ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Karen Bass - Natural history filmmaker
Karen Bass has traveled the world to explore and capture footage from every environment across the Earth.

Why you should listen

Karen Bass is a director and producer with a passion for travel and natural history. In 20 years at the BBC’s Natural History Unit, Bass made wildlife films in almost every environment across the Earth, from the rainforests of the Congo (where she produced the first-ever film of our closest relative, the bonobo), to the deserts of Libya, Syria and Jordan, from the icy peaks of the Andes to the swamps of the Amazon, from erupting volcanoes in the Caribbean to the nocturnal world of raccoons in downtown Manhattan. Her series include Andes to Amazon, exploring the wildlife and extreme landscapes of South America; Jungle, an investigation of the world’s rainforests; Wild Caribbean, about the varied nature, weather and landscapes of the Caribbean; and Nature’s Great Events, a dramatic portrayal of six of the planet’s most spectacular wildlife events.

Bass is now producing Untamed Americas, an epic series on the natural history of North, South and Central America, for National Geographic Television. The series is set to premiere in June 2012.

Her passion for travel and natural history were evident from an early age, and she has travelled widely on all the continents -- on scientific expeditions, for pleasure and to make films. In recent years she has sought out dragons on Komodo, dived the remote coral reefs of New Guinea, hang-glided over the cliffs of Byron Bay in Australia, climbed active volcanoes in Ethiopia, rafted the length of the Grand Canyon, sailed a traditional dhow in the Indian Ocean and trekked with camels through the Sahara.

 

