inside

Introduction | Inside Sulawesi | Animals of the Island | Resources

A volcanic mud puddle in Sulawesi.


	Making a nature film is never a simple task. Preparations may take years, and wildlife filmmakers must rely on the background knowledge of the biologists who study areas like Sulawesi. Camera crews need guides to help them travel through dense tropical forests and find animals. And once the wildlife is found, there is no guarantee that the creatures will feel safe with a bustling team of humans and equipment nearby.


	In order to film CASTAWAYS OF SULAWESI, cameraman Jim Clare moved in with two biologists, Dr. Tim O'Brien and Dr. Margaret Kinnaird. The three set up housekeeping at a small research station in the Tangkoko Dua Sudara Nature Reserve in North Sulawesi. They stayed there nearly a year.

Staking out hornbill nests and getting macaques to feel comfortable near humans takes years to accomplish, say Kinnaird and O'Brien, who became the essential source of information on the animals in Tangkoko. "By the time [the crew] was on site, I had mapped and measured 60 red-knobbed hornbill nests," explains Kinnaird, who has studied hornbill nesting patterns for more than three years. "Jim would tell me that he needed a nest with certain characteristics, and I would provide him with a subset to go and examine."

A hornbill swallows figs to bring to his mate.


	To get footage of a hornbill hatchling inside a tree, Clare and the biologists chose a nesting site just after the rainy season ended, right before the birds began nesting. Clare climbed the tree, cut a window into the nest cavity, and boarded it up, leaving space for his camera lens. He then built scaffolding up to the window so he could climb up to film without disturbing the birds.

"The chick that he ended up filming was certainly not bothered by the setup," says Kinnaird. "It even liked to peck at and play with his lens and light."

Other animals, such as tarsiers, were photographed in the wild. Even though the producers focused on a group of animals accessible to tourists, filming a fast, tiny primate like the tarsier takes patience and determination, especially in the dark.


	On the other hand, the group of babirusa featured in CASTAWAYS OF SULAWESI was easy to find; it was traveling to the site that was difficult. "I accompanied Jim to the babirusa site," says Kinnaird. "I helped him get there by translating, arranging boats, and meeting with the local authorities."

NATURE Home | Previous Features Menu

Introduction | Inside Sulawesi | Animals of the Island | Resources

PBS Online | Thirteen Online