in 1983 when he joined the BBC’s renowned Natural History Unit. He served as head of the Natural History Unit from 1992 un l 1998.

When he is not working, Fothergill is a keen walker and amateur ar st.

16 JEFF WILSON (Director/Producer) is a producer/director of natural history fi lms and a documentary photographer based in , U.K. He served as assistant director for Disneynature’s 2015 feature “Monkey Kingdom” before joining the “Penguins” team.

Born in the U.K. and raised in , —the son of two conservaƟ onists—he has worked in 45 countries and on every conƟ nent, specializing in remote-locaƟ on work, capturing the behavior of some of the world’s most spectacular wildlife and landscapes. Wilson studied biology before joining the BBC Natural History Unit in 2001 for David AƩ enbourough’s “Life of .”

Prior to joining the “Monkey Kingdom” team, Wilson produced the fi lm “Snowdonia–A Year in the Wild,” which was awarded Best New Producer by the in the U.K. and the Marian Zunz Newcomer Award by Jackson Hole Wildlife Film FesƟ val. His credits include the BBC series “” and “Planet Earth,” as well as “The Natural World,” “A Year in the Wild” and “Great Bear Stakeout.”

As a photographer, he has been published in all the major newspapers in the U.K., as well as magazines including Adventure Travel, NaƟ onal Geographic Traveler, Outdoor Photographer, GQ, BBC Wildlife and Trail Magazine.

MARK LINFIELD (Co-Director/Producer) has directed three previous Disneynature fi lms, “Monkey Kingdom,” “Earth” and “Chimpanzee,” the laƩ er two paired with fellow director Alastair Fothergill.

Linfi eld directed and produced BBC/Discovery Channel’s popular “Frozen Planet,” the sequel to “Planet Earth.” He also directed and produced two episodes of the mulƟ ple-Emmy®-winning “Planet Earth,” including the opening episode “From Pole to Pole.”

Among Linfi eld’s other award-winning documentaries are “Capuchins: The Monkey Puzzle,” “The Triumph of Life,” “ : The BaƩ les of Braveheart,” “: The High Society” and “The Temple Troop.” He was also a director on the BAFTA-nominated “” with Sir David AƩ enborough. Linfi eld had a childhood passion for nature and photography, was educated at the University of Oxford and began his fi lmmaking career more than 25 years ago on a BBC documentary about gorillas in the Congo, .

KEITH SCHOLEY (Producer) began working for Disneynature on the feature fi lm “African Cats,” which he directed alongside Alastair Fothergill. He also directed Disneynature’s “Bears” and “Dolphin Reef.” Scholey is also currently a series producer of the Neƞ lix original series “Our Planet,” and execuƟ ve producer of the BBC series “Perfect Planet.”

17 Born and raised in , Scholey qualifi ed as a zoologist with both a degree and PhD from Bristol University. In 1982, he began work as a wildlife s lls photographer, a passion he pursued throughout his television career. Scholey began working with the BBC Natural History Unit as a researcher and subsequently became a producer, making numerous fi lms for the “Natural World” and “” series, as well as for special series including David A enborough’s award-winning “The Private Life of .” In 1993, he became an execu ve producer, running “Wildlife on One” and crea ng popular series such as “Wildlife Specials” and “ Diary.”

In 1998, Scholey was appointed the head of the BBC’s Natural History Unit, and as editor-in-chief, he oversaw series including David A enborough’s “” and “The Life of Mammals,” “Blue Planet,” “Andes to ,” “Cousins” and “.” In 2002 he was appointed controller of Specialist Factual at the BBC, responsible for in-house natural history, science, history, arts, business and religious produc ons. Natural history produc ons made during this me included “,” David A enborough’s “” and “Planet Earth.” In 2006 he was appointed controller of Factual Produc on, responsible for all of the BBC’s in-house factual television produc on in and also the deputy chief crea ve offi cer for Vision Produc ons. More recently, he was the execu ve producer of the Discovery Channel series “,” as well as “ Islands” for Animal Planet & Discovery Networks Interna onal.

The produc ons for which Scholey has been responsible have won numerous awards, including Emmys®, BAFTAs, Environmental Media Awards, Wildscreen Pandas and Jackson Hole awards.

Outside his work, Scholey, who lives in Bristol, enjoys sailing, scuba diving and fi ne French wine.

ROY CONLI (Producer), who produced Walt Disney Anima on Studios’ Oscar®-winning feature “Big Hero 6,” is part of the execu ve leadership team for WDAS.

