CINEMATOGRAPHER & DIRECTOR / PRODUCER

CINEMATOGRAPHER DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

DIRECTOR / PRODUCER

CINEMATOGRAPHER

UNDERWATER - TERRESTRIAL - AERIALS

ENVIRONMENTAL - NATURAL HISTORY - DIFFICULT ACCESS

Chris is an experienced director/producer and cinematographer specialising in environmental, natural history and difficult-access, filmmaking for broadcasters and NGO's. He is unusual as a cinematographer in that he is equally comfortable filming underwater, terrestrially or aerially.

Chris’ work has included gaining access to and filming gangs that directly exchange drugs for abalone in South Africa, filming unique whale shark behaviour, and going undercover to investigate the wildlife tourism industry in orangutans.

Chris regularly spends time in extreme or threatened environments or embeds with remote communities, activists or law enforcement agencies to unearth surprising stories or to capture unusual animal behaviour. His goal is to make powerful, thought-provoking and meaningful programmes which entertain, educate and drive positive environmental change.

NOTABLE PROJECTS INCLUDE:

- Directing, producing and filming for Eyes of the Orangutan a Terra Mater Studio and Chris Scarffe Film & Photography production. The documentary was a 2022 finalist at Jackson Wild and Wildscreen and aired on National Geogrpahic.

- Cinematographer (terrestrial, underwater and drone) for BBC Earth's The Octopus In My House which won Best Animal Behaviour Documentary at Jackson Wild.

- DOP for the German prime-time documentary “SOS Ocean (SOS Ozean): Help for an endangered habitat” for ZDF.

- DOP for Bonne Pioche's 2022 production For the Love of Sharks / Au Plus Prés Des Requins which aired on France 2.

- DOP for the BBC Reel production Behind The Octopus Gardens Experiment.

- Director, DOP and co-creator of the Be Gentle To Giants code of conduct educational video series.

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AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

TERRA MATER STUDIOS - EYES OF THE ORANGUTAN

Nominee - Best Conservation Documentary - Long Form
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VICE ON HBO - COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION

EMMY nomination - Best Informational Series
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BBC - THE OCTOPUS IN MY HOUSE

Winner - Best Animal Behaviour Film - Long Form
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VICELAND - BLACK MARKET

Winner - Award of Excellence Reality & Docu Reality
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WORLD MANGROVE PHOTO AWARDS

Runner Up - Nature & Landscape Category
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THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION - LIVING WITH THE OCEAN

Winner - Coastal Cultural Award
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TESTIMONIALS

Chris Scarffe doesn’t have one title; he shoots, produces, edits, and directs. Whether above or below water, Chris brings an unmatched level of professionalism and commitment to all aspects of production. With his positive attitude and ability to work in high stress situations and countries, Chris is an invaluable part of a film crew. I was extremely impressed with the quality of his footage.

Jackson Fager, Producer, Vice on HBO

Jackson Fager, Producer of the multiple Emmy award winning series Vice on HBO
Chris filmed for the ZDF TV prime-time documentary “SOS Ocean: Help for an endangered habitat”. Therefore the visual demands could not have been higher. His camerawork was outstanding, as was his passionate commitment to telling non-fictional stories about conservation issues in a respectful and engaging manner. I could not have had a better DOP in Africa. I enjoyed every minute.

Kristin Siebert - author and director – ZDF, ARD, SKY

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Chris is a professional who fuels his work with his passion for the projects he works on and his own personal curiosity. We worked together on a story that dealt with very difficult access as well as very real dangers and Chris delivered more than we expected. Chris is also very unique because of his high skill levels as a cinematographer, underwater videographer, drone operator and as a producer. Thanks again Chris, the whole team is looking forward to working with you again.

Danilo Parra, Senior Producer, VICELAND

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The brief we gave Chris included some challenging locations and complex messages, yet his ability to capture incredible footage and beautiful still images to help us tell these stories, combined with his professionalism and ability to overcome obstacles, meant that working with him was a pleasure. Throughout the process, I was confident he would deliver what we needed, and we couldn’t have been happier with the end product. I would highly recommend Chris to anyone interested in filming or photographing wildlife, wild places and people, and the complex relationships between them.

Jim Pettiward, Head of Communications, Synchronicity Earth

FabuFit
I have worked with Chris on a number of marine conservation media campaigns and I couldn't rate him higher. Chris' professional mastery of both technology and technique is world-class, creating stunning imagery. He is also a wonderful, kind and diligent colleague to work with and really caring about doing a good job, as well as being passionate about the positive conservation outcomes of the work we do together.

Tim Scoones - Executive Producer - Blue Marine Foundation - Media Unit
Former Executive Producer - BBC Natural History Unit

CINEMATOGRAPHER & DIRECTOR / PRODUCER

CINEMATOGRAPHER DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

DIRECTOR / PRODUCER

﻿CINEMATOGRAPHER

TERRA MATER STUDIOS - EYES OF THE ORANGUTAN

VICE ON HBO - COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION

BBC - THE OCTOPUS IN MY HOUSE

VICELAND - BLACK MARKET

WORLD MANGROVE PHOTO AWARDS

THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION - LIVING WITH THE OCEAN

CINEMATOGRAPHER