More profile about the speaker
Karen Bass | Speaker | TED.com
TED2012

Karen Bass: Unseen footage, untamed nature

Karen Bass: Imagens inéditas, natureza indomada

Filmed:
843,025 views

No TED2012, a cineasta Karen Bass compartilha algumas surpreendentes imagens da natureza que ela filmou para a BBC e para a National Geographic -- incluindo imagens de uma filmagem inédita, do morcego nectarívoro, que se alimenta de uma forma bastante rara...
- Natural history filmmaker
Karen Bass has traveled the world to explore and capture footage from every environment across the Earth. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:16
I'm a very lucky person.
0
750
3309
Sou uma pessoa de muita sorte.
00:19
I've been privileged to see so much of our beautiful Earth
1
4059
4478
Sou privilegiada por poder ver tanto da nossa bela Terra
00:24
and the people and creatures that live on it.
2
8537
2328
e as pessoas e as criaturas que nela vivem.
00:26
And my passion was inspired at the age of seven,
3
10865
3620
Essa minha paixão foi inspirada quando eu tinha sete anos,
00:30
when my parents first took me to Morocco,
4
14485
2335
quando meus pais me levaram ao Marrocos pela primeira vez,
00:32
at the edge of the Sahara Desert.
5
16820
2126
na borda do Deserto do Saara.
00:34
Now imagine a little Brit
6
18946
2375
Agora, imaginem uma pequena britânica
00:37
somewhere that wasn't cold and damp like home.
7
21321
3121
num lugar que não era frio e úmido como no meu país.
00:40
What an amazing experience.
8
24442
2276
Que experiência maravilhosa.
00:42
And it made me want to explore more.
9
26718
2493
E isso me deixou querendo explorar mais.
00:45
So as a filmmaker,
10
29211
2603
Como uma cineasta então,
00:47
I've been from one end of the Earth to the other
11
31814
2811
viajei de um extremo da Terra ao outro
00:50
trying to get the perfect shot
12
34625
2708
tentando tirar a foto perfeita
00:53
and to capture animal behavior never seen before.
13
37333
3792
e capturar comportamento animal nunca antes visto.
00:57
And what's more, I'm really lucky,
14
41125
2632
E além disso, tenho a sorte de
00:59
because I get to share that with millions of people worldwide.
15
43757
3118
poder compartilhar isso com milhões de pessoas em todo o mundo.
01:02
Now the idea of having new perspectives of our planet
16
46875
5250
Bom, a ideia de obter novas perspectivas do nosso planeta
01:08
and actually being able to get that message out
17
52125
3833
e, poder na verdade, difundir essa mensagem
01:11
gets me out of bed every day with a spring in my step.
18
55958
2858
me faz levantar da cama todos os dias muito motivada.
01:14
You might think that it's quite hard
19
58816
3142
Vocês poderiam pensar que é muito difícil
01:17
to find new stories and new subjects,
20
61958
2250
encontrar histórias e temas novos,
01:20
but new technology is changing the way we can film.
21
64208
4331
mas a nova tecnologia está alterando o modo como podemos filmar.
01:24
It's enabling us to get fresh, new images
22
68539
3836
Ela nos possibilita encontrar novas imagens,
01:28
and tell brand new stories.
23
72375
2117
e contar histórias inéditas.
01:30
In Nature's Great Events,
24
74492
2883
Em ‘Os Mais Espetaculares Eventos da Natureza’,
01:33
a series for the BBC that I did with David Attenborough,
25
77375
3542
uma série para a BBC que fiz com David Attenborough,
01:36
we wanted to do just that.
26
80917
2250
queríamos justamente fazer isso.
01:39
Images of grizzly bears are pretty familiar.
27
83167
3041
As imagens dos ursos-grizzly nos são bem familiares.
01:42
You see them all the time, you think.
28
86208
3250
As vemos o tempo todo. Assim pensam.
01:45
But there's a whole side to their lives that we hardly ever see
29
89458
4084
Existe todo um lado da vida deles que raramente vemos,
01:49
and had never been filmed.
30
93542
1708
e que nunca foi filmado.
01:51
So what we did, we went to Alaska,
31
95250
4250
Então nós fomos para o Alasca,
01:55
which is where the grizzlies rely
32
99500
2368
que é onde os ursos-grizzly dependem
01:57
on really high, almost inaccessible, mountain slopes
33
101868
2986
das encostas das montanhas realmente altas, quase inacessíveis
02:00
for their denning.
34
104854
1935
para as suas tocas.
02:02
And the only way to film that is a shoot from the air.
35
106789
5348
E a única forma de filmar isso é no ar.
02:10
(Video) David Attenborough: Throughout Alaska and British Columbia,
36
114304
4613
(Vídeo) David Attenborough: Por todo o Alasca e a Columbia Britânica,
02:14
thousands of bear families are emerging from their winter sleep.
37
118917
5212
milhares de famílias de ursos despertam do seu sono de inverno.
02:20
There is nothing to eat up here,
38
124129
3954
Não há nada de comer aqui em cima,
02:23
but the conditions were ideal for hibernation.
39
128083
3500
mas as condições eram ideais para hibernação.
02:27
Lots of snow in which to dig a den.
