Tim Pastore, president, original programming & production, National Geographic, talks about the unprecedented challenges of groundbreaking event Earth Live, a program using new technology to show viewers live wildlife lit only by the moon. National Geographic is offering the two-hour live broadcast of what it calls “the Olympics of the natural world” on Sunday, July 9, at 8p, across Nat Geo, Nat Geo WILD Nat Geo Mundo in 171 countries.
Cynopsis: What are the biggest challenges with a live show?
Tim Pastore: The biggest challenge is the unpredictability – from animal behavior to the safety of our field production crew to the weather. While you can plan for every scenario, you must be nimble and be able to shift gears at a moment’s notice. And when you have this unprecedented scope that is Earth Live, it is magnified. We’ll have more than 50 cameras operating simultaneously. We’ll be in 15 countries and in more than 25 locations over 12 time zones. We’re giving viewers access to dozens of key locations across six continents — from South America to Asia and everywhere in between — as world-renowned cinematographers use cutting-edge technology to showcase a number of wildlife firsts. And, for the first time, viewers will watch live wildlife lit only by the moon, in full color, via new low-light camera technology.
Cynopsis: How is preparation for a live show different from a taped nature show?
Pastore: The ‘live’ element of this wildlife television event makes it even more exciting and ambitious. It is the Olympics of natural history events, and the costs reflect the ambition. We’ve been preparing for this program for almost 2 years, along with recces occurring a year ago for our targeted locations. The vast amount of contingency planning and preparation for every possible scenario is quite astounding.
We even had to decide the best time for this live event. Our team of wildlife experts and world-renowned wildlife filmmakers determined that the best time to go live around the world and view wildlife in action would be July 9 – for so many reasons, including the full moon having huge influence on wildlife and with summer in the northern hemisphere, so many animals are making great migrations.
At any given moment, viewers will be able to see the most amazing wildlife — and by utilizing the most advanced technology – in their natural habitats. Whether we’re in Ethiopia to get up close and personal with a hyena clan, filming with ultra-lowlight camera technology, or underwater from a feeding frenzy of bull sharks in the South Pacific’s Fiji, this live event has to be well orchestrated and we’re fortunate enough to have more than 100 combined years of wildlife TV experience behind our production team.
Cynopsis: How were the event’s hosts selected?
Pastore: Taking viewers on this adventure are our hosts Jane Lynch and Phil Keoghan. We could not find more perfect hosts to help navigate us through this global journey. Jane and Phil are seasoned television personalities who have the ability to be quick and react on a moment’s notice.
Cynopsis: Do you think the current political climate will affect how the show is received? I
Pastore: “Earth Live” is wildlife on six continents over the course of two hours – an opportunity to see the world in one night. We aren’t explicitly focusing on how wildlife is affected by climate change but there’s an underlying connection between this amazing display of wildlife and the importance of conserving and protecting our planet.
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