Conli joined Disney in 1993, and a er launching produc on for “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” he relocated to France to oversee the contribu ons of the Paris-based anima on team over the two-year produc on schedule. Upon comple on of the fi lm, Conli remained in France and guided produc on on the animated fi lms “” and “.” Conli returned to the studio in Burbank to produce “.” He served as producer of Walt Disney Anima on Studios’ 50th animated fi lm, “” (2010), “Big Hero 6” (2014), as well as the feature e “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” (2017). Conli joined the Disneynature team in 2015, serving as a producer of “Born in China” prior to his work on “Penguins.”

Before joining WDAS, Conli spent four years at the Mark Taper Forum, ’ leading regional theater, managing special projects, new play development and the premieres of such award-winning plays as “Angels in America,” “Jelly’s Last Jam” and “The Kentucky Cycle.” He previously ini ated a restora on of the Pasadena Playhouse, guiding the theater to its offi cial reopening in 1983, and served as associate producer for the Camden Shakespeare Fes val in Maine.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Conli studied theater at San Francisco’s pres gious American Conservatory Theater (ACT), later earning his M.F.A. at Boston University.

18 HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS (Music by) is one of Hollywood’s most sought-a er and prolifi c composers whose long list of fi lm and television credits underscore the diverse range of his talents. His recent projects include Warner Bros.’ summer hit “The Meg,” directed by Jon Turteltaub; the ac on thriller “The Equalizer 2,” starring Denzel Washington and directed by Antoine Fuqua; and Aardman Anima on’s “Early Man,” directed by for which he received an Annie Award nomina on. Gregson-Williams will next score Disney’s live-ac on feature fi lm “,” scheduled for release in 2020.

His current television projects include the ABC’s ac on-dramedy series “Whiskey Cavalier” starring Sco Foley, which premiered in February 2019. He is wri ng the music with his brother, composer Rupert Gregson-Williams, for the limited series “Catch-22,” directed and execu ve produced by George Clooney for , which premieres on May 17, 2019. Last year, Harry Gregson-Williams created the main tle theme and scored two episodes for Amazon’s 10-episode sci-fi anthology series “Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams.” For the episode tled “The Commuter,” he received an Emmy® nomina on.

Gregson-Williams was the composer on all four installments of the animated blockbuster “” franchise, garnering a BAFTA Award nomina on for the score for the Oscar®-winning “Shrek.” He also received Golden Globe® and Grammy® Award nomina ons for his score for Andrew Adamson’s “The Chronicles of Narnia: The , the Witch and the Wardrobe.” Gregson-Williams has collaborated mul ple mes with a number of directors, including Ben Affl eck on the fi lms “Live by Night,” “The ” and “Gone Baby Gone”; on “Twelve,” “The Number 23,” “Veronica Guerin” and “Phone Booth”; Tony Sco on “Unstoppable,” “The Taking of Pelham 123,” “Déjà Vu,” “Domino,” “Man on Fire,” “Spy Game” and “Enemy of the State”; Ridley Sco on “The Mar an,” “Prometheus”, “Exodus: Gods and Kings” and “Kingdom of Heaven”; Bille August on “Return to Sender” and “Smilla’s Sense of Snow”; Andrew Adamson on the “Shrek” series, the fi rst two Narnia movies and “Mr. Pip”; and Antoine Fuqua on “The Replacement Killers” and “The Equalizer.”

His many other credits include the scores for Simon Baker’s directorial debut, “Breath”; Niki Caro’s “The Zookeeper’s Wife”; the telefi lm “Confi rma on”; Catherine Hardwicke’s “Miss You Already”; “Blackhat” for director Michael Mann; Len Wiseman’s “Total Recall”; Jon Favreau’s “Cowboys & Aliens”; the documentary “Life in a Day”; Mike Newell’s “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time”; Gavin Hood’s “X-Men Origins: ”; and Beeban Kidron’s “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.” Gregson-Williams has also created the scores for a variety of animated features, including Aardman’s “Arthur Christmas,” “Flushed Away,” “Antz” and “ Run.”

Gregson-Williams has scored three of the fi ve games in the highly successful “Metal Gear Solid” franchise for Konami and scored “Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare” for Ac vision, which became the top-selling video game

19 of 2014 and earned him various awards. Throughout his career, Gregson-Williams has collaborated with a diverse array of recording arƟ sts such as Regina Spektor, Imogen Heap, Tricky, Peter Murphy, , Hybrid, Paul Oakenfold, Sasha, Trevor Horn, Trevor Rabin, Lebo M., Perry Farrell and Tony VisconƟ .

