Brandon Navratil is a wildlife filmmaker, naturalist, and guide based in the heart of Yellowstone. In between filming wildlife, editing footage, running a media company, and planning expeditions, he enjoys showcasing the diversity of wildlife to visitors to the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. I sat down with Brandon to chat about maintaining motivation, preparing for a film project, and advice for up-and-coming wildlife cinematographers.

You’ve been based around the Yellowstone area for quite some time and have amassed a great deal of knowledge of the wildlife of the area. What drew you to becoming a wildlife filmmaker?

I first dreamed of working with wildlife, inspiring people through nature, and being a filmmaker when I was around seven years old. While there was no single event that occurred at this age, it was a combination of more subtle occurrences that helped me realize my life’s purpose. Support of my passions for wildlife was crucial at that age and I have since dedicated myself to a lifetime of persistent effort to turn these dreams into reality.

My dream project is following a blue whale mother and calf through their journey, filming them underwater as much as possible. Every time I wake up before the sunrise and film wildlife, when the sun comes up, I’m always reminded it’s worth it.

“I dream of humanity living in better harmony with nature, being better stewards, and giving a voice to the voiceless.”

Brandon Navratil
Wildlife Filmmaker
Inspire Wild Media

What do you do to prepare before heading out onto a shoot?

First I make sure the batteries are charged and the memory cards are cleared! I also create a list of essential items that need to be packed long before the travel/shoot and adjust it along the way as new things come to mind. Then I use it as a reference for prepping and packing. I also check my shot list, remind myself of the story I am trying to tell, and review any points I wrote down myself or from a producer from my last shoot on any improvements I can make. Things that don’t work out the first time around are how you learn and if you want something bad enough, through dedication, persistent hard work, and being realistic about the time it will take to achieve your goals while taking one step every day towards them is how you can achieve anything.

Taking notes along the way really is the way to go when we’re improving our craft, whether that be as filmmakers, scientists, or artists. What is one of the best pieces of advice you’ve carried with you from your self-reflections?

One particular quote that springs to mind that summarize both wildlife filmmaking and life advice is from Sylvia Earle, who once said “Look in the mirror, figure it out, go for it.”

If you’re passionate about nature, wildlife, or anything for that matter, go after it with everything you have if you want it bad enough. But don’t forget to enjoy yourself and celebrate the small victories along the way. Taking care of your inner-self throughout the journey of life and maintaining your energy is how you can continue to fight the good fight for this beautiful world we depend on!

How do you keep that energy going, especially when the natural world seems to be at threat from all sides?

I ask myself, am I willing to work harder than the people making this world a worse place,  because while they may give up, I will not. Nothing is a failure until you give up. I dream of humanity living in better harmony with nature, being better stewards, and giving a voice to the voiceless. I want to inspire people through beautiful imagery of wildlife and nature, educate them about the realities of how things are going, and motivate them through the understanding that our daily actions do matter and impact the way things are in the world.

On those days I am not feeling motivated, I invest in myself by doing something I enjoy, like going outside without a need to produce. This lets me take in the beauty of nature as I did when I was a child. Anything that gives you a break, creates energy, makes you smile is essential for maintaining motivation, so invest in yourself as much as you are in your pursuits!

Reminding ourselves of why we do what we do has been really important during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Definitely. The pandemic affected my work by canceling multiple international expeditions so I took the time to remind myself of what I am grateful for: I am grateful for the wonderous beauty that nature is because it continues to awe and inspire me every day. I am grateful that my passions bring me outside, as I find it is one of the greatest ways to maintain my energy and motivation. I am grateful for my health, my abilities to walk, see, and interact with my world. I am grateful for being alive.

The pandemic did open up more local opportunities and ideas in my own area. I rose to the challenges by investing in my local area and into myself. By this I mean I concentrated my work efforts on things I may have normally looked past and created work with local entities. I also invested into editing stock footage, developing my website and social media presence, networking with folks about future potential projects, and also took the time to enjoy myself during a slower time period. I made an effort to focus on things that I may normally put off into the future or when there is a more slow period to focus on them. I also caught up on work I had always wanted to do but didn’t have the time.

What would you tell up-and-coming wildlife cinematographers who may be juggling with the impacts of the pandemic and getting their foot in the door?

I would say don’t worry about gear and don’t compare yourself to others. Comparison is the death of creativity and motivation. Focus on what is near you. Go out in the field, practice, and watch your footage. Understanding how to edit and review your material makes you a better cameraperson.

Ask yourself if you are willing to work harder than everyone else to achieve what you want? Also, what are you willing to sacrifice to get what you want? Also, remember that most things in life don’t work out but you’ll never get anything if you don’t ask.

Lastly, I would say it is important to remember that while no one person can do everything, everyone can do something.

You can follow along on Brandon’s adventures in wildlife filmmaking on his Instagram handles (@InspireWildMedia and @BrandonNavratil) and at his website inspirewildmedia.com.