Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Frozen Planet II': Q&A with producer Alex Lanchester

23/01/2023

Frozen Planet II': Q&A with producer Alex Lanchester Frozen Planet II' producer Alex Lanchester revealed what viewers can expect and more in an exclusive interview with The South African.

by Alicia Naidoo

23-01-2023 16:02

in Entertainment

Q&A with Frozen Planet II' producer Alex Lanchester. Image: supplied.

Alex Lanchster, who is the producer of Frozen Planet II chatted to The South African, in an exclusive interview about the upcoming BBC Earth series.

--

Frozen Planet II, will premiere on BBC Earth (DStv 184) on Monday 13 February at 20:00. The series scored a 71% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Frozen Planet II'is set to premiere on 13 February 2023 at 20:00 on BBC Earth DStv channel 184. Image: Supplied. ALSO READ: Frozen Planet II': All you need to know about the series

Q&A WITH ALEX LANCHESTER What can viewers expect from Frozen Planet II?

--

On Frozen Planet II, what we want to do is demonstrate and bring people to all the Frozen Planet habitats that exists on the planet. In Frozen Planet I we looked at the poles and Frozen Planet II we want viewers to see all the Frozen habitats.

That may be mountains on the equator where there are ice worlds, into the depth of the Mongolian step where there is the fluffiest cat in the world. In each world we visit, we want to show people the amazing wildlife that lives there and how they adapt to the cold.

Tell us more about the structure and story of the series?

--

Frozen Planet II is split into 6 programmes, they are based around habitats. In the opening programme, it's a grand-tour of all the frozen habitats, form the south pole to the north pole. We then unpack each of those habitats and delve deeper into the habitats that live there. In programme two we go to the Arctic ocean which is one of the only ocean that freezes entirely. A world that is dictated by the relationship of solid and water and how do the animals adapt and flourish in the environment.

Episode three looks at frozen peaks which allowed us to go to almost every continent on earth and look at frozen environment in some really unexpected places. Then we move on to antarctica, this is the biggest baldest , coldest place on earth. How do animals service there?

ALSO READ: R411 million extravaganza: Inside Beyonce's Dubai concert

BEHIND-THE-SCENES What was your favourite behind-the-scenes moment while filming Frozen Planet II?

So many! My personal favourite moment was when we first saw an Siberian tiger on a camera trap out in Russia. We spent weeks trying to capture them, they are the biggest cats on the earth but are incredibly illusive. We put this incredible camera trap that was running for weeks at a time and we kept getting failure after failure. This one day we were sitting there, open up the box and look at the camera and there is this totally majestic tiger, walking into frame and looking at the camera.

What technology was used to film the series?

In every series we want to push the technology. In Frozen Planet II we really did again in several areas. We were able to push FBV drones which are super speedy, low weight drones filming avalanches, which was a filming first. These drones are so fast they keep track of an avalanche. What you will see in programme three is that your really flying alongside an av - a million tonnes of snow falling down.

They look like a VR headset, they fulling immerse themselves. Drone technology was a big thing for us, they were able to give remarkable perspective and behaviours including killer whales hunting seals in Antarctica. Suddenly you have that top down view, you can really see how these animals are coordinating their attack.

What are you most passionate about capturing through the lens?

Personal perspective, I am incredible amazed how interesting and marvellous the animal kingdom is. All the things they are doing, as a film-maker I am always looking to push that curiosity of the natural world our to viewers. That always keeps me going whatever I am making.

With Frozen Planet II it's a lot about how the world is changing, lots of people say this has never before. We all got a sense of being on the front-line of climate change.

ALSO READ: RHOD' season three: Q&A with newbie' Maria Valaskatzis

SOAPIE QUIZ: How well do you know Skeem Saam'? WIN R1 000 in cash! ENTER NOW!
LINK: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/culture/entertainment/frozen-planet-ii...
See more stories from thesouthafrican

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

02/03/2026

NBC Sports Selected Imaginary Forces to Create Cinematic Main Title Sequence for Primetime In Milan

NBC Sports selected Imaginary Forces to create the main title sequence for the M...