40
131583
5431
Muita neve para cavar uma toca.
02:35
To find food, mothers must lead their cubs down to the coast,
41
139450
5990
Para encontrar alimento, as mães têm que levar os filhotes para o litoral,
02:41
where the snow will already be melting.
42
145440
2852
onde a neve já estará derretendo.
02:48
But getting down can be a challenge for small cubs.
43
152502
7148
Mas a descida pode ser um desafio para os ursinhos.
03:21
These mountains are dangerous places,
44
185723
3735
Essas montanhas são lugares perigosos,
03:25
but ultimately the fate of these bear families,
45
189458
3459
mas, no final, o destino dessas famílias de ursos,
03:28
and indeed that of all bears around the North Pacific,
46
192917
3514
e certamente o destino de todos os ursos em volta do Pacífico Norte,
03:32
depends on the salmon.
47
196431
4617
dependem do salmão.
03:36
KB: I love that shot.
48
201064
2561
KB: Eu adoro esta foto.
03:39
I always get goosebumps every time I see it.
49
203625
2292
Toda vez que a vejo fico toda arrepiada.
03:41
That was filmed from a helicopter
50
205917
2041
Esta foi filmada de um helicóptero
03:43
using a gyro-stabilized camera.
51
207958
2792
e usamos uma câmera giro-estabilizada.
03:46
And it's a wonderful bit of gear,
52
210750
2458
É um equipamento fantástico,
03:49
because it's like having a flying tripod, crane and dolly all rolled into one.
53
213208
3959
porque é como se eu tivesse um tripé voador, um guindaste e um dolly tudo em um.
03:53
But technology alone isn't enough.
54
217167
3208
Mas só a tecnologia não é o bastante.
03:56
To really get the money shots,
55
220375
2500
Para realmente tirar grandes fotos,
03:58
it's down to being in the right place at the right time.
56
222875
3042
é uma questão de estar no lugar certo e na hora certa.
04:01
And that sequence was especially difficult.
57
225917
2958
E esta sequência foi especialmente difícil.
04:04
The first year we got nothing.
58
228875
3500
No primeiro ano não conseguimos nada.
04:08
We had to go back the following year,
59
232375
3583
Tivemos que voltar no ano seguinte,
04:11
all the way back to the remote parts of Alaska.
60
235958
3000
àquele lugar nas partes remotas do Alasca.
04:14
And we hung around with a helicopter for two whole weeks.
61
238958
2625
e ficamos por lá com um helicóptero durante duas semanas.
04:17
And eventually we got lucky.
62
241583
3042
E eventualmente tivemos sorte.
04:20
The cloud lifted, the wind was still,
63
244625
4333
As nuvens levantaram, não havia vento,
04:24
and even the bear showed up.
64
248958
1750
e até o urso apareceu.
04:26
And we managed to get that magic moment.
65
250708
2584
E conseguimos captar aquele momento mágico.
04:29
For a filmmaker,
66
253292
1875
Para um cineasta,
04:31
new technology is an amazing tool,
67
255167
4173
tecnologia nova é uma ferramenta extraordinária,
04:35
but the other thing that really, really excites me
68
259340
3206
mas a outra coisa que realmente me deixa entusiasmada
04:38
is when new species are discovered.
69
262546
2954
é quando novas espécies são descobertas.
04:41
Now, when I heard about one animal,
70
265500
2287
Quando ouvi falar sobre um animal,
04:43
I knew we had to get it for my next series,
71
267787
2963
eu sabia que tinha que tê-lo na minha próxima série,
04:46
Untamed Americas, for National Geographic.
72
270750
2750
Américas Indomadas, para a revista National Geographic.
04:49
In 2005, a new species of bat was discovered
73
273500
6311
Em 2005, uma nova espécie de morcego foi descoberta
04:55
in the cloud forests of Ecuador.
74
279811
2272
nas florestas de altitude do Equador.
04:57
And what was amazing about that discovery
75
282083
2084
E o que é extraordinário sobre esta descoberta
05:00
is that it also solved the mystery
76
284167
2416
é que também solucionou o mistério
05:02
of what pollinated a unique flower.
77
286583
3037
do que polinizava uma flor única.
05:05
It depends solely on the bat.
78
289620
1963
Ela depende exclusivamente do morcego.
05:07
Now, the series hasn't even aired yet,
79
291583
2734
A série ainda não foi ao ar,
05:10
so you're the very first to see this.
80
294317
2427
portanto, vocês são os primeiros a assistirem.
05:12
See what you think.
81
296744
1115
Vamos ver o que acham.
05:17
(Video) Narrator: The tube-lipped nectar bat.
82
301590
5958
(Vídeo) Narrador: O morcego nectarívoro.
05:26
A pool of delicious nectar
83
310536
2341
Uma poça de néctar delicioso
05:28
lies at the bottom of each flower's long flute.
84
312877
2165
que fica no fundo do longo tubo de cada uma as flores.
05:30
But how to reach it?
85
315042
4845
Mas como alcançar isto?
05:35
Necessity is the mother of evolution.
86
319887
5196
A necessidade é a mãe da evolução.
05:40
(Music)
87
325083
23406
(Música)
06:04
This two-and-a-half-inch bat
88
348489
3007
Este morcego de seis centímetros
06:07
has a three-and-a-half-inch tongue,
89
351496
6725
