Alumni part of new BBC documentary team

From oceans to jungles, the poles to the deserts, the eight-part Human Planet explores our incredible ability to survive in the most extreme environments.

University of Melbourne alumni Jasper Montana (DipCa 2007, BSc(Hons) 2008) and Andrea Jones (BA(Media&Comms) 2005) travelled to the far-flung corners of the globe in their quest to bring the most diverse, original and, in some cases, never-before-seen stories of human endeavour to the screen.

For Mr Montana, working on the Human Planet documentary was a dream realised.

“Since the age of 10, I have been passionate about the natural world,” he says.

“Growing up in Australia, with nature on my doorstep, I’ve taken every opportunity to get out and see it. My first solo international adventure was at the age of 15 when I went on a year-long international student exchange to Venezuela. Learning Spanish and living away from family and friends in a different culture was an eye-opening experience and something that expanded my curiosity and quest for adventure.”

He cites David Attenborough as an inspiration for bringing his passions to life.

“It was for this reason that I studied zoology at Melbourne and spent my spare time making short films and working in community television,” he says.

“I obtained film-making and television experience through lots of self-motivated and self-funded film and volunteering work,” he explains. ‘While studying at the University of Melbourne I volunteered with Channel 31 and RMITV, directing and filming TV shows for Community TV, and also worked on a number of short films with other students from the University.”

After graduating with degrees in both zoology and film production from the University of Melbourne, Mr Montana moved to Far North Queensland to work on the Great Barrier Reef, first as a nature tour guide on tropical Heron Island and then as a trainee wildlife cameraman.

After a year of animal encounters including putting his foot in a tiger shark’s mouth, being head-butted by a Tasmanian devil, swooped on by a Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, and witnessing the awe-inspiring mass migration of thousands of spider crabs across the shallows of Port Phillip Bay, he returned to the University to do an honours degree on the burying behaviour of the Southern Sand Octopus.

At the end of 2008, a job opening in Bristol, England, whisked him away on what he describes as, “the most epic adventure” on the Human Planet team. Working on Human Planet, Montana was responsible for the day-to-day coordination of hundreds of kilograms of filming equipment to be sent all over the world. He says timeframes can be challenging.

“Throughout the series, we averaged around one shoot per week,” he says.

“‘It was my job to make sure, down to the last cable and screw, that all the tonnes of High Definition camera, cranes and sound equipment made it out to each location. Sometimes we would have just a week to set up a multi-camera, all-singing all-dancing shoot in a remote location, and my job would be to make sure that once the crew got there, the vast amount of equipment had arrived safely and was in place to film the action.”

Though his role was demanding he acknowledges the perks of travelling to exotic locations.

“Having the opportunity to go to Mongolia in central Asia, Mali in West Africa, the tiny island of Yap in the Pacific Ocean and, a little closer to home, the outback of the Northern Territory with Human Planet, was an unrivalled experience. I hope the viewers of this series can get a small taste of how rich these cultures are and how important it is to keep them alive.”

For Andrea Jones, the path to the BBC was less obvious. She completed a degree in Media and Communications at the University of Melbourne, and recalls an internship at the Age in her final years of study as a particular highlight.

During the final year of her degree in 2005, Ms Jones took up with a Welshman and moved to Cardiff.

“Armed with my degree and a desire to work in the media, I got a job as production assistant on a consumer rights program at BBC Wales,” she says.

“‘This saw me thrown into the world of television at the deep end, working on a fast turnaround weekly program, which I enjoyed and learned a lot from.

“I’ve always wanted to pursue a career in the media, and to have the opportunity to work for the BBC has been amazing. My degree, especially the practical elements such as my internship, prepared me well for a media career.”

Ms Jones was thrilled to land the role of production coordinator on Human Planet in 2008.

“I set up shoots to far-flung locations such as the Himalayas and the Rio Negro,” she says.

“Some of the more challenging moments included trying to get my stranded team home from Brazil in the middle of the Icelandic volcanic ash incident, a tough ask considering all planes were grounded.

Ms Jones watched the Human Planet series with her family during a recent trip home to Melbourne.

Both Mr Montana and Ms Jones continue to work for the BBC. Mr Montana is currently in a new role researching for a series about the history of iconic landscapes, such as the Amazon and the East African savannah, while Ms Jones continues with the broadcasting organisation as a production coordinator for Crimewatch.

Mr Montana attributes his university degree as crucial in establishing the framework of his scientific knowledge.

“‘It allowed me the opportunity to get out in the field and learn about animals, plants and their interactions,” he explains.

“The University was a great place to learn and experiment with ideas. I had access to both the academic and co-curricular resources, to get hands-on experience in both science and filmmaking.”

Ms Jones’ advice to graduates looking to follow a similar career trajectory is to “try to get as much industry experience as you can, paid or unpaid.”

“Networking has been important in developing my career, not only with University alumni, but colleagues as well.”

Human Planet on BBC Earth
www.bbcearth.com/programmes/human-planet-168/

Human Planet trailer on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HiUMlOz4UQ

Human Planet on ABC
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/humanplanet.htm

Human Planet on iView
http://www.abc.net.au/iview/?series=3167877#/series/3167877

Jasper Montana
http://www.jaspermontana.com