02/03/2026

NFL Launches Draft-Inspired Innovation Challenge to Advance Future of Fan and Event Technology

The NFL announces the launch of the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a new crowds...

02/03/2026

DataMiner SatOps Named Finalist for 2026 Teleport Technology of the Year

The World Teleport Association (WTA) has named Skyline Communications' DataMiner SatOps solution as a finalist for the 2026 Teleport Technology of the Year ...

02/03/2026

Ventum Tech Partners with Pixotope to Expand Virtual Production Capabilities Across the GCC

Ventum Tech announces a strategic partnership with Pixotope, a real-time graphic...

02/03/2026

Victory+ Launches NWSL Content Hub, Taps Top Creators to Redefine How Fans Connect with League

Victory , a free, ad-supported sports streaming service, announces the launch of...

02/03/2026

Global powerhouse Delta Goodrem to represent Australia at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria

Global powerhouse Delta Goodrem to represent Australia at this year's Eurovi...

02/03/2026

SBS brings together prominent voices to discuss rising social division and seek solutions for a more inclusive country

SBS brings together prominent voices to discuss rising social division and seek ...

02/03/2026

NITV Unveils Wednesday Night Sport Night

NITV Unveils Wednesday Night Sport Night Media releases A Midweek Hub for Blak Sport Flagship NRL program Over The Black Dot moves to Wednesdays at 9:30pm ...

02/03/2026

Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness

Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have reached another pivotal ...

02/03/2026

L3Harris Appoints Ken Sharp Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Ken Bedingfield President of Missile Solutions

MELBOURNE, Fla., March 2, 2026 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) today announc...

02/03/2026

Nielsen reveals New Zealand's top ad spenders and categories for 2025

Harvey Norman tops New Zealand's biggest ad spenders as retail leads and telcos and beverages sure Auckland March 3, 2026 - Nielsen's New Zealand'...

02/03/2026

aconnic and Arqit join forces to present the first quantum-safe industrial OT security gateway firewall at Mobile World Congress 2026

aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, and Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, A...

02/03/2026

Advanced Systems Group Promotes Jody Boatwright to Chief...

Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, has appointed Jody Boatwright as Chief Strategy Of...

02/03/2026

Lightware TPN ecosystem powers smarter networks and strea...

Lightware, an industry leader in signal management, is reinforcing its commitment to simplifying complex AV environments with the continued evolution of its TPN...

02/03/2026

ZEISS Cinema Hosts First US Aatma Lens Demo Event in LA

ZEISS Cinema opens its doors to an exclusive screening, filmmakers Q&A and hands-on showcase of the new ZEISS Aatma lens family on Tuesday, March 10, 6:00-9:00 ...

02/03/2026

DoPchoice Introduces SNAPBAG Round for the New Astera Qui...

To expand the creative potential of the compact Astera QuikBeam, DoPchoice introduces the SNAPBAG Round. The new light-shaping accessory transforms the powerfu...

02/03/2026

Douglas Dubler Master of Light - Five Decades Shooting w...

Douglas Dubler On a rooftop in New York City, veteran photographer Douglas Dubler watched the sun's angle shift across the urban landscape, his internal cl...

02/03/2026

ZEISS Expands Otus ML Lineup with the New 1435

ZEISS is expanding its Otus ML lens family with the introduction of the new ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/35. This manual-focus lens is designed for photographers who live ...

02/03/2026

Matthews Intros White FlexiMount and Phone Mount Kit by D...

Matthews Studio Equipment now offers the new Dinkum Systems White FlexiMount and Phone Mount Kit, a compact, highly adaptable setup for mobile content creation...

02/03/2026

SES and Africa Mobile Network Reach Milestone: Connecting 5.8 Million in DRC, Expanding Rural Coverage

Luxembourg, February 26, 2026 - SES and Africa Mobile Network (AMN) have expande...

02/03/2026

Ausfilm and Screen Australia launch joint UK market initiative

02 03 2026 - Media release Ausfilm and Screen Australia launch joint UK market initiative Ausfilm and Screen Australia have announced Partner with Australia (...

02/03/2026

Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team

Monday 2 March 2026 Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team L-R: Jonno Johnson; Charlie Skelton; Celya AB; Omar Badawy; Gr inne Maguire; Laura Claxton; ...

