The Ark In Space

The Life Cycle of the Newt

Saturday, 31 May 2025

This short ten minute film by the British Council provides as much information about the life cycle of the newt as anyone really needs unless they wish to become a herpetologist – the scientific term for someone who studies reptiles and amphibians professionally. Even though it was made in 1942 (during World War II no less), I don’t think you will find a more accurate and succinct description of the life cycle of this charming amphibian.

It focuses on the Smooth Newt and with some great photography for its time, looks at the process from conception to the point when the tiny but fully-formed newt leaves the pond for land, where it will stay for three years until ready to reproduce itself. Watch this wonderful short film below.

Spider Mom

Sunday, 21 March 2021

This is one of the most remarkable pieces of film I have seen for a long time. Sure, we are all used to macro photography these days, showing all aspects of insect and arachnid life close up. Yet while that sort of photography needs time and bags of patience this must have been a labor of love indeed.

Funnily enough labor is quite an appropriate word here. This remarkable piece of film shows a spider laying its eggs. Scientifically speaking I should have said a spider ovispositing its egg sac but now you have that you know what it means in everyday speak!

The detail here is stunning – quite remarkable – you can see the eggs inside the spider before their sack is oviposited. Not only that it shows the care that the spider gives its young before they are born and even takes us to the birth itself.

This outstanding footage was taken by Alvaro Mendoza Productions, otherwise known as Amprods, a Spanish production company specializing in nature documentaries and, more specifically, in filming animal behavior.

Colors I

Wednesday, 12 April 2017

Alessandro Carillo started shooting this short film in March when the parks are relatively free of people and the first signs of spring begin to appear in London. Here you can experience the first flowers, the first hungry insects and just the general joy of spring through his wonderful photography.

The parks of London have never looked so beautiful as here and the film is infused with marvelous colors and moving bokeh which lends a certain romanticism to it – you would hardly think it was shot in one of the busiest cities in the world.

Saving the Last Wilderness

Sunday, 15 January 2017

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to many remarkable creatures. In the language of the original Alaskans it means sacred place where life begins. It is vast, serene and other-worldly yet our own world is impinging on it more and more. Can this lovely place be saved before its pristine beauty is destroyed forever? There are many who wish to see its preservation – as this superb film by Florian Schulz shows. Sit back, grab a coffee and open your mind to wonder - this contains some of the best wildlife photography you can see. For more information about how to help save this place, visit We Are The Arctic.

Island of the Ladies

Wednesday, 10 August 2016

This is a collection of clips captured near Isla Mujeres Island, Mexico. The whale sharks and manta rays in this video gather at Isle Mujeres each year to feed on tuna and snapper spawn.

Sit back and enjoy the wonderful images captured by natural history filmmakers Howard and Michele Hall whose work you may well have seen on Nature and Secrets of the Ocean Realm. It is all quite stunning.

Sanctuary of 700

Thursday, 28 May 2015

Cats, cats, everywhere! If you feel overwhelmed by two or three cats paying you attention then perhaps you should look away now! Cat House on the Kings in California is currently home to 700 cats and kittens which, for a number of reasons, have lost their own place of safety and need somewhere to stay before they are adopted.

It’s quite a sight as the place has a no-cage policy which means that the cats are free to wander everywhere which, being cats, of course they do!

Run by the redoubtable Lynea Lattanzio, The Cat House began life over two decades ago and despite initial problems with permission to provide shelter to so many cats, has gone from strength to strength ever since. Ms Lattanzio’s ultimate aim is, frankly, to go out of business. Through educating the public she wants the need for this kind of place to become a thing of the past. Eleanor Abernathy, the crazy cat lady from The Simpsons she ain’t.

Elizabeth Nelson, a graduating film student at Northern Arizona University, visited this fascinating place and created this lovely short documentary. Although The Cat House does do tours, most of you reading this will be far away from California. So, take a guided tour around the facility and meet the staff, including Ms Lattanzio who tells us how the whole thing started.

The word sanctuary doesn’t fully or properly describe this place. It’s a veritable Shangri-La for cats. You can also learn a lot more about it at its website, The Cat House on the Kings.

Stop the Dog (Starring Harvey Waggington)

Friday, 5 July 2013

Watch this right to the end: you will (I hope) laugh! This short film, a little over two minutes long, follows the adventures of a lovable Labrador. The dog is played by Harvey Waggington, who we suspect might be playing himself. Or it could be method acting: who can say?

However, that aside, this dog may be intent on being the canine equivalent of an altruist but he is somewhat let down by his natural clumsiness…

Stop the Dog was created by takeitoutsidefilms for the 2013 Virgin Media Shorts competition. You can vote for it in the competition by clicking here.

The short was produced and directed by Alec Birkbeck with music written by Nick Salmon and played by Steel City Sax.

The Birds of Troup Head

Sunday, 10 February 2013

In June 2012 Cain Scrimgeour visited RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) Troup Head in Scotland, to produce a short promotional film for the RSPB. A week was spent filming on the high sea cliffs of the reserve, where he was privileged to be in the presence of the beautiful and prehistoric Northern Gannet, Morus bassanus. The close proximity allowed him to delve into the Gannets lives, witnessing the complexity of their behavioural traits.

Cain takes up the story: During the week the weather was by majority hot and sunny with flat seas, this proved to be challenging in terms of exposure whilst filming these large white birds, but it also meant that the majority of the Gannets kept to the cliff edges, never venturing above the cliff tops. Only two days did I experience wind which provided some interesting photograph and filming opportunities. The waves picked up, and began crashing into the base of the rocky cliffs, whilst the winds updrafts allowed the Gannets to gain height, congregating at the uppermost parts of the cliff face, gliding effortlessly above the horizon.

On the Way Home

Sunday, 22 May 2011

Spring is such a magical time of year and it is wonderful to come across a piece of film which captures it in all its majesty. On the Way Home was shot over two days at FreezeOut Lakein North Central Montana in the US this spring.

The shots of the migrating birds, especially the geese are captured on HDV and the music is absolutely spot on here. So, go and grab a coffee (or whatever you drink while near your computer keyboard!) and take in this amazing spring spectacle for yourself.

Sanderlings

Thursday, 28 April 2011

The Sanderling is a small wader. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia. It is highly gregarious in winter, sometimes forming large flocks on coastal mudflats or sandy beaches.

Oh and it is also a very funny bird to watch. They often stand on one leg and hop along like Long John Silver. Plus although they congregate close to the sea they really don’t seem to want to get wet so every time a wave comes in, away they hop and run!

This marvelous piece of filmmaking was created by Javier Salinas Laguna. It’s a gorgeous piece of film and the music ("Playful by the dozen" by Daniel Pemberton) is particularly well chosen.

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