Capturing animals on film is a 'tail' of the unexpected

Time and patience

It is meaningless to talk about animals without the nearly ubiquitous human beings, said Zeng Hairuo, director of documentaries Roof of the World and The Land of Spirits, at the forum.

In Zeng's eyes, to find the animals' comfort zone and understand their reactions is one of the most important things in filming nature documentaries.

Zeng and his team usually spend a lot of time to get close to the animals they intend to shoot, and learn about the details of their daily life. Before each project, they consult animal experts, meet local guides including shepherds and hunters, as they have a greater understanding of animal habits and can find the places where animals show their hidden traits.

Unlike commercial films, the production of nature documentaries requires time and patience. Waiting is a must, and the camera crew need to keep this in mind — only two to three shots over one day would be used, according to Zeng.

When his team shot the yaks for The Land of Spirits, the camera crew stayed with the animals in Qinghai province for many days, and gradually could approach them. "The yaks have an understanding of you, and their sensory system adapts to your presence. You seem to be a harmless subject to them, so they will be less resistant and then you have a chance to get good shots and tell good stories," Zeng said.

In another case, wild Siberian tigers, also a species featured in The Land of Spirits, have far more sensory abilities than humans, according to Zeng, and it is impossible to expect them to be unaware of human presence. So the crew spent a lot of time accompanying the tigers, showing their respect to the animals, and let them get used to the presence of the camera crew.

Now with 4K and 8K high-resolution video cameras, and advanced means of shooting animals, such as infrared, remote, camouflage, underwater and aerial shooting, the documentary industry has witnessed technological advances. "But the longest lens can't solve all the problems," he said. "At the end of the day, you need to get closer to animals and let them accept your existence."