Conservationists give a rare Brazilian macaw the full production service
Conservation work often takes decades before results are recognized. Story Productions headed to Bahia to film a stunning and informative video about a unique project involving an endangered Brazilian macaw for client ACTP.
It’s been over 10 years since the movie Rio hit theatres, and over 20 years since the star of the movie—the Spix’s macaw—went extinct in the wild. The Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP) has been working in conjunction with other partner institutions to reestablish this unique species of macaw back into the wild, and Story Productions was there to document a pivotal moment in the process. Watch the compelling short video here.
ACTP works exclusively with parrots, breeding endangered species with the hope of one day returning them to the wild. To be successful in this Spix’s macaw endeavour, they partnered up with other institutions in education, conservation and reforestation to preserve and rejuvenate the unique biome of this endangered species.
A journey worth documenting
Back in 2014, ACTP and their partners built a Spix’s macaw breeding facility located in the heart of their natural habitat. Story Productions was there to document the reception of these birds as the first batch was moved from Germany to Brazil; a momentous occasion, as this was the first time this native bird was seen in the area since it went extinct in the wild in 2001.
In February of 2022, the Story Production crew—consisting of a fixer, a DOP and a sound technician—headed back into the dry interior of the northeast of Brazil to capture footage of a key moment in the reintroduction of the Spix’s macaw into the wild. The conservation program has been working for years to reach this moment, carefully moving macaws from breeding facilities to flocking aviaries to the final stage—10-metre tall release aviaries.
Good work for a great cause
With a Mavic 2 Pro Drone and a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k in hand, the crew captured the poetic and emotional weight of the conservation work with epic shots of the Caatinga (a word meaning “white forest” in the indigenous language, and a uniquely Brazilian biome), as well as stunning footage of the work required to return the Spix’s macaw to the wild.
As part of the final preparations before their release, the ACTP and their partners have been reforesting the area, working with local environmental partners, and providing clinical examinations for the birds by leading ACTP veterinarians. Additionally, the move to the release aviaries allows the birds to strengthen their wing muscles and socialise with their Caatinga cousins, the Illiger's macaw, who will help them adjust to the arid wilderness.
The ACTP, an institution with German roots, is proud to announce that 20 Spix’s macaws are set to be released later this year. To properly relay this visual saga, Story Productions faced a harsh and arid environment to produce beautifully stunning footage, handling everything from the script, direction, editing and post-production to create this stunning 2’37” video posted on Instagram in celebration of World Wildlife Day.
With the first group of birds cleared to be released into the wild later this year, the ACTP, along with their partner institutions, should be recognized for all the great work they’ve done so far, and encouraged for all the hard work still to come. It is a pleasure for Story Productions to be a small part of their decades-long Spix’s macaw conservation efforts, providing production and post-production services to help tell their story.
Whether it’s live streaming services, finding the perfect location for a shoot, or wrapping up post-production, we have the creative services to tell the world your story. Contact Story Productions for more information on how we can help you with your next project.
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