{"id":12430,"date":"2025-10-21T07:59:56","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T14:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/?p=12430"},"modified":"2025-10-21T08:30:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T15:30:52","slug":"vr-in-the-wild-meet-filmmaker-elaine-ford","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/vr-in-the-wild-meet-filmmaker-elaine-ford\/","title":{"rendered":"VR in the Wild: Meet Filmmaker Elaine Ford"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ThingLink has recently made available an inspiring set of three conservation-based 360\u00b0<\/strong> videos, designed for learners, educators, and anyone curious about how immersive media can inspire connection with the natural world. Featuring elephants, hippos and wild dogs, they were filmed in Botswana\u2019s Okavango Delta by the highly accomplished interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker Elaine Ford. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ThingLink spoke with Elaine to hear more about how and where the films were created, further ideas about how educators could use them as the basis for a wide range of creative and project-based learning, and the journey she has taken so far. We\u2019re sure that her experiences and advice will inspire many young future conservationists, ecologists and immersive content creators!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

An early passion for conservation and creativity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elaine\u2019s passion for nature and the outdoors began in childhood, where she was happiest playing in mud and climbing trees! Spending time in nature helped her develop a deep connection to the natural world, as well as keen observation skills which fed into an early love of drawing. This led her eventually to art school, where initially she focused on drawing and painting aspects of the natural world as a way to explore and understand it more deeply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evolution into immersive technology<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elaine\u2019s practice in the more traditional arts expanded to encompass other media like photography, installation, and film, as well as less conventional multidisciplinary approaches like creating salt structures and glass art. Her guiding principal remained \u201cfinding ways to co-create with nature\u2019s systems.\u201d In addition to her art studies, she also completed a degree in Biology with Ecology, specialising in tropical biodiversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This combination of studies led Elaine to immersive technology, where she saw the potential for VR to help people feel present within the landscape, encounter animals up close and feel part of their world. For Elaine, the power of this medium lies in the way it can help us \u201csee through the eyes of another\u201d. From a wildlife and conservation perspective, this can quite literally mean placing the camera at different heights or in unusual places to replicate as closely as possible the animal\u2019s – or even the plant\u2019s – eye view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The collaborations behind the creativity<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elaine explained to us that filming wild animals, particularly in locations like the Okavango Delta, requires significant collaboration with a number of different parties to ensure that the entire project is carried out ethically and sustainably. The filming of the elephants, hippos and wild dogs in Botswana was carried out with a number of different cameras and ancillaries – including a pair of 180\u00b0<\/strong> fisheye lens cameras, and cameras carried under drones – with 3D-printed attachments to ensure stable 360\u00b0<\/strong> footage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two-week expedition involved close collaboration and included meeting inspiring researchers and conservation scientists dedicated to protecting the Okavango Delta\u2019s remarkable ecosystem and the people and wildlife that call it home. Their knowledge of animal behaviour and movement helped inform the filming approach and deepen understanding of the delicate balance within this unique landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Working in such a remote environment required careful planning, adaptability, and resource management. Elaine used solar power, power banks and in-vehicle charging while travelling between locations, to keep her cameras and equipment running. Every detail from managing batteries and memory cards to timing shoots with shifting light, weather, and wildlife, became part of the creative process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For students or anyone inspired by the spirit of exploration, the experience offers a glimpse into what it takes to bring stories from the wild to life: patience, creativity, problem-solving, respect for nature, and curiosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can young people start creating immersive experiences<\/strong>?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We asked Elaine for her advice for any young people inspired to enter the world of immersive conservation filmmaking and photography. Here are her top tips – we hope they will inspire your learners!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catch our exclusive webinar with Elaine! Available LIVE and On-Demand.<\/h3>

Join us for an inspiring and exclusive webinar where we explore how immersive storytelling can bring wildlife and conservation education to life in powerful new ways.<\/p>