Today we have the third installment of our series Featured In, which showcases a Pond5 media makers whose nature stock videos have been used in notable productions. Today we have Jason Sutter (cactii), whose clip Living Bird Tree Silhouette was featured in The Walking Dead.
Jason was born in Canada but has been living in the northern state of Sonora in Mexico for more than eight years. As well as creating stock footage, he installs mining machinery in start-up mines. Regular work has taken him to different parts of the world, such as Australia, Indonesia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and of course, Mexico.
“I wish that I had realized a market for stock footage earlier so that I could have taken advantage of some of the locations that I’ve been to during my mining work.”
What do you like about creating stock footage?
I get to try and capture a short moment of time that’s longer than the frozen moment of a picture. Depending on the subject matter, I think that one of the most important parts of shooting is the focus and perspective you take on your subject.
What did you think the clip Living Bird Tree Silhouette would be used for when you originally filmed it?
I imagined that it would end up in some kind of nature documentary presentation and had not ever imagined that it’d end up in a show where the main theme is zombies. There’s always a bit of luck involved when shooting wildlife. I happened to live close to a tree and had seen birds gathering there at the same time every day for a few days before I decided to capture this moment.
What was your reaction when you saw the clip in the TV series?
It was very inspiring. It was hard to believe at first because it was really unexpected. I compared the scene to my original to make sure that it really was mine. I still watch it when I need a bit of a boost.
What did you learn from seeing this clip in a well-known TV series?
It helped me learn to be more confident in shooting what I want to shoot and how I want the scene to look. I think playfulness and experimentation are very important when approaching a scene that you want to shoot because that’s the part of the shot that includes the personality and vision of the producer.
What other shots have you seen being used?
Finding your clips is like looking for a needle in a haystack but I’ve been lucky enough to see my clip of a guy doing a 360 on a BMX on SONY’s website, and have also seen my Inspecting Mining Drill Core video being used in an Energy Company Investor pitch.
Any advice for newcomers?
Have fun, experiment and shoot!