Mark Linfield
Encyclopedia
Mark Linfield is a British writer, producer and director of nature documentaries
for cinema and television. He is best known for his work with the BBC Natural History Unit
as a producer of two episodes of the television series Planet Earth
(2006) and as writer and co-director of the associated feature film Earth
(2007).
in 1990, working on a documentary on gorillas in the Congo
. The resulting film, "Journey to the Dark Heart", contained the first footage of western lowland gorilla
s in the wild.
He left to join the Bristol
-based independent production company Green Umbrella, where his credits include "The Temple Troop" and "Orang-utans: The High Society", both shown as part of BBC Two
's Natural World strand. The latter programme featured the first footage of wild orang-utans using tools. He also co-produced Triumph of Life, a series on evolution, which was screened on PBS in 2000.
He re-joined the BBC Natural History Unit in 2000 in order to continue working on high-end productions, beginning with David Attenborough
's The Life of Mammals
. This was followed by an award-winning documentary for Wildlife on One
, "Capuchins: The Monkey Puzzle". He joined Alastair Fothergill
's team working on Planet Earth and took on responsibility for the episodes "From Pole to Pole" and "Seasonal Forests".
Linfield is currently working on two collaborations with Fothergill: The Frozen Planet
, the follow-up series to Planet Earth, and Chimpanzee, a Disneynature
feature film.
His wife, Vanessa Berlowitz, is also a producer at the Natural History Unit.
Nature documentary
A natural history film or wildlife film is a documentary film about animals, plants, or other non-human living creatures, usually concentrating on film taken in their natural habitat...
for cinema and television. He is best known for his work with the BBC Natural History Unit
BBC Natural History Unit
The BBC Natural History Unit is a department of the BBC dedicated to making television and radio programmes with a natural history or wildlife theme, especially nature documentaries...
as a producer of two episodes of the television series Planet Earth
Planet Earth (TV series)
Planet Earth is a 2006 television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, and also the first to be filmed in high definition...
(2006) and as writer and co-director of the associated feature film Earth
Earth (2007 film)
Earth is a 2007 nature documentary film which depicts the diversity of wild habitats and creatures across the planet. The film begins in the Arctic in January of one year and moves south, finishing in Antarctica in the December of the same year...
(2007).
Career
After training as a zoologist, Mark Linfield began his career at the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1990, working on a documentary on gorillas in the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. The resulting film, "Journey to the Dark Heart", contained the first footage of western lowland gorilla
Western Lowland Gorilla
The western lowland gorilla is a subspecies of the western gorilla that lives in montane, primary, and secondary forests and lowland swamps in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. It is the gorilla usually found in zoos...
s in the wild.
He left to join the Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
-based independent production company Green Umbrella, where his credits include "The Temple Troop" and "Orang-utans: The High Society", both shown as part of BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
's Natural World strand. The latter programme featured the first footage of wild orang-utans using tools. He also co-produced Triumph of Life, a series on evolution, which was screened on PBS in 2000.
He re-joined the BBC Natural History Unit in 2000 in order to continue working on high-end productions, beginning with David Attenborough
David Attenborough
Sir David Frederick Attenborough OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FZS, FSA is a British broadcaster and naturalist. His career as the face and voice of natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years...
's The Life of Mammals
The Life of Mammals
The Life of Mammals is a nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 20 November 2002....
. This was followed by an award-winning documentary for Wildlife on One
Wildlife on One
Wildlife on One was the BBC's flagship natural history programme, first broadcast in 1977. Each programme ran for half an hour. The narrator was Sir David Attenborough. When repeated on BBC2, the programmes were retitled Wildlife on Two. The programme was terminated in 2005.The 2003 season...
, "Capuchins: The Monkey Puzzle". He joined Alastair Fothergill
Alastair Fothergill
Alastair Fothergill is a producer of nature documentaries for television and cinema. He is the executive producer of the multi-award winning series The Blue Planet and Planet Earth and the co-director of the associated feature films Deep Blue and Earth.Fothergill attended Harrow...
's team working on Planet Earth and took on responsibility for the episodes "From Pole to Pole" and "Seasonal Forests".
Linfield is currently working on two collaborations with Fothergill: The Frozen Planet
The Frozen Planet
Frozen Planet is a nature documentary series, co-produced by the BBC, the Discovery Channel and The Open University. It was filmed by the BBC Natural History Unit. Other production partners are the Discovery Channel Canada, ZDF , Antena 3 and Skai TV...
, the follow-up series to Planet Earth, and Chimpanzee, a Disneynature
Disneynature
Disneynature is an independent film label of The Walt Disney Company, founded on April 21, 2008 as a division of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group...
feature film.
His wife, Vanessa Berlowitz, is also a producer at the Natural History Unit.
Film and TV credits
- Natural World
- Episode: "Journey to the Dark Heart" (1993)
- Episode: "The Temple Troop (1997)
- Episode: "Orang-utans: The High Society" (1998)
- Triumph of Life (2000)
- The Life of MammalsThe Life of MammalsThe Life of Mammals is a nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 20 November 2002....
(2002) - Wildlife on OneWildlife on OneWildlife on One was the BBC's flagship natural history programme, first broadcast in 1977. Each programme ran for half an hour. The narrator was Sir David Attenborough. When repeated on BBC2, the programmes were retitled Wildlife on Two. The programme was terminated in 2005.The 2003 season...
- Episode: "Gelada Baboons: The Battles of Braveheart (2000)
- Episode: "Capuchins: The Monkey Puzzle" (2004)
- Planet EarthPlanet Earth (TV series)Planet Earth is a 2006 television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, and also the first to be filmed in high definition...
- Planet Earth
- Episode: "From Pole to Pole" (2006)
- Episode: "Seasonal Forests" (2006)
- EarthEarth (2007 film)Earth is a 2007 nature documentary film which depicts the diversity of wild habitats and creatures across the planet. The film begins in the Arctic in January of one year and moves south, finishing in Antarctica in the December of the same year...
(2007) - The Frozen PlanetThe Frozen PlanetFrozen Planet is a nature documentary series, co-produced by the BBC, the Discovery Channel and The Open University. It was filmed by the BBC Natural History Unit. Other production partners are the Discovery Channel Canada, ZDF , Antena 3 and Skai TV...
(2011) - Chimpanzee (2012)
- Earth