Extraordinary Birder’s Extraordinary Producer Rebecca Ballard
Everyone has a story to tell. What often separates the ones we pay attention to from the ones we ignore is how that story is related. Drama, comedy, empathy and more are present in all our lives but manifesting them on screen takes immense skill and talent, regardless of whether you’re in front of or behind the camera. Producer Rebecca Ballard possesses the attributes that allow the productions she works on to bring forth moments of fascination and connectivity. Her latest endeavor is Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper which premiers on National Geographic Wild and Disney+ this summer. Though known for her work on the sci-fi thriller Life starring Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca’s work on Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper focuses instead on the fascinating wildlife and challenging environment of planet Earth. A variety of ecosystems and their avian inhabitants are explored in the series, ranging from rainforests to metropolitan cityscapes. Ms. Ballard professes her fondness for this production stating, “I’m really proud of the show and I think it stands out among wildlife programming in terms of how much information is delivered in each episode. Christian Cooper is such a passionate host and his ability to translate complex information into fun bite-size chunks is a real gift. Additionally, it was really rewarding to be part of the production from beginning to end – to research certain subjects, see them come to life while filming and then polish them during editing. It’s a uniquely satisfying process to take a story from idea to finished show.”
Viewers are invited to experience a world that has fascinated Christian Cooper for decades. The series bears witness to Cooper’s passion in that it illuminates the expansive variety of environments on planet Earth and our place in it. There’s also a zen quality to Cooper’s pursuits, since it requires immense patience to witness the payoff of extraordinary wild animals passing by. Though the spectacular moments presented in this series may seem serendipitous, they are in fact quite the opposite. Rebecca confirms that the amount of planning and preparation that goes into setting up the opportunity to catch sight of the different birds Christian pursues is immense. Seeing episodes through every stage, from research to story development to logistics, shooting with the crew, post-production through editing and the finishing process, Ms. Ballard knows perhaps better than anyone what makes for engaging television. As with many of the productions she’s worked on, Rebecca points to the often overlooked benefits that television can have to prompt positive change in the world. She explains, “For one of my favorite episodes, during pre-production, I spoke with many fascinating and helpful researchers who were working on a variety of avian diseases. I was able to convince the local government to allow a small crew to visit some of them and film on restricted protected reserves to showcase their important work. These segments bring these issues to a much wider audience – and it was so rewarding to see Christian hear the distinctive call of endangered birds, which can often only be found in very small areas. Later in the same episode, Christian is able to help conservationists release birds into a reserve after their recovery from various injuries. It was such a moving moment.”
Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper promises many heart-warming moments like this. While embracing the adventurous spirit of investigating unfamiliar territories, the tone of the show is one that emphasizes the appreciation of nature and living in harmony with it. Discovering new places is a positive experience no matter who you are and where you live. Referring to her work as an Associate Producer on the upcoming season of Discovery Channel’s Expedition X, Rebecca notes, “I truly enjoy exploring different parts of the world. It feeds the part of me that is restless. Working on Expedition X in an area with heavy snow – it was absolutely gorgeous. The region has such a rich history and a longstanding connection with the paranormal, so it was a great place to dive into that world.”
Writer: Calvin Hooney