tem uma língua de oito centímetros,
06:14
the longest relative to body length
90
358221
3898
a mais longa em relação ao comprimento do corpo
06:18
of any mammal in the world.
91
362119
2319
de qualquer mamífero no mundo.
06:20
If human, he'd have a nine-foot tongue.
92
364438
7139
Se humano, ele teria uma língua de dois metros e setenta.
06:32
(Applause)
93
376122
2490
(Aplausos)
06:34
KB: What a tongue.
94
378612
2065
KB: Que língua!
06:36
We filmed it by cutting a tiny little hole in the base of the flower
95
380677
4865
Parar o filmar nós fizemos um buraquinho na base da flor.
06:41
and using a camera that could slow the action by 40 times.
96
385542
4625
e utilizamos uma câmera que podia desacelerar a ação 40 vezes.
06:46
So imagine how quick that thing is in real life.
97
390167
3083
Então imaginem o quão rápido ele é na vida real.
06:49
Now people often ask me, "Where's your favorite place on the planet?"
98
393250
5212
Muitas vezes as pessoas me perguntam: “Qual o seu lugar favorito no planeta?”
06:54
And the truth is I just don't have one.
99
398462
2533
E a verdade é que não tenho um.
06:56
There are so many wonderful places.
100
400995
2547
Existem tantos lugares maravilhosos.
06:59
But some locations draw you back time and time again.
101
403542
3500
Mas certos lugares nos fascina e lá retornamos repetidamente.
07:02
And one remote location --
102
407042
2748
E um lugar remoto –
07:05
I first went there as a backpacker;
103
409790
2020
fui lá pela a primeira vez como mochileira;
07:07
I've been back several times for filming,
104
411810
2315
voltei várias vezes para filmar,
07:10
most recently for Untamed Americas --
105
414125
1750
mais recentemente para o ‘Americas Indomadas’ –
07:11
it's the Altiplano in the high Andes of South America,
106
415875
4750
é o Altiplano dos Andes na América do Sul,
07:16
and it's the most otherworldly place I know.
107
420625
5167
e é o lugar mais místico que conheço.
07:21
But at 15,000 feet, it's tough.
108
425792
3102
Mas a 4.600 metros, é difícil.
07:24
It's freezing cold,
109
428894
1523
É gelado,
07:26
and that thin air really gets you.
110
430417
4666
e aquele ar rarefeito realmente nos afeta.
07:30
Sometimes it's hard to breathe,
111
435083
2311
Às vezes é difícil respirar,
07:33
especially carrying all the heavy filming equipment.
112
437394
3043
especialmente quando carregamos equipamento de filmagem pesado.
07:36
And that pounding head just feels like a constant hangover.
113
440437
4605
E aquele martelar na cabeça é como se fosse uma constante ressaca.
07:40
But the advantage of that wonderful thin atmosphere
114
445042
4291
Mas a vantagem daquele ar da atmosfera maravilhoso
07:45
is that it enables you to see the stars in the heavens
115
449333
3938
é que ele nos deixa ver as estrelas nos céus
07:49
with amazing clarity.
116
453271
2439
com incrível clareza.
07:51
Have a look.
117
455710
4186
Vejam.
07:55
(Video) Narrator: Some 1,500 miles south of the tropics,
118
459896
3656
(Vídeo) Narrador: Cerca de 2.500 km ao sul dos trópicos,
07:59
between Chile and Bolivia,
119
463552
1685
entre o Chile e a Bolívia,
08:01
the Andes completely change.
120
465237
5176
os Andes se transformam completamente.
08:06
It's called the Altiplano, or "high plains" --
121
470413
4629
É chamado de Altiplano, ou “altas planícies” –
08:10
a place of extremes
122
475042
3883
um lugar de extremos
08:14
and extreme contrasts.
123
478925
3689
e extremos contrastes.
08:18
Where deserts freeze
124
482614
4511
Onde os desertos congelam,
08:23
and waters boil.
125
487125
3833
as águas fervem.
08:26
More like Mars than Earth,
126
490958
3500
Mais parecido com Marte do que com a Terra,
08:30
it seems just as hostile to life.
127
494458
2423
parece igualmente hostil à vida.
08:41
The stars themselves --
128
505196
3669
As próprias estrelas –
08:50
at 12,000 feet, the dry, thin air
129
515065
3721
a 3.700 metros, o ar seco e fino
08:54
makes for perfect stargazing.
130
518786
8143
é perfeito para observar as estrelas.
09:02
Some of the world's astronomers have telescopes nearby.
131
526929
5884
Alguns dos astrônomos do mundo têm telescópios nas proximidades.
09:08
But just looking up with the naked eye,
132
532813
4072
Mas simplesmente olhando para cima a olho nu
09:12
you really don't need one.
133
536885
3245
realmente não precisamos de mais nada.
09:16
(Music)
134
540130
47010
(Música)
10:03
(Applause)
135
587140
6027
(Aplausos)
10:09
KB: Thank you so much
136
593167
3317
Muito, muito obrigada
10:12
for letting me share some images
137
596484
2474
por me deixarem compartilhar algumas imagens
10:14
of our magnificent, wonderful Earth.
138
598958
2909
da nossa magnífica, maravilhosa Terra.
10:17
Thank you for letting me share that with you.
139
601867
1897
Obrigada por me deixarem compartilhar isto com vocês.
10:19
(Applause)
140
603764
3532
(Aplausos)
Translated by Nadja Nathan
Reviewed by Mariangela Andrade

