THE FROST REPORT
The Scot behind the lens of some of the world’s most stunning wildlife films
SIR David Attenborough, who knows a thing or two about revealing the secret lives of the world’s most spectacular, dangerous and elusive creatures, describes wildlife cameraman Doug Allan as the best and toughest in the business. It is an accolade well earned.
The 63-year-old Fifer has endured Arctic temperatures of minus 52, faced hungry polar bears, swum with killer whales and fought for his life against underwater predators. He has been rewarded with five Emmys, four Baftas, two university doctorates and two Polar Medals.
No sacrifice has been too great for the supporter of Dunfermline Athletic – a lifelong commitment which, he believes, would harden anyone’s resolve to face one of most physically and mentally demanding jobs on the planet.
On one occasion, in the Canadian Arctic, the Stirling University marine biology graduate even resorted to his own appalling singing voice to serenade a beluga whale with a tuneless underwater rendition of Happy Birthday. He says: ‘Belugas are the most vocal of all whales and I had to attract its attention somehow.’
Over the past 30 years, his amazing images have drawn a collective gasp from television
‘I’m the go-to guy for the cold. Some can’t handle it’
audiences for Sir David’s iconic BBC series, such as Frozen Planet, Life in the Freezer, Human Planet and Blue Planet.
Who could forget his Holy Grail moment in Kong Karls Land in the Norwegian Arctic – polar bear cubs emerging into their harsh world for the first time, ‘skiing’ down a slope from their den to join their mother.
Weeks of waiting were rewarded with a mesmerising sequence which Sir David describes as the best wildlife film of all time.
In the coming weeks, however, the cameraman is embarking on a less demanding expedition, taking his life and work to theatres and libraries all over Scotland in a series of lectures.
He says: ‘It’s not a sign I am slowing down or giving up my adventures. I just thought it would be nice to meet people. I have had a wonderful career filled with moments of magic I wanted to share, offering an insight into what I do.
‘Viewers of Sir David’s wonderful series witness the end result but they know little of what goes into the making of them. A rule of thumb is that a minute on screen takes nine days in the field, so a 50-minute film is 450 filming days. It is a massive logistical exercise, a huge commitment.’
It is a personal commitment that has taken Dunfermline-born Allan to the world’s wildest, most inhospitable regions, from the searing heat of Africa to the mind-numbing temperatures of the Poles.
He says: ‘I’m just back from Antarctica, where I was shooting Penguin Post Office. I’m probably going back early next year to begin work on a major series about the oceans.
‘I suppose I’m the go-to guy for the cold. Some people can’t handle it but it’s like home to me. I did grow up with Scottish winters.’
It is certainly where he is happiest, revelling in the deep, silent world of whales, drenching his senses in the eerily beautiful song of the leviathans – moments which persuade him that such experiences are as good as life can get.
He says: ‘They are complex, amazing. I’ve seen mothers use their nose to push new-born calves to the surface to take their first breath. I’ve filmed humpbacks saving the life of a seal by preventing it being taken by killer whales. That’s worth any wait, any sacrifice.’
Mr Allan’s biggest commitment to date was a three-year stint on Sir David’s Blue Planet series.
He says: ‘Each minute of underwater footage involves weeks of waiting, watching and playing mind games. But there is something wonderfully unique about filming those big, charismatic creatures.’
Some other creatures are no less incredible, if infinitely more dangerous. Mr Allan says that if he were a cat, he would surely have surrendered several of his nine lives in one incident alone. ‘I have had charging, hungry polar bears – but the hairiest episode, where I came closest to “buying it”, came courtesy of a walrus, which thought I was a seal and grabbed me by the waist with its flippers.’
These huge, powerful creatures are capable of squeezing to death a seal – while eating its brains.
He adds: ‘The incident lasted all of five seconds from beginning to end but it is as fresh in my mind today as it was when it happened.
‘I instinctively thumped it with my camera and, thankfully, it let go. If I hadn’t, I would have been dragged down and drowned.’
In spite of such incidents, the moments of magic compel him to continue working, leaving behind his legacy – a snapshot of life on a planet he dearly hopes can be preserved for future generations.
It is a legacy inextricably linked to Sir David, who gave Mr Allan his first ‘break’ after they met in 1981. Sir David and his crew visited Antarctica, where the Scot was working as a research scientist.
In the years since, their partnership has created a definitive natural history of the world.
Sir David says: ‘Capturing animal behaviour in extreme and hostile places takes a very special kind of cameraman – and they don’t come any more special than Doug Allan.
‘Cameramen don’t come any more special’
I’ve had the extraordinary good luck of working with him over many years and no one knows the frozen world better than him.
‘Over his long career in the polar regions, Doug has captured some of the most memorable wildlife images ever to have appeared on television.’
Mr Allan is no less complimentary. He says: ‘David is a national treasure, an icon, and a lovely man who wrote the foreword for my book, Freeze Frame.’
When Sir David and his crew arrived at the Halley Research Station in the Weddell Sea to film Living Planet, Mr Allan was worki ng f or the British Antarctic Survey.
He says: ‘I was a research scientist and I spent two days showing them round. While I was with them, I realised that this was something I wanted to do and I was able to do. It ticked all the boxes – travel, adventure, filming.’
When the BBC left, the self-taught cameraman began filming Emperor penguins and the footage was screened in a BBC series, Birds for All Seasons on the Antarctic.
He was then recruited by Anglia TV’s Survival to film Weddell seals.
Before long, he had been commissioned to film kittiwakes, humpback whales, snow leopards and polar bears.
Mr Allan says: ‘David’s visit was the turning point; he was very encouraging to me. I could not have realised then that ten years later I would be working with him on landmark television series.’
Even at an age when he qualifies for a bus pass, Mr Allan is still driven by a sense of wonder. ‘Life has been a big adventure,’ he says. ‘I’ve filmed the most incredible creatures in the world – polar bears, killer whales, snow leopards, penguins and hammerhead sharks.
‘I was self-taught but I understand you can now take a degree in wildlife filming. What the course won’t teach you is how to deal with weeks and months of waiting, rooted to the spot for that single shot of an animal doing something that has never been seen before.
‘They won’t learn the huge physical effort it takes to work in conditions so extreme your nose might fall off with frostbite – or heat so intense you feel you are being boiled alive.
‘To do that, you have to have passion – and that can’t be taught.’
Despite 35 years at the top of his game, he still has a wish list for more moments of magic.
He says: ‘I’d really like to film the elusive narwhal, as there is very little on the amazing tusked whale.
‘It might also be nice to go somewhere hot... just for a change.’
Visit www.dougallan.com for information on venues and dates on his Scottish tour.