1 00:00:00,766 --> 00:00:01,866 (muffled speaking) 2 00:00:01,866 --> 00:00:04,133 (laughing) 3 00:00:05,533 --> 00:00:07,966 >>Our guest today has spent the past 15 years 4 00:00:07,966 --> 00:00:11,000 making award-winning natural history and science programs 5 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:12,633 for National Geographic. 6 00:00:12,633 --> 00:00:16,100 He travels all over the world but he and his family 7 00:00:16,100 --> 00:00:19,133 make their home right here in Albemarle County. 8 00:00:19,133 --> 00:00:21,833 Join us as we catch up with filmmaker, producer 9 00:00:21,833 --> 00:00:24,000 and director Geoff Luck, come on! 10 00:00:26,733 --> 00:00:30,333 So you started out as a professor, an art professor, right? 11 00:00:30,333 --> 00:00:31,600 >>Yeah, 15 years. 12 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:32,800 >>15 Years, 13 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:34,366 so how did you find your way to filmmaking? 14 00:00:34,366 --> 00:00:35,700 >>You know, I had studied film in college 15 00:00:35,700 --> 00:00:37,233 and that's what I had been teaching 16 00:00:37,233 --> 00:00:40,300 and then when my wife got into grad school in New York 17 00:00:40,300 --> 00:00:42,366 I realized that it was going to be really hard 18 00:00:42,366 --> 00:00:45,200 to try to be a teaching guy in New York again, 19 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,566 I had tried that before so I started freelancing. 20 00:00:48,566 --> 00:00:51,300 Mostly as an editor at that point. 21 00:00:51,300 --> 00:00:53,666 I was a cameraman and an editor and then I started editing 22 00:00:53,666 --> 00:00:58,000 and that sort of targeted places like Geographic 23 00:00:58,000 --> 00:00:59,766 or Discovery is where I wanted to end up. 24 00:00:59,766 --> 00:01:00,866 >>And then you did. 25 00:01:00,866 --> 00:01:01,700 >>And then I did. 26 00:01:01,700 --> 00:01:02,933 >>And you did. 27 00:01:02,933 --> 00:01:06,466 And you all started in New York, went to DC 28 00:01:06,466 --> 00:01:09,066 and you could really probably live anywhere. 29 00:01:09,066 --> 00:01:11,066 Why are you here in Charlottesville? 30 00:01:12,233 --> 00:01:14,600 >>There was no reason for us to live here, 31 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:16,333 it was kind of-- (Terri laughs) 32 00:01:16,333 --> 00:01:20,300 we've had to actually make a lot of sacrifices to do it. 33 00:01:20,300 --> 00:01:22,333 We just loved it and thought it would 34 00:01:22,333 --> 00:