Tristan Bayer
Encyclopedia
Tristan Bayer is an actor
, filmmaker and the host
of the Animal Planet
series Caught in the Moment
, and is nominated for an Emmy for individual achievement in a craft: cinematography.
Caught in the Moment
is a 10 part 1 hour series about Tristan, a young wildlife filmmaker, who goes on global adventures to film endangered species and animals in rare, beautiful and time-sensitive moments.
When Tristan was 2 years old, he traveled with his parents to East Africa, where they were making a film on elephants. He began learning about other cultures and memorizing the Swahili names of animals while floating above the African landscape in hot air balloons and chasing elephants in Range Rovers. These experiences were the building blocks for his global point of view while growing up in the small town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on the outskirts of Grand Teton
and Yellowstone national parks.
Throughout his schooling, Tristan took advantage of every opportunity to work overseas as a crew member with his father, renowned cinematographer, Wolfgang Bayer. They made wildlife films for such companies as Discovery Networks, Nature, Nova
, National Geographic, ABC
and PBS
. Tristan started keeping written journals and sketches, and then took up still photography and videography. He began shooting behind-the-scenes video of his trips and presented his adventures to his classmates back in Wyoming. In junior high school, Tristan created multimedia "show-and-tell" presentations that entertained and educated his peers. Tristan's work was published in Ranger Rick
on three occasions.
, FOX Family Channel, BBC
, National Geographic, and Discovery Networks.
Tristan then was approached to host Wild Life! Adventures: Wildlife Legacy, credited as host, associated producer and wildlife cinematographer on an hour long episode in a series hosted predominately by celebrity personalities. "Wildlife Legacy" features Bayer learning from artists who use their craft to help protect the wildlife that they portray. Tristan was the youngest non-celebrity host for the series.
Bayer is featured as a field correspondent and wildlife cinematographer on six episodes of the television series World Gone Wild. He directed, produced, and shot a segment for their pilot filming polar bears in Churchill, Canada.
In 1999 Bayer was awarded the BBC / Time-Life Natural History Innovation Grant of $100,000 for the most innovative idea of a new television series. Bayer and his crew went on to shoot a pilot episode for his idea of a series entitled Tripping on location in Borneo, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Yellowstone National Park.
Tristan co-directed, wrote, edited, narrated, and starred in a feature length film, Earthling
. Earthling won the EarthWatch Institute "Film of the Year" award in association with National Geographic and had a pre-screening of the film at the National Geographic Grosvenor Theater in Washington, D.C. Earthling
had its world premiere at the 2005 Seattle International Film Festival
, and won the 'Audience Choice Award' for best documentary and the Chrystal Heart award at the Heartland Film Festival
. Earthling went on to win multiple awards including two 'Audience Choice Awards', 'Best Cinematography', 'Best Feature Documenary','Best Docudrama', 'Best Feature Film', 'Best Children's Film', 'Best Achievement in Sound', and nominated for 'Best Editing' and 'Best Writing.
Tristan Bayer is one of the directors in the artist collective, "THE MASSES", and has an office in Los Angeles.
In 2008, Tristan Bayer was hired to direct, produce, and shoot a short documentary about ocean acidification
for the Natural Resources Defense Council
(NRDC). The result was a 22 minute HD movie entitled ACID TEST: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification narrated by actress Sigourney Weaver
which premiered on Discovery Communication's Planet Green channel and was made available online in its entirety at http://www.acidtestmovie.com to create public awareness and lobby Capitol Hill for urgent climate legislation leading towards the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, filmmaker and the host
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
of the Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
series Caught in the Moment
Caught in the Moment
Caught in the Moment is an American television program about trekking the globe and capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments with endangered species and other animals in natural environments. This series is hosted by Tristan Bayer and Vanessa Garnick...
, and is nominated for an Emmy for individual achievement in a craft: cinematography.
Caught in the Moment
Caught in the Moment
Caught in the Moment is an American television program about trekking the globe and capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments with endangered species and other animals in natural environments. This series is hosted by Tristan Bayer and Vanessa Garnick...
is a 10 part 1 hour series about Tristan, a young wildlife filmmaker, who goes on global adventures to film endangered species and animals in rare, beautiful and time-sensitive moments.
