As this blog announced on Decmeber 30, STRS Productions has released their latest national wildlife refuge film: “Refuge: Pea Island” on DVD. Pea Island NWR is a beautiful coastal refuge in the windy Outer Banks of North Carolina.

In addition to the Pea Island film, Emily and Blake Scott (married STRS filmmakers) have released two other refuge films on DVD: “Refuge: Pocosin Lakes” and “Refuge: Mattamuskeet.” All three DVDs give viewers a wonderfully entertaining and intimate look at the wildlife that inhabit these beautiful refuges in North Carolina and help illustrate why these lands were protected.

Filmmaker Emily Scott was kind enough to agree to an interview regarding their experience filming at Pea Island NWR — a project which included highlights such as filming during a hurricane and a Nor’easter, as well as crossing paths with whales and hatching loggerhead sea turtles.

How did you get started in filmmaking? Have you always been drawn to wildlife as a subject?

Emily: We started our filmmaking career twenty years ago with live music concerts. We’ve only recently (eight years now) been filming wildlife. We have always been drawn to nature in different ways, such as Blake, who grew up hunting and fishing with his father here in eastern North Carolina, and myself, who grew up on a farm in eastern North Carolina. After we were married, we would take an annual drive down to Lake Mattamuskeet to just admire the beauty of the lake and the wildlife that would migrate through in the winter months. Eight years ago I took my camera, just to film our trip for sentimental reasons. When we returned home, Blake transferred the film footage and started editing it for me and then realized that I had a talent for filming wildlife and that he had the talent to produce, edit, and score the music for a wildlife film, and that is how we started this adventure together.

Many nature filmmakers focus on the national parks as a location for their films. What made you want to film the National Wildlife Refuge System and the North Carolina refuges in particular?

Emily: After our trip to the refuge, Blake asked me to find any and all films about Lake Mattamuskeet or about our Refuge System. Well needless to say, there were none with the exception of the little short films that the National Wildlife Refuge System had produced for educational purposes. So we decided that people needed to know more about our Refuge System and how important these federally dedicated lands are to the wildlife that lives there year round or that migrate through. So we discussed locations and how we were going to film this series to bring attention to our Refuge System. North Carolina seemed to be the obvious choice because we live in North Carolina.

When you decide on a refuge for a project, how do you plan the shoot? Do you seek out local assistance from refuge staff and volunteers?

Emily: Well, all of the films in this series are filmed over the four seasons in a year, so that we can show the migration patterns, weather patterns, and basically what the animals have to endure in order to survive the ever-changing conditions. Then we start by meeting the staff of the refuge and asking questions like “do you have maps so we can see the total boundary of the refuge?” After that we have to do a small tour either with the refuge managers or with the head biologist for that refuge. This gives us a ground level view of the refuge and what it will be like to film. Once all that is complete, we start filming. The refuge biologist is generally our contact person for the refuge. They also help us identify the wildlife when it is time to write the script for the film. We also have the staff of the refuge preview the film once everything is complete to make sure all the information is as accurate as possible.

You mentioned on your YouTube channel that you film “without baiting, blinds, or staging.” Can you explain the importance of not using these devices, which are commonly used by other filmmakers?

Emily: When we first decided to make these films, I told Blake that I did not want to give the audience any misconceptions on what they would be able to see if and when they could visit one of our refuges across the nation. He agreed. First, it is not legal to bait any type of animal on any refuge, so that was definitely out of the question. As far as blinds go, you don’t truly need them. All you need to do is stand still, be quiet, and have some patience. The thing with wildlife is if they do not feel threatened or afraid of you, they will nearly come right up to you because they are curious by nature. We do not approve of staging or using trained animals to make a wildlife film because you send the wrong message to the viewer. Now with that said, there are places in the world where wildlife is not afraid of humans because they do not see them often enough to know to be afraid. We just want people to know that this practice is not necessary to make a great film about wildlife.

Was audio recording especially difficult at Pea Island – due to the seemingly never-ending wind?

Emily: Audio was extremely difficult for this film. Blake is in charge of the audio recording and brought in three separate audio recording systems with an assortment of microphones and windjammers. Not only was wind a problem but also the traffic noise, being that Highway 12 runs right through the middle of the refuge.

Based on the Pea Island film, it appears you stayed on the Outer Banks during Hurricane Bill. Did you have any difficulty riding out the storm, especially since Pea Island was evacuated?

Emily: We called ahead and got special permission to stay on the refuge during the evacuation. Blake and Ron Marchand filmed the hurricane sequence (in the DVD) and it was extremely difficult for them. They are highly experienced individuals for these types of conditions. Of course flooding became a major factor along with rouge waves. They took on three particular waves that night and one of the camera rigs was lost. The refuge service station that was thirty-five feet from the ocean was totally destroyed.

Your next movie is being filmed at Roanoke River NWR. What made you decide to select that refuge as your next location?

Emily: Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge is probably one of the most unappreciated refuges in North Carolina by wildlife enthusiasts because it is spread wide over miles of land and there are two islands that are only accessible by boat. We are very glad that we have chosen this refuge for our next release because it is absolutely beautiful and very tranquil.

Now that you’ve produced three films on North Carolina national wildlife refuges, how are your films being received by the public and critics? How are they being received by refuge staff and volunteers?

Emily: We have been very honored by all of our viewers who have seen our broadcast on UNC-TV. People have told us our films are some of the very best wildlife films they have ever seen. We have won 29 international awards for our wildlife films, so far. The refuge staff is extremely proud to show our films in their visitor centers. It has been a great honor to work with such amazing and dedicated people. Without them we would not be able to have such beautiful places to visit and be proud of or to film.

Tags:
National Wildlife Refuge System, North Carolina, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, STRS Productions