Born in England to a musical family, Gregson-Williams earned a music scholarship to St. John’s College, Cambridge, at age 7, and later gained a coveted spot at London’s Guildhall School of Music & Drama, from which he recently received an Honorary Fellowship. He started his fi lm career as assistant to composer Richard Harvey and later as orchestrator and arranger for Stanley Myers, and then went on to compose his fi rst scores for director Nicolas Roeg. Gregson-Williams’ subsequent collaboraƟ on and friendship with composer led to providing music for such fi lms as “The Rock,” “Armageddon” and “The Prince of Egypt,” launching his career in Hollywood.

In 2018, Gregson-Williams received the BMI Icon Award in recogniƟ on of his unique and indelible infl uence on generaƟ ons of music makers and the Society of Composers & Lyricists’ presƟ gious Ambassador Award. He has also been a regular mentor at the Sundance Composers Lab working directly with talented emerging composers from all over the world.

JOHN AITCHISON (Principal Photographer) has been making wildlife fi lms for 30 years. He specializes in fi lming shy animals, far away, using telephoto lenses, so it made a nice change to fi lm Steve and his friends, who didn’t give a squawk about the camera team. Aitchison fi lmed for Disneynature’s “Bears” and has been part of several camera teams that were awarded Emmys® and BAFTAs, for such series as “Frozen Planet,” “The Hunt” and “Planet Earth II.” He lives in Scotland where his nearest neighbors are oƩ ers.

DOUG ANDERSON (Principal Photographer) was an underwater cameraman for the leopard seal sequence in “Penguins,” fi lming leopard seals hunƟ ng penguin chicks. Anderson has extensive experience as an underwater on nature documentaries, including the Disneynature fi lm “Dolphin Reef.” His other recent credits include the upcoming Neƞ lix original series “Our Planet,” and the BBC television series “The Hunt,” “Africa” and “Frozen Planet,” as well as the BBC Earth theatrical fi lm “Enchanted Kingdom 3D.”

SOPHIE DARLINGTON (Principal Photographer) is an BAFTA- and mulƟ -award-winning U.K. based natural history fi lmmaker and director of photography who has been making wildlife feature fi lms and television for more than 25 years. She has an outstanding reputaƟ on as a highly experienced self-shooƟ ng cinematographer specializing in long-lens camerawork, beauƟ ful composiƟ on, high speed and animal behavior. Darlington has worked on ambiƟ ous feature fi lms for Disneynature, BBC Earth and The Discovery Channel including “Penguins,” “African Cats,” “Bears” and “Enchanted Kingdom 3D,” and landmark television series for The BBC, Neƞ lix, NaƟ onal Geographic, CBS, PBS and The Discovery Channel such as “The Hunt,” “Our Planet,” “DynasƟ es,” “Planet Earth II” and “Life Story,” narrated by Sir David AƩ enborough. Her work has taken her to the most extreme locaƟ ons from 78° North to 78° South, and won her the highest accolades in the industry for fi lm making excellence.

20 MAX HUG WILLIAMS (Principal Photographer) has worked as a wildlife director of photography for over 15 years. Filming in extreme environments from the Amazon to the Arc c, Williams now has more than 50 credits working on many award-winning series including “Planet Earth II,” “Africa” and “.” For consecu ve years Williams was BAFTA nominated for best factual photography and in 2017 won a Prime me Emmy® for outstanding cinematography for “Planet Earth II (Islands),” for which he fi lmed the penguin sequence.

JAMIE McPHERSON (Principal Photographer) is a wildlife cameraman specializing in long lens tracking vehicle work. He uses gyrostabilized cameras rigged to everything from helicopters, to 4x4s to boats to capture behavior with style and movement. For “Penguins,” he used a Cinefl ex rigged to a boat to capture the sequence of fl edging chicks being pursued by leopard seals. He also fi lmed the images of Steve and his penguin buddies porpoising as they travel to and from the colony.

McPherson’s recent credits include Disneynature’s “Bears” and “Dolphin Reef,” as well as the Ne lix series “Our Planet” and BBC series “The Hunt.”

JULIE MONIÈRE (Principal Photographer) is a French camerawoman with a biology degree and 15 years’ experience in the fi lm and documentary industry.

Through her passion for the Natural World and the extraordinary life of people, Monière has travelled in diff erent parts of the world for various projects. She is experienced working in hos le environments both socially and geographically from the Antarc c to the desert of Morocco, the jungle of the Congo or deep inside an ac ve . Monière has an in-depth knowledge of all modern cameras including night vision, gimbal, drone and me-lapse technologies.

As a polar explorer, her heart truly lives in cold places and in par cular in the Arc c and in the Antarc c. She was one of the fi rst team members to be on board for the Disneynature Film “Penguins.” She was sent to fi lm for two summer seasons in Cape Crozier, Antarc ca. Her mul -skilled experience as a camerawoman led her to fi lm with the Ronin and be in charge of me-lapses as well as the making of. Her dedica on to the project gave her the opportunity to be one of the team leaders on loca on during her second season.

