The Wham film-making brothers

They travel around the world.Documenting animals as tiny as squirrel monkeys, to the largest fish in the world, the 15 metre long whale shark.

This is not the account of Jane Goodall or the late Steve Irwin. But the beginnings of 2 young filmmakers on their mission of wildlife conservation.

Join the Wham brothers, on this week’s episode of Young Expressions. I’m Loretta Foo.

Aged only 17 & 13, William and Mike Wham, have been traveling around the globe in the hope of spreading the message of preserving wildlife.

William tells us a bit about his humble beginnings…

WW: I’ve always been interested in animals, when I was only 5 or 6 years old, I just decided one day just to get a big video camera and just start filming birds in our yard.

William’s younger brother, Mike adds.

MW: Just sort of through him I narrated a couple of his movies and then I just started making some of my own.

Despite their youth, their short films have been good enough to catch the attention of big players in the wildlife filmmaking industry.

MW: This was also a gradual process. When I was about 12 I started entering our films into film festivals each one that’s been successful. We’ve met new people, entered a film into the International wildlife film festival. And there we met people from the save our seas foundation. And they gave me a grant to do a documentary on whale shark conservation in Mexico.

If you are wondering how these 2 young people can go about the world filming animals, they have the flexibility of being home-schooled. William elaborates.

WW: There are lots of different subjects that we can do. I am primarily self taught so I am just able to study a lot of what I am interested in definitely home school has allowed me to pursue my interest.

As glamorous and as thrilling as their lives may seem, William reveals that they have their fair share of difficulties as well.

WW: A lot of time and effort is involved. Occasionally things aren’t as fruitful as you would like them to be. And you have times when the equipment is damaged and you got to save up money again to get the new equipment.

Traveling to film wildlife has exposed William & Mike to varied experiences. During their trip to Costa Rica, they saw squirrel monkeys who were forced to survive in the city because their natural habitats had been completely destroyed.

Mike also recounts a time when he looked death in the eye.

MW: Well, actually when we were in Churchill, making a film about polar bears, I was leaning out the window to get a picture and one of the polar bear sort of got off the hind legs and mouth got a few inches off my face. I was pretty scared but I got a really good picture of a close-up of his face.

That was Mike Wham, a 13 year old wildlife filmmaker.

If you’d like to find out more about the films of the Wham brothers, drop by their website at http://www.whamwildlifefilms.com

This edition of Young Expressions was produced by Isaac Ong.

I’m Loretta Foo for Radio Singapore International.

Sumber : http://www.rsi.sg/english/youngexpressions/view/20070427124247/1/.html