'Frozen Planet' Producers Alastair Fothergill And Vanessa Berlowitz Discuss Filming

Have you seen "Frozen Planet"? The documentary series, from the producers of "Planet Earth," explores the wildlife and scenery that comprise the planet's polar regions. The U.S. version, airing on the Discovery Channel, is narrated by actor Alec Baldwin.

"Frozen Planet" producers Alastair Fothergill and Vanessa Berlowitz recently sat down with AOL to discuss what they found so intriguing about the Earth's polar regions.

Berlowitz remarked about Earth's poles, "They're just the greatest wildernesses on our planet. And there's so many incredible animals and amazing wildlife and scenery to show there."

Fothergill agreed that "there were many moments when we had absolutely extraordinary rushes come in [while working on 'Frozen Planet']."

The producers also explained the poles' importance to the rest of the world. Berlowitz said, "Everything that we kind of experience, in terms of our weather and our global sea levels, are linked to what's going on at the poles. It was really interesting to see actually the dynamic change that the poles are undergoing right now, and to think about the implications that could have for the whole planet."

Fothergill noted that "it might be 20 or 30 years" before as much time and money is spent filming in the polar regions again. With changing polar conditions, Fothergill believes "'Frozen Planet' represents ... the last time to see this wonderful, unspoiled wilderness in its original state."

Check out another clip from Discovery's "Frozen Planet" below, and scroll down to watch the "icy finger of death."

Brinicle "icy finger of death" video:

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Comments

[MichaelAKD]

07:14 PM on 03/27/2012

the one thing that has preserved these few increasingly rare areas on our planet from humanity's ruinous touch is the brutal cold. cold has been the barrier that has protected both the north and south poles but with climate shifts and changing technology in combination with ever increasing demands on this planet's natural, scarce resources,...well i am glad they have taken the time and made such an effort to produce this series. what they see, find now and what we get to watch in our homes may well be gone or substantially changed in as short as a single human generation. i remember as a boy going with my father going to an isolated cove in s.w. alaska, we fished from the shore, watched jellies float by and not too far off in the distance could see the whales surfacing and slapping the water with their tales. that place is no more, not like it was anyway. now it is lined with luxury homes for the well to do but at least i was able to see it as it once was before. that is why i think so highly of this particle piece of work which they have done here for the discovery channel. you don't know what you have missed out on unless you have seen or experienced it to begin with if that makes any sense. great series.

[LeftoftheLeft]

12:31 PM on 03/27/2012

That was so wild.

And I love videos that speed up sea stars' movements - when you go to tide pools they don't seem to move at all and you have no concept of how amazingly active they are.

[floridan56]

04:02 AM on 03/27/2012

We've really been enjoying this series. It is most spectacular. Pass it on!

[ionysos]

12:30 AM on 03/27/2012

The video was highly remarkable. But the audio was also quite interesting. I wonder if the audio recording was from an underwater microphone.

[Mrs Robinsons]

06:22 PM on 03/26/2012

That is amazing video...
the hand of ice
is quite
forboding.

I wonder what some good names would be for starfish...
some of those who climbed right on
the icy carcasses of the dead
starfish..
almost before they were cold...
like soul stealers...
were very personable.

[Malcolm Hensley]

06:14 PM on 03/26/2012

Hey I saw this movie before wasn't it called "The DAY After Tomorrow" starring Dennis Quaid?

Remarkably similar!

Don't the Star Fish look like the helicopter?

WOW!

[firewmn]

05:34 PM on 03/26/2012

I love Frozen Planet..! I look forward to watching each new episode.. Beautifully done! TY

[boxjelly]

02:52 PM on 03/26/2012

Amazing

[klincklanc]

02:18 PM on 03/26/2012

Fothergill?

[Lily P]

02:09 PM on 03/26/2012

This is a GREAT documentary! If y ou have the chance to see it, do.

[Jamzhelm]

12:09 PM on 03/26/2012

Wicked video! I love the fact that shows like this exist. Most of us would never see anything of this type without them!

[yeti7]

05:41 PM on 03/26/2012

except for Baldwin voice

[Daniel Cline]

11:59 PM on 03/26/2012

yeah, because he does such a bad job..... ?