www.usatoday.com/story/life: DisneyNature filmmakers are known for doing whatever it takes to get stunning footage of wildlife up close — even wearing goofy-looking panda suits required to shoot real pandas for Born in China.
Yes, director Lu Chuan's ground crew really wore panda outfits, complete with panda poop smell, to shoot the hit nature film, released around Earth Day and set for a Blu-ray release Aug. 29.
2 comments:
I’m not sure if I’m convinced that the panda costumes actually made the pandas less afraid of the photographers. Even if the pandas were convinced they were just other pandas, wouldn’t they have tried to get them to go away since female pandas are territorial? I can’t help but wonder if someone decided doing this would allow them to get closer to the pandas and then the photographers credited opportunities for good shots to the costumes even when they would’ve gotten them either way. I would assume there haven’t been any studies done to see if people can convinced pandas that people are pandas, and I don’t even know how such a study would be conducted since it is hard to assess what a panda is thinking. Part of me figures there was no harm in trying, and there was no realistic way for them to test the idea and prove it works, but I’m still skeptical of the efficacy.
I really love nature films. The other Disney Earth films are incredible and I can't wait to see this one (eventually). As odd as wearing a panda costume that smells might sound horrific for a film crew, I know it is not uncommon for film makers who are collecting footage of wild animals and place to have to do and wear instructing things. I watched a documentary on National Geographic film makers and they are constantly trying to find new ways to blend themselves and their equipment into the surrounds as to not scare off the wild life. I am kind of surprised that the article did not mention anything about covering up the equipment when I would think that would have an effect too on the wild life. I do understand where Julian is coming from as when an animals sees another of its kind they will likely interact in some way. I think the idea though was more to present the humans as something the pandas are familiar with and comfortable with rather than making them believe their are other pandas there.
Post a Comment