Early life
Tristan's first production experience occurred when he was just 2 weeks old and he began traveling with his parents, a wildlife filmmaking team that journeyed around the world to shoot documentaries.When Tristan was 2 years old, he traveled with his parents to East Africa, where they were making a film on elephants. He began learning about other cultures and memorizing the Swahili names of animals while floating above the African landscape in hot air balloons and chasing elephants in Range Rovers. These experiences were the building blocks for his global point of view while growing up in the small town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on the outskirts of Grand Teton
Grand Teton
Grand Teton is the highest mountain in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, and a classic destination in American mountaineering.- Geography :...
and Yellowstone national parks.
Throughout his schooling, Tristan took advantage of every opportunity to work overseas as a crew member with his father, renowned cinematographer, Wolfgang Bayer. They made wildlife films for such companies as Discovery Networks, Nature, Nova
Nova
A nova is a cataclysmic nuclear explosion in a star caused by the accretion of hydrogen on to the surface of a white dwarf star, which ignites and starts nuclear fusion in a runaway manner...
, National Geographic, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
. Tristan started keeping written journals and sketches, and then took up still photography and videography. He began shooting behind-the-scenes video of his trips and presented his adventures to his classmates back in Wyoming. In junior high school, Tristan created multimedia "show-and-tell" presentations that entertained and educated his peers. Tristan's work was published in Ranger Rick
Ranger Rick
Ranger Rick was originally titled Ranger Rick's Nature Magazine. Ranger Rick is a children’s nature magazine that is published by the National Wildlife Federation. Kenneth B...
on three occasions.
Film career
Tristan moved to Los Angeles in 1997 where he began working as a cinematographer and host of television shows which aired on TBSTBS (TV channel)
TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
, FOX Family Channel, BBC
BBC
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...
, National Geographic, and Discovery Networks.
Tristan then was approached to host Wild Life! Adventures: Wildlife Legacy, credited as host, associated producer and wildlife cinematographer on an hour long episode in a series hosted predominately by celebrity personalities. "Wildlife Legacy" features Bayer learning from artists who use their craft to help protect the wildlife that they portray. Tristan was the youngest non-celebrity host for the series.
Bayer is featured as a field correspondent and wildlife cinematographer on six episodes of the television series World Gone Wild. He directed, produced, and shot a segment for their pilot filming polar bears in Churchill, Canada.
In 1999 Bayer was awarded the BBC / Time-Life Natural History Innovation Grant of $100,000 for the most innovative idea of a new television series. Bayer and his crew went on to shoot a pilot episode for his idea of a series entitled Tripping on location in Borneo, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Yellowstone National Park.
Tristan co-directed, wrote, edited, narrated, and starred in a feature length film, Earthling
Earthling
Earthling is a term commonly used in science fiction to identify humans as opposed to extraterrestrials. The literary effect aimed for is a distancing effect, inviting the readers to contemplate their own species as it might be seen from an external point of view...
. Earthling won the EarthWatch Institute "Film of the Year" award in association with National Geographic and had a pre-screening of the film at the National Geographic Grosvenor Theater in Washington, D.C. Earthling
Earthling
Earthling is a term commonly used in science fiction to identify humans as opposed to extraterrestrials. The literary effect aimed for is a distancing effect, inviting the readers to contemplate their own species as it might be seen from an external point of view...
had its world premiere at the 2005 Seattle International Film Festival
Seattle International Film Festival
The Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
, and won the 'Audience Choice Award' for best documentary and the Chrystal Heart award at the Heartland Film Festival
Heartland Film Festival
The Heartland Film Festival is a film festival held each October in Indianapolis, Indiana. First held in 1992, its goal is to "recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life."In May 2007, Heartland...
. Earthling went on to win multiple awards including two 'Audience Choice Awards', 'Best Cinematography', 'Best Feature Documenary','Best Docudrama', 'Best Feature Film', 'Best Children's Film', 'Best Achievement in Sound', and nominated for 'Best Editing' and 'Best Writing.
Tristan Bayer is one of the directors in the artist collective, "THE MASSES", and has an office in Los Angeles.
In 2008, Tristan Bayer was hired to direct, produce, and shoot a short documentary about ocean acidification
Ocean acidification
Ocean acidification is the name given to the ongoing decrease in the pH and increase in acidity of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere....
for the Natural Resources Defense Council
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a New York City-based, non-profit, non-partisan international environmental advocacy group, with offices in Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Beijing...
(NRDC). The result was a 22 minute HD movie entitled ACID TEST: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification narrated by actress Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
which premiered on Discovery Communication's Planet Green channel and was made available online in its entirety at http://www.acidtestmovie.com to create public awareness and lobby Capitol Hill for urgent climate legislation leading towards the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009.