Episode 224: Erin Ranney, Lines and Lenses

Episode 224 of The Adventure Podcast features wildlife cinematographer and third generation commercial fisherwoman, Erin Ranney. The conversation begins with Erin's upbringing in Alaska and Washington State, and how she grew up working on her family tree farm and in the largest sockeye salmon run in the world. She talks about how that shaped her understanding of conservation from the inside out and why she’s chosen to stay connected to that community. From there, Erin traces her path into filmmaking and the point at which she realised it could act as a bridge between science, storytelling, and audiences. Alongside the field stories, Matt and Erin dig into the realities of the industry; the long periods living in tents, years spent building skills through unpaid work and stock footage, and the challenges facing nature storytelling today. They talk about the need for better science communication and the lack of funding for nature content. And why inspiring curiosity might be one of the most important parts of the job.

For extra insights from the worlds of adventure, exploration and the natural world, you can find The Adventure Podcast+ community on Substack. You can also follow along and join in on Instagram @‌theadventurepodcast.

Chapter Breakdown

00:00-08:00: Life in Bristol Bay, commercial fishing, and understanding conservation from within a working community.

08:00-18:00: A chance fly-fishing class leads to a complete career pivot into ecology and field research.

18:00-26:00: Erin discusses her lemur research, and how borrowing a long lens led to realising film could connect people to science.

26:00-36:00: Cold emails, buying her own camera, filming stock footage, and landing her first paid job filming bears in Alaska.

36:00-45:00: Working in extreme environments.

45:00-55:00: Six months in remote camps, bush planes, family involvement, and rediscovering a love for filmmaking.

55:00-01:05:00: Glacial retreat, extreme heat, and salmon die-offs - and why these stories couldn’t be ignored.

01:05:00-01:15:00: Why Erin stays connected to fishing and farming communities, and sees herself as a bridge between worlds.

01:15:00-End: Kids’ programming, inspiring curiosity, mentoring young filmmakers, and what needs to change in the industry.

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