Richard Fitzpatrick est l’un des cinéastes sous-marins les plus connus d’Australie, spécialiste des systèmes vidéos haute définition, en plus d’être un biologiste marin qualifié. Il a tourné plus de 50 films pour des chaînes comme la BBC, National Geographic et Discovery Channels, et est renommé pour avoir tourné des séquences particulièrement complexes – certaines jamais vues auparavant. Avec près de 8 000 heures sous l’eau, il a filmé dans les eaux cristallines de la Grande Barrière de Corail jusqu’aux eaux troubles de l’Amazone. Il a en outre gagné de nombreuses récompenses internationales.
Avec un background comme biologiste dans les aquariums publics, Richard a travaillé à l’Ocean World de Manly, à l’Ocean center de Maui – hawaï ainsi qu’aux Quartier Général du Parc Marin de la Grande Barrière de Corail à Townsville. Il a aussi écrit des manuels d’étude de biologie marine et produit des vidéos sur la « Compréhension du Récif » pour le Parc Marin de la Grande Barrière de Corail.
Les recherches actuelles de Richard incluent un programme de suivi sur le long terme des requins de récifs à Osprey Reef dans la Mer de Corail et le marquage satellite des Requins-Tigres de la portion nord éloigné de la Grande Barrière de Corail. Cette recherche a été diffusé à la fois dans un programme documentaire de 60 minutes sur Channel 9 et sur France 5, le « Shark Tracker ».
Awards
2007 Australian Cinematographers Society NATIONAL - Distinction Award - Natural History - 'Equator - Reef of Riches' Discovery Channel 2007 Australian Cinematographers Society QLD - Gold Award - Natural History - 'Equator - Reef of Riches' Discovery Channel 2006 International Wildlife Film Festival - Best Photography - 'Equator' 2005 Australian Cinematographers Society QLD - Silver Award - Natural History - 'Killer Jellyfish' Discovery Channel 2005 Australian Cinematographers Society - Merit Award - Natural History - 'Microcean' 2005 Antibes Underwater Film Festival Grand Format Films - Gold Award - 'The Jellyfish' Arte 2004Australian Cinematographers Society QLD - Gold Award - Natural History - 'Microcean' 2004 Antibes Underwater Film Festival - Prize for Animal Documentary - 'Microocean' Nature Productions (France) 2004 International Wildlife Film Festival Merit Award for Photography - 'Coral Seas' Prize for animal documentary - 'Microcean' 2003Australian Cinematographers Society QLD - Silver Award - Natural History - 'Raine Island' 2003 International Wildlife Film Festival - Honorable Mention - Underwater Photography - 'Mystery of the Minke'
2003 Festival international du Film; Aventure & Decouverte Special Jury Prize
2002 Antibes Underwater Film Festival Grand Format Films - Gold Award - 'Shark Battlefield'
2002 Antibes Underwater Film Festival Grand Format Films - Bronze Award - 'Wild Nights - one night under the sea' 2002Australian Cinematographers Society QLD - Gold Award - Natural History - 'Shark Battlefield' 2001 Australian Cinematographers Society - Highly Commended - Natural History - 'Menacing Waters'
2000 International Wildlife Film Festival Best Underwater Photography - 'Ocean Empires' Merit Award For Visual Effects
2000 Antibes Underwater Film Festival Grand Format Films - Bronze Award - 'Ocean Empires'
Cinema Filming Experience
2006 'Animals in Love' - France
Natural History Filming Experience
2007 'NatureÆs Wonders - Great Barrier ReefÆ - HDTV - Impossible Pictures/Discovery 2007 'WorldÆs Most Dangerous Venom - National Geographic / Digital Dimensions / Pathenon Entertainment - HDTV 2007 'Life in Cold Blood' HDTV - BBC 2006 'Dangerous World' - HDTV = Beyond Productions / National Geographic - HDTV 2006 'Miracle Planet' - National Geographic - HDTV 2006 'Deadly Dozen - Australia' National Geographic - HDTV 2006 'Are we Changing Planet Earth' - BBC 2006 'Deadly Dozen - Australia' - National Geographic - HDTV 2006 'Amazing Planet' - National Geographic - HDTV 2005 'Shark Bay' - TBS (Japan) - HDTV 2005 'Killer Jellyfish' - Digital Dimensions / Discovery Channel - HDTV
