Whale in the Living Room

So often we are told that the world is endangered. John says that he hardly raises an eyebrow when he hears that such and such an animal is on the brink of extinction – they all are to some degree. So, in his talk it will be refreshing to visit what American marine conservationist, Sylvia Earle, calls the ‘Hope Spots’ of the ocean – special places that are scientifically identified as critical to the health of the ocean, with an abundance of life, and still showing an echo of what the ocean was like in the past. John has been lucky enough to have dived in many of them and he would like to take you with him on a worldwide virtual diving experience to visit some of these ocean Hope Spots.

John Ruthven is the only producer to work full time on both 'Blue Planet I and II' series. He has worked extensively in science and history documentaries, and his career highlights range from producing iconic images of blue whales to directing drama inside a WW2 U boat or following venomous snakes throughout Asia. He specialises in wildlife and conservation films, but also expedition, adventure documentary, and presenter-led science shows, historical drama reconstruction, radio and on-line media as well as corporate productions. He enjoys developing story ideas for films, for which he finds being able to sketch out a show with his own video editing helps greatly to focus the project and develop it with a wider team. He organises the logistics and crew for completion of filming projects on budget and on time, particularly in challenging locations. Sometimes this is by being part of a larger team and sometimes, on smaller projects, just himself and one or two others. John is interested in technological innovation and has helped design deep sea camera systems. Recently he wrote the book, ‘The Whale In The Living Room,’ which is about how stories of the ocean’s animals get to your TV. In truth it’s also because as he gets older, he needs to find new directions for work. John has a PhD in tarantula spiders which he says he has always found very useful.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

BS8 1SJ, 1532 Performing Arts Centre, Bristol, United Kingdom