02/03/2026

Netflix Unveils the Trailer for '53 Sundays', the New Film by Cesc Gay

Back to All News Netflix Unveils the Trailer for 53 Sundays, the New Film by Cesc Gay Entertainment 02 March 2026 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard Dis...

28/02/2026

FOX Sports Waves Green Flag on 2026 IndyCar Season With Driver's Eye, Heads Up Display, Live Drones

With two features seen in Formula 1 coverage, the broadcaster aims to bring view...

28/02/2026

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Visits L3Harris Solid Rocket Motor Site

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addresses a crowd of approximately 1,500 L3Harris employees in Camden, Arkansas, as part of his Arsenal of Freedom tour....

28/02/2026

2026 NAB Show Expands Sports Summit to Four Days

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/02/2026

Three TV5Monde FAST Channels Launch on Plex

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/02/2026

Nielsen Introduces 200+ New Advanced Audience Segments

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/02/2026

SBE Launches Annual Membership Drive

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/02/2026

Gray's Fox 12 Inks Deal for Portland Fire And Portland Thorns Games

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/02/2026

Berklee Presents Mambo Mania: Eguie Castrillo and the Berklee All-Stars Big Band's Tribute to Eddie Palmieri

Berklee Presents Mambo Mania: Eguie Castrillo and the Berklee All-Stars Big Band...

28/02/2026

Berklee Announces Two New Summer Programs in Los Angeles

Berklee Announces Two New Summer Programs in Los Angeles The Berklee Music Business Program and Electronic Music Production and Sound Design Workshop bring imme...

28/02/2026

NVIDIA and Partners Show That Software-Defined AI-RAN Is the Next Wireless Generation

AI-RAN is moving from lab to field, showing that a software-defined approach is ...

28/02/2026

NVIDIA Advances Autonomous Networks With Agentic AI Blueprints and Telco Reasoning Models

Autonomous networks - intelligent, self-managing telecommunications operations -...

28/02/2026

Final Trailer for BEASTARS Final Season Part 2' Roars Toward the Series' Emotional Conclusion

Back to All News Final Trailer for BEASTARS Final Season Part 2' Roars Tow...

28/02/2026

February 27, 2026

New way to intentionally discover molecular glues could expand drug discovery Scripps Research scientists and colleagues show how drugs that eliminate certain d...

27/02/2026

Scripps Appoints Oliver Gray as Vice President, Network Sports and Client Partnerships

The E.W. Scripps Company names Oliver Gray as Vice President, Network Sports and...

27/02/2026

Gotham Sports App Now Available for Purchase Through Prime Video

The Gotham Sports App, the exclusive direct-to-consumer streaming home of MSG Networks and the YES Network, is now available for purchase through Prime Video fo...

27/02/2026

ESPN, Horizon League Extend Long-Standing Rights Agreement

ESPN and the Horizon League announce a new multi-year, multi-platform media rights agreement, continuing a 38-year collaboration that began with the 1988 Midwes...

27/02/2026

NETGEAR to Showcase Expanded Broadcast Portfolio at 2026 NAB Show

At the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, NETGEAR will highlight its new switch models and major updates to its Engage Controller software. The company's network d...

27/02/2026

Teatro alla Scala Elevates Backstage Communication with Riedel's Bolero Wireless Intercom System

Riedel Communications announces that Fondazione Teatro alla Scala has deployed a...

27/02/2026

Lyuno Leverages Dante AV for Synchronization of Audio and Video Content

Lyuno specializes in media localization, including translation, dubbing, subtitling, and voice-over services for a wide array of entertainment content. The comp...

27/02/2026

Chyron Releases Weather 2.3 with New Data and Automation Features

Chyron Weather 2.3, the latest edition of Chyron's weather visualization suite for broadcasters and meteorologists, recently launched. The release includes...

27/02/2026

Telestream Advances Production-Ready AI Across its Product Portfolio

Telestream, which concentrates in media workflow technologies, announces expanded practical AI enhancements across its Vantage, Vantage Cloud, EDC, Stanza, and ...