Clubhouse Conversations — Queens

In this episode, cinematographers Sophie Darlington and Justine Evans are joined by interviewer Paul Atkins, ASC to discuss their work on Queens — the wildlife docuseries that explores the means of survival undertaken by female animals across the world.

Queens follows various matriarchal animals as they endure hardships to safeguard their families in some of the most remote and exotic places on Earth. Narrated by Angela Bassett, the series explores six parts of the animal kingdom occupied by these female leaders, and shines a light on the women who have devoted their careers to documenting and protecting their respective natural habitats.

In this interview, Darlington and Evans discuss working with a predominantly women-led production team; their work as mentors to up-and-coming wildlife cinematographers; the importance of color grading to their field work; their techniques for predicting and responding to animals in the wild; their incorporation of thermal imaging on the series; and their approach to lighting their subjects.

Sophie Darlington is a cinematographer whose credits include Our Planet, The Hunt, Planet Earth II and Planet Earth III.

Justine Evans is a cinematographer whose works include Nature, Natural World, Great Migrations and Earth.

Paul Atkins, ASC is a cinematographer renowned for his underwater photography and contributions to acclaimed documentaries like Hawaii: Strangers in Paradise, Great White Shark and Dolphins: The Wild Side, as well as additional photography on narrative features such as Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Tree of Life and The Revenant.

You’ll find all episodes in our ASC Clubhouse Conversations discussion series here.