‘Secrets of the Penguins’ Cinematographer on How the Birds ‘Break the Fourth Wall’

The amazing thing about filming penguins in the wild, “Secrets of the Penguins” cinematographer Bertie Gregory tells Variety, is that since the big birds don’t have land-based predators, humans can get much closer than they might to other animals.

Sometimes the penguins would even get curious about the cameras and “break the fourth wall.”

“That is why this series is so intimate and emotional — we’re relatively close without disturbing their natural behavior,” Gregory explains of the show executive produced by James Cameron and narrated by Blake Lively. “Penguins pretty much have no fear of people. So that means we don’t really need to hide ourselves.” 

“Secrets of the Penguins,” the new three-episode National Geographic show that tracks penguins in their natural habitats across the Ekström Ice Shelf in Antarctica to the freezing shores of South Georgia island, features new drone technology to capture these animals in action. That especially came handy when shooting the emperor penguin chicks jumping off an enormous 50-foot cliff.

“The flight time, in particular, is cool because we only used to be able to use drones that capture pretty aerial views of the animals in the landscape,” Gregory says. “But because we can now fly for a long time, we can leave them hovering in the air and wait for the action to unfold.”

As a cinematographer and National Geographic Explorer who has worked on multiple nature shows before, including “Animals Up Close With Bertie Gregory” and “Frozen Planet II,” Gregory brings both his expertise in camera equipment and a knack for reading animal body language. The latter, Gregory explains, is the key to capturing quick animal action. Take the scene when the Gentoo penguins speed up to 22 miles per hour.

“To be honest, I don’t do a huge amount of thinking,” Gregory admits. “When the action is kicking off, you’re not necessarily going into autopilot but you’re in a flow state. You’re relying on your instincts and the subconscious takes over.”

The number of people Gregory worked with on location drastically changed for each episode. For instance, the 274-day shoot in Antarctica featured just a three-person crew on the ground, which Gregory enjoyed “because you’re just so maneuverable” in comparison to the complications that come with larger crews.

One tense scene that forced Gregory and his crew to think quick on their feet was an encounter with a leopard seal in the third episode.

“I don’t really find it scary anymore,” Gregory explains. “In that case, the leopard seal was bold and curious. If you or I want to know what a new object feels like, we use our hands — well, the seals don’t have hands so they have to use their teeth. They put their teeth around your head, your arms and your legs and you have to just kind of roll with it.”

With Cameron attached to the project as executive producer, Gregory is hopeful that audiences who typically stray away from watching nature documentaries will give “Secrets of the Penguins” a shot — especially given how penguins and the rest of the world are in trouble due to climate change.

“[James is] such an incredible storyteller and his use of new camera technology in all his films is very well-known. He brought that flair,” Gregory says. “Any opportunity to combine pop culture with a wildlife documentary is a great opportunity to bring in a new audience.”