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Karen Bass - Natural history filmmaker
Karen Bass has traveled the world to explore and capture footage from every environment across the Earth.

Why you should listen

Karen Bass is a director and producer with a passion for travel and natural history. In 20 years at the BBC’s Natural History Unit, Bass made wildlife films in almost every environment across the Earth, from the rainforests of the Congo (where she produced the first-ever film of our closest relative, the bonobo), to the deserts of Libya, Syria and Jordan, from the icy peaks of the Andes to the swamps of the Amazon, from erupting volcanoes in the Caribbean to the nocturnal world of raccoons in downtown Manhattan. Her series include Andes to Amazon, exploring the wildlife and extreme landscapes of South America; Jungle, an investigation of the world’s rainforests; Wild Caribbean, about the varied nature, weather and landscapes of the Caribbean; and Nature’s Great Events, a dramatic portrayal of six of the planet’s most spectacular wildlife events.

Bass is now producing Untamed Americas, an epic series on the natural history of North, South and Central America, for National Geographic Television. The series is set to premiere in June 2012.

Her passion for travel and natural history were evident from an early age, and she has travelled widely on all the continents -- on scientific expeditions, for pleasure and to make films. In recent years she has sought out dragons on Komodo, dived the remote coral reefs of New Guinea, hang-glided over the cliffs of Byron Bay in Australia, climbed active volcanoes in Ethiopia, rafted the length of the Grand Canyon, sailed a traditional dhow in the Indian Ocean and trekked with camels through the Sahara.

 

More profile about the speaker
Karen Bass | Speaker | TED.com

Data provided by TED.

This site was created in May 2015 and the last update was on January 12, 2020. It will no longer be updated.

We are currently creating a new site called "eng.lish.video" and would be grateful if you could access it.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to write comments in your language on the contact form.

Privacy Policy

Developer's Blog

Buy Me A Coffee