"WILDCAT"
Trevor Beck Frost and
Melissa Lesh.
Trauma, Healing, Rescue, Love, and Redemption.
Available on Amazon Prime.
Dec 19, 2022.
49 Minutes.
Filmmakers Melissa Lesh and Trevor Frost join Chuck Braverman on Westdoc Online to discuss their documentary, Wildcat. The film follows the story of an ocelot rescue named Keanu and his journey to redemption in the Amazon jungle. The filmmakers discuss the difficulties they faced filming in the rainforest and the importance of sound design and collaboration in filmmaking. They also touch on the transformative power of nature and their desire to showcase the intelligence and emotional depth of animals. The filmmakers reveal the challenges they faced during the editing process and their hopes for the film's success on the festival circuit and beyond. Ultimately, the filmmakers hope to promote positivity and uniqueness while embracing differences in people's lives.
00:00:00 In this section, Chuck Braverman hosts Melissa Lesh and Trevor Frost, the filmmakers behind the documentary feature film Wildcat, on an episode of Westdoc Online. Braverman commends the filmmakers for creating a spectacular, emotional, educational and entertaining film that he regards as one of the major contenders for an award. The episode features a trailer for Wildcat which tells the story of Keanu, an ocelot rescue, and his journey toward redemption both for himself and his handlers in the jungle.
00:05:00 In this section of the video, the filmmakers talk about how their wildcat documentary came to be. The director of photography had been in the Amazon jungle taking pictures for a National Geographic article when he met Harry Turner, a war veteran who had gone to the jungle after suffering from PTSD. Turner and his girlfriend, who was a scientist and conservationist, showed the filmmaker videos of their work with rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife. Impressed by the quality of cinematography and the footage of their work, the filmmakers decided to make a short film focusing on an ocelot rescued by the couple. However, when they received word that Turner and his girlfriend were rescuing more cats in the Amazon, they decided to follow the journey in real-time, which resulted in 13 trips and about 200 days spent in the jungle.
00:10:00 In this section, the filmmakers discuss the difficulties of traveling to and filming in the rainforest, including the long hikes, muddy trails and limited resources in terms of equipment. They kept their gear lean, having only two cameras and their phones with them. The film was shot in 1080 rather than 4k because of the challenges of handling such large amounts of data and battery consumption. Despite this, the film quality was excellent, with great sound quality due to the use of ambisonic microphones. The filmmakers also partnered with Harry and Samantha to produce the film, with exclusive footage shot by them, which turned out seamlessly in the final product.
00:15:00 In this section, the filmmakers of a Wildcat documentary discuss the importance of sound design in creating an immersive experience for the audience. Their sound designer, Lawrence Everson, went to the Amazon and recorded an incredible full spectrum rainforest soundscape using ambisonic microphones. The goal was to create a seamless and raw quality that makes you feel like you're there in the rainforest, experiencing the effects of its healing potential. They also talk about their love for nature and how they bonded with other like-minded individuals when they went to remote spots on the Earth.
00:20:00 In this section, the Wildcat documentary filmmakers discuss the experience of shedding societal norms and simply being present while in the Amazon rainforest. The lack of Wi-fi and cell service during their time there allowed them to focus solely on the experience and the people around them. The film, which centers around the healing power of nature, also delves into the connection between humans and wild places, using Harry's story as an example.
00:25:00 In this section, the filmmakers discuss the transformative power of nature and the exploration of trauma in their documentary. The documentary initially started as an exploration of the beauty of nature and the impact it has on our brain chemistry. However, as the filmmakers grew in their journey, it transformed into an exploration of trauma and how it shapes us to be who we are, ultimately allowing us to do great things. The film touches on the struggles of depression, anxiety, and autism and how instead of assimilating into the world, we should be embracing differences and entering a new way of being. It is a film with multiple entry points and promotes positivity and uniqueness in people's lives.
00:30:00 In this section, the filmmakers of the Wildcat documentary emphasize the importance of viewing animals as intelligent beings in their own right rather than measuring their intelligence against human standards. They note that our limited scientific understanding of the animal world means that there may be animals that are smarter and more emotionally intelligent than humans. They also discuss the collaborative nature of filmmaking and how each team member brought their unique perspective, leading to a film that weaves together different themes and ideas. The filmmakers also share insights into the film's funding and production process, which involved being turned down by multiple networks and investors before finally securing support from 30 West, an equity partner and sales agent for the film.
00:35:00 In this section, the filmmakers discuss the process of editing the documentary and how they were able to pitch it to streamers. They reveal that Amazon came on as a partner, which allowed them to increase their budget from around $1.7 million. The filmmakers also talk about their positive experience working with Amazon and how the company gave them creative freedom during the editing process. The documentary will be released in theaters on December 21st and will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime on December 30th worldwide. The filmmakers also express hope that the documentary will make it to the shortlist for the Academy Awards.
00:40:00 In this section, the filmmakers discuss the challenges they faced during the editing process of the documentary, including having to cut down over a thousand hours of footage from seven different cameras. They praise the work of their associate editor, Mallory Bracken, who spent four years transcribing and categorizing every single clip, and became an integral part of the team. They also discuss the importance of having a good team, and mention that directors often receive too much credit, as these projects are truly a collaborative effort. Additionally, Melissa, one of the filmmakers, shares her experience of not going to film school but learning how to edit and shoot on her own, and how she became disillusioned with the Fine Art world before finding her passion for documentary filmmaking.
00:45:00 In this section, the filmmakers discuss their decision to pursue a project documenting crocodiles in Northern Australia instead of pursuing a Master’s degree. They also reveal that Nat Geo had initially turned their project down when they pitched it in 2019 due to their limited budget, but they eventually won a bidding war against Amazon and Netflix to distribute the completed film. The filmmakers credit their partners' expertise in shaping the final product, and express gratitude towards distributor National Geographic for their scientific approach in selecting scenes to present to different distributors.
Comments