NATURE, ADVENTURE, INSPIRE
Documentary and Natural History film production.
Produce / Shoot / Edit.
Our motley collective
A team brought together through a shared passion for storytelling with visual and audible arts as well as projects that navigate important stories.
We’re a mixed group with an array of skillsets and talents that make many projects possible in a some truly wild places. The natural world, people and place are sat neatly in the centre of our collective Venn diagram.
Ross Vernon McDonald
Hi, my name is Ross Vernon McDonald and I’m a wildlife cameraman and film maker. As young boy I wanted to be one of those wildlife camera operators from the television, the ones out on adventures and shooting with the big lenses. Since then my love of all things nature, and wildlife in particular, has had an inevitable cross over with film making, and not surprisingly has become the element of film making I’m most passionate about. Not only fulfilling a personal love for the natural world and observing wildlife, but also being able to visually capture wildlife experiences and share them with others.
Director / Camera operator / Nat-Hist DOP
Lucia Griggi
With her roots in the surfing, skateboarding and the outdoor adventure world, Lucia focuses on travel and adventure for editorial and advertising clients.
She combines her English precision with Venetian creativity to capture the moment with clarity and wit. Lucia's work is fresh, vivid and full of energy.
Lucia's work has been internationally recognized and awarded by National Geographic, PDN, Windland Smith Rice International Awards, Black and White photography and the Masters Cup.
Photographer / Producer / Director
Luke Ogden
Luke is a cinematographer with a great talent. His lighting knowledge, camera passion and shooting instincts are of such high value and always bring an elevation to our productions. What’s more is he’s always the person you want to have next to you on a shoot, sharing the roll and imparting his wisdom (often through cockney slang) - he’s the rare DOP without an ego and is a joy to be around.
Luke cut his teeth on long haul tv contracts and has since been DOP for many interesting and visually exciting sponsored docs and commercials.
Director of photography / Lighting gaffer
Nick Ogden
Nick spent many of his earlier years as a director in London but in 2020 he migrated to Vancouver where he’s found his found new passion in long form editing, both in scripted pieces as well as documentary. Nick took the lead in editing our film Lamo Auru - and killed it.
Nick will tell you he can’t shoot, but he can. He’s multitalented and his great knowledge of all aspects of filmmaking now gives him a keen nose to sniff out a narrative or impactful sequence when building an edit.
Director / Editor
Sebastian Chaloner
Straight out of the Scotch woodland, Seb is our animator and graphic designer. He loves iconography and this is clear when you see his work. Simmering down the imagery until the simplest and strongest visual message is what remains.
He also loves trees and has created some incredible artworks in the forests of Scotland and Alaska. This cross over of passions made him the perfect candidate for creating the motion graphic elements in Lamo Auru.
Animator / Graphic designer / Illustrator
Ollie Thomas
Ollie is and expert in ropes and wildlife. He’s a qualified technical rigging expert and has worked in this role all around the world. Ollie’s work on ropes was originally driven by a hunger for canopy exploration while working in biological frontiers. He’s since developed some ground breaking camera traps for wildlife film production in seldom visited but very exciting places that are often new to science.
At heart Ollie is a herpetologist (a biologist that specialises in reptiles and amphibians) but he has a phenomenal knowledge of all flora and fauna, especially in tropical environments. As so much of our work is in the natural world this makes him a great asset to our team.
The Herps at Height expedition was lead by Ollie in 2022. A documentary film from this adventure is currently in the edit and due for release in 2025.
Rope access technician / Herpetologist
Sam Boydell
Sam’s our soundie, he makes it all sing! He’s a safe pair of hands and his calming presents is always welcomed on shoot. We rest easy knowing audio is always captured clearly and thoroughly when he’s around.
He’s also a fantastic sound tech and his work in the studio is as valued as his work in the field. His creativity is magical and tech knowledge can be a saving grace in post - and he has been! He’s unflappable and always delivers.
Sam is also an expert musician and composer. He’s written and recorded an entire library of tracks that are ideal for elevating emotive stories in film.
Musical composer / Location & studio sound technician
Waldo Etherington
Waldo is a Berghaus climbing ambassador, nature and tree climbing enthusiast as well as an excellent on camera personality.
Waldo runs Remote Ropes Ltd and specialises in all forms of expedition management/production as well as technical rigging for jobs in remote locations. He’s been to some truly remarkable destinations and has put film crews in the places you think are unreachable. A great example of this is seen in our film Lamo Auru where he was the technical rigging expert as well as the on screen talent/climber.
Waldo’s thirst for adventure is contagious and he will happily take you to the ends of the earth, but no matter how far from your comfort zone you go, his belief in your ability and patient humbling attitude will give you confidence.
Expedition management /Rope access technician / Climber
Contact
If you need some advice, have any questions, or just fancy a chat, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
ross@cinewanderer.com
+44 7717 374674