BBC Studios Natural History Unit, co-produced by BBC America, ZDF, FTV and The Open University

Editor Sam Rogers approached the Planet Earth 3 ‘Freshwater’ film as a drama rather than a wildlife documentary. His focus was to ensure we experienced the story through the main characters’ eyes. This simple principle influenced every creative choice made during the edit; the shots, sound effects and music were all deliberately chosen to heighten the sense of character and maximise the cinematic immersion.

The ‘drama’ approach especially influenced how Sam edited the sequences. Initially he built these sequences without any commentary at all, ensuring first and foremost that they worked on a visual and emotional level. The resulting stories then needed less voice over to tell the story and this has helped create a more immersive and experiential film.

Above all, Sam understood that this film must entertain. He ensured each of the stories had its own distinct tone and style. From the daredevil adventures of Goby fish scaling gargantuan waterfalls to the hilarious tale of a fish learning how to play dead, to the elegiac and poetic plight of the Indus river dolphin, each story strikes a different emotional chord of humour, drama, awe and emotion. The result is a perfectly balanced film that moves, entertains and thrills.