2005 'Equator - Reef of Riches' - NHNZ / NHK / Discovery Channel - HDTV 2005 'Great Barrier Reef - Part 1' ARD Germany - HDTV 2005 'Great Barrier Reef - Part 2' ARD Germany - HDTV 2005 'Corwin's Quest - The Bear's Hunger' Tigress Productions / Discovery Channel - HDTV 2005 'Corwin's Quest - The Sardine's Run' Tigress Productions / Discovery Channel - HDTV 2005 'Corwin's Quest - The Lion's Pounce Tigress Productions / Discovery Channel - HDTV 2004 'Miracle Venom - The Blue Realm' - Sport Diver Television / Discovery Channel - HDTV documentary 2004 'Up Close and Dangerous' - Natural History Limited / Discovery Channel 2004 'Marine protection of the Phillipines' - WWF Geneva HDTV 2004 'Tiger by a tail' - 60 minutes - feature story on Richard Fitzpatrick 2004 'Irakundji' - 60 minutes Australia 2004 'Jellyfish' - ARD Germany - HDTV documentarty 2004 'Sea snakes' - ARD Germany - HDTV documentary 2004 'Lord Howe Island' - ZDF Germany - HDTV shoot 2004 'Coral Seas' One hour music DVD - Digital Dimensions 2003 'State of the Reef' - WWF Geneva HDTV 2003 'Microocean' Nature Productions (France) - HDTV cinema release 2003 'Australasia' - BBC Natural History Unit - HDTV shoot 2003 'Raine Island - Natures Warzone - National Geographic / Natural History Limited - Director of Photography -The natural history of Raine Island 2003 'The Most Extreme - Venom' NHNZ / Discovery Channel 2003 'Snake Wranglers - Sea snakes' National Geographic 2002 'Dangerous Amazon with Jules Sylvester' - Discovery Channel / Granada - 50 minute documentary - Director of Photography 2002 'Dangerous Australians with Jules Sylvester' - Discovery Channel / Granada - 50 minute documentary - Director of Photography
2002 'Shark Battlefield' - BBC - Camera, Aerials, Jimmy Jib, Shark Biologist 2002 'National Geographic Today' - water quality story - stock vision, marine biologist interview 2002 'A Man among Sharks' Tele-images (France) - Presenter, Shark Vision 2002 Mystery of the Minke - National Geographic / Natural History Limited - New Zealand. Director of Photography, Director 2002 'DonÆt go there' BBC - Box Jellyfish sequences, Presenter 2001 'Wild Nights' - Tele-images (France) - HDTV shoot -Camera, Marine Biologist
2001 'World Heritage' TBS (Japan) - HDTV Shoot - Camera, Marine Biologist 2001 'Octopus and Squid of Australia' - NHK (Japan) - HDTV shoot - cameraman 2000 'Poison' Survival Anglia - Box Jellyfish sequences - Underwater camera 2000 'Menacing Waters' Discovery / Natural History Limited - Director of Photography 2000 'Venom' - BBC - Filming above and below water sequences for tropical Australia sequences: included sea snakes, stonefish, coneshells, funnel web spider, white tail spider, platypus, box jellyfish, irakundji, interviews with victims and lab scenes. 1999 'Ocean Empires' - a 50 min natural history documentary on coral reefs. Credits: Director, Co-Producer, Editor, Director of Photography 1999 'Too close for comfort' BBC Natural History Unit - sharks feeding 1999 'Australia's Marine World' Discovery Channel - cone shells, sharks, turtles 1999 Nine network Australia - A Current Affair - Great Barrier Reef Story - underwater vision 1999 'Serpents of the sea' - Natural History Limited / Discovery Channel - 1998 'Danger in the Sea' - Marquee films - Canada - 13 part series on marine environment for Discovery Channel. Supplied behavioural sequences 1998 'Animal Weapons' Wild Visuals - cone shells, sharks, platypus, sea snake sequences. 1998 'Tomorrow's world' BBC - story on electronic Shark Pod repellent
1998 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 'Reef Understanding' 90 min training film on marine biology
'Reef Essentials' 30 min training film on reef management Credits - Director, Writer, Camera 1998 CSIRO - Filming numerous research programs and wildlife vision for media release 1998 Beijing Aquarium - Video wall display - 27 min 1998 Philip Island Aquarium - Video wall display 1997 'Mystic of the Pearl' - Film Australia. Underwater filming 1997 Das La Nature (Canal + France) - a documentary on sharks. 1995 Beyond the Blue (Coral Sea Television) - documentary on the life of Sydney Harbour - scientific consultant and cameraman 1994 Dangerous Australians (Channel 9) - 4 part documentary 1993 Totally Wild (Channel 10) - weekly segments on marine biology. Supplied all underwater vision and scientific consultant 1993 Wonderworld (Channel 9) - weekly segments on marine biology. Supplied all underwater visio.
