The award-winning director and cinematographer will build the Pan-Asian independent production company’s slate of wildlife entertainment content.
Director/Cinematographer Claire Clements is appointed Beach House Pictures, Head of Wild
(Singapore - February 7, 2023) Beach House Pictures, a Blue Ant Media production company and one of Asia’s largest indies, announced the launch of its new natural history and wildlife content unit with the appointment of Claire Clements, a former zoologist turned award-winning wildlife filmmaker, as Head of Wild.
Award-winning Beach House Pictures, is known for outputting unique stories of wildlife from across Asia and the people who dedicate their lives to it. The indie's biomimicry series Evolve, received a Buzzy Award, which celebrates excellence in science and factual storytelling at the 2022 World Congress of Science & Factual Producers. The appointment of Clements, formalizes a new division which will concentrate on increasing BHP’s slate of compelling natural history specials and series, focused predominantly on Asian Pacific animals. The unit will also tap on BHP’s capability, and successful track record, in financing development and co-productions.
“When it comes to showcasing more diverse stories and storytellers from the Asia-Pacific region, we are really only at the beginning of a new and exciting wave. A lot more can be done to grow the opportunities for local filmmakers and reveal the stories of the amazing lives of animals here,” says Donovan Chan, Creative Director, Beach House Pictures. “We have worked with Claire for over a decade and value her dynamic and refreshing perspective which produces really stunning and modern wildlife films. Combined with her track record of blending international experience with young filmmakers from each country, she is the perfect person to lead and grow our new venture.”
Clements is originally from Australia and grew up in Asia. A former zoologist, with a Masters from New Zealand’s University of Otago in Natural History Film Making, she has directed multiple Beach House Pictures’ series including Uptown Otters (6 x 60, Love Nature) Wild City River World (1 x 60, Channel NewsAsia) and Wild City Forest Life (1 x 60, Netflix), narrated by Sir David Attenborough. She has won multiple awards for her work, including Best Cinematography and Best Documentary from the Asian Academy Creative Awards for Wild City Forest Life and Best Cinematography for Wild City River World.
“I feel so grateful that the next evolution of my career will be to establish Beach House Pictures’ Natural History unit as a best-in-class, blue-chip producer of wildlife documentaries,” says Claire Clements, Head of Wild, Beach House Pictures. “I am very passionate about increasing diversity and training up new talent within the industry. For Uptown Otters, I assembled a predominantly local female crew and I want to do more of the telling stories of unique, diverse animals with diverse talent both behind and in-front of the camera.”
Clements starts her new role immediately and reports to Donovan Chan, Creative Director and Jocelyn Little, Managing Director at Beach House Pictures.