Dynasties II

Drone operator on Dynasties II — the BBC Studios Natural History Unit’s continuation of the Dynasties format, following individual animal dynasties through generations of territory holding, family struggle and lineage. Presented by Sir David Attenborough.

My contribution was aerial work on the Elephant episode. I filmed this independently as a remote shoot, spending several weeks tracking and filming the family myself.

Production context

Dynasties is the BBC NHU’s most editorially patient format — multi-year follows on a single named individual or family group, with the camera unit embedded long enough to capture genuine lineage events rather than constructed compilations. That style of coverage relies on aerial work that integrates without spooking the subject: long-flight-time drones at altitude, low-noise approaches, and patience that matches the ground unit’s.

The first series (2018) won Outstanding Cinematography at the Royal Television Society awards. Dynasties II maintained the format and broadened the subject range, with the same NHU production discipline.