DIDIER NOIROT (Principal Photographer) is an acclaimed underwater cameraman who captured several underwater sequences in “Penguins.”

Noirot has previously worked for Disneynature on “Oceans”, which grossed over $80 million at the worldwide box offi ce, as well as “Bears”, where he fi lmed pioneering footage of grizzly bears from underwater. More recently, he fi lmed several sequences of humpback whales for Disneynature’s “Dolphin Reef.” His other credits include the BBC series “Blue Planet,” “Planet Earth” and “Frozen Planet.”

Noirot was inspired by Jacques Cousteau’s underwater odyssey to learn to scuba dive in 1976. In 1986, his dream to work with Cousteau came true, as Noirot was hired by Cousteau to work as a s ll photographer, and later as an underwater cameraman, aboard Cousteau’s ship, The Calypso. Noirot worked alongside Cousteau for 12 years, un l Cousteau’s death in 1997. Noirot has logged more than 10,000 dives in environments ranging from cold water and ice diving in the and Antarc ca, to fi lming in tropical waters. When he is not away on fi lming trips, Noirot lives at his home near Grenoble in southeastern France.

21 MARK SMITH (Principal Photographer) has spent the past 25 years as a wildlife cameraman specializing in remote loca ons around the world. He’s contributed to more than 40 major produc ons for the BBC, Na onal Geographic, The Discovery Channel and Ne lix, including Sir David A enborough’s “Planet Earth” (I & II) series and “Frozen Planet.” He was the fi rst person to fi lm a hun ng in the wild (“Planet Earth”). Smith has won many awards for his photography, including three BAFTAS and fi ve Emmys®.

ROLF STEINMANN (Principal Photographer) is a wildlife cameraman from Upper Bavaria in Germany, who fi rst worked for Disneynature on “Born in China.” His dream has always been to work in the most remote corners of the world with the most untamed wildlife. A er his fi rst steps as a cameraman fi lming mainly in German forests, Steinmann moved on to collaborate with independent wildlife fi lm producers in the U.K. and later the BBC. From the heat of the Indian drought to the freezing temperatures of the Arc c winter, Steinmann’s shoots have led him onto diff erent con nents where he learned to deal with the harshest condi ons on Earth. He has already19 fi lmed in places as remote as the island of So

uth Georgia, in and the High Arc c, as well as in the Congo and a high-al tude loca on such as the Tibetan steppes. Aside from Disneynature, his work has been seen on the BBC and Na onal Geographic, among other channels. Steinmann has been nominated three mes for best cinematography at the Wildscreen Fes val, which is one of the world’s most pres gious nature fi lm fes vals.

ANDY NETLEY (Editor) has been a freelance editor for nearly 30 years and has won a BAFTA and two Emmys®. “Penguins” is the fourth Disneynature fi lm he has edited, having previously worked on “Chimpanzee,” “Bears” and “Monkey Kingdom.”

Netley has also worked on many of the big landmark Natural History series, including “Life of Mammals,” “Planet Earth,” “,” “Life,” “Human Planet,” “Frozen Planet,” “Africa,” “The Hunt” and “Our Planet.”

DR. PABLO GARCIA BORBOROGLU (Global Penguin Society Founder/President) has a PhD in biology and is a conserva onist. He works on protected areas and ecology, focused on penguins. He is the founder- president of the Global Penguin Society (GPS), a researcher at the Na onal Research Council in Argen na and a professor at the University of Washington. Since 1989, he has worked in the fi eld of marine research and conserva on, with special emphasis on penguins. He also works on marine protected areas designa on, planning and implementa on.

He has spearheaded global conserva on eff orts on science, management and educa on to benefi t penguins in several countries, including the co-crea on and direc on of the IUCN Penguin Specialist Group, the designa on of the largest Biosphere Reserve for Argen na and the crea on 19of the Punta Tombo MPA.

He is a Duke University and a Pew fellow and recipient of the Whitley Gold Award, the Na onal Geographic Buff et Award and the Honor Recogni on by the Congress of Argen na.

22 Oscar® and Academy Award® are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of MoƟ on Picture Arts and Sciences. Screen Actors Guild Award® and SAG Award® are the registered trademarks and service marks of Screen Actors Guild™. Emmy® is the trademark property of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the NaƟ onal Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Golden Globe® is the registered trademark and service mark of the Hollywood Foreign Press AssociaƟ on. Tony Award® is a registered trademark and service mark of The American Theatre Wing. GRAMMY® and the gramophone logo are registered trademarks of The Recording Academy® and are used under license. ©2011 The Recording Academy®.

23