02-27-2023 -
How "Path of the Panther" DP Spent 5 Years Capturing the Elusive Big Cats of Florida
By: Oakley Anderson-Moore
The Florida panther is disappearing. A film crew set out to tell the story of these panthers. The only problem? No one ever sees them.
Covert, endangered, and potentially lethal. How did Danny Schmidt, a multiple award-winning cinematographer, capture the panthers while keeping his crew safe and not disturbing the natural habitat he and the film team were trying to protect?
For starters, it took almost five years to pull off. On top of that, Schmidt got creative with cinematography, including a parade of Sony cameras, performing with no room for mistakes, in the wildest sections of Florida. The result is a rare film that is both beautiful and urgent. As one critic describes it, “Image-making has rarely felt this essential to our planet’s survival.”
Schmidt sat down with SonyCine to talk about what it was like to shoot Path of the Panther, and why it’s important.
Trapping panthers with cameras, not cages
First thing’s first, how do you find a panther?
“Panthers are incredibly elusive creatures,” explains Schmidt. “They live in dense forests and swampland and do a great job of not being seen. This obviously presents a problem when you’re trying to make a movie about them and not disturbing them. All of the panther footage that made the film was a result of one man’s quest to bring them to the screen, and in turn, create a plea for their survival as a species in Florida. That man is Carlton Ward, Jr.”
Along with the panthers, Carlton Ward, Jr. is the central character of the film. He has established a strong reputation as a wildlife photographer who has captured everything from elephants in Mali to shrews in Gabon. Ward found a passion for the Florida panther and has devoted the better part of a decade to their protection. His journey to capture these animals on camera is the central story of the film.
“Carlton employed dozens and dozens of remotely-triggered camera rigs - basically Sony mirrorless cameras in waterproof boxes that begin recording when off-camera triggers sense an animal walking by,” says Schmidt. “It’s not a perfect system and it is incredibly tedious, but Carlton’s dedication to this craft has elevated him to one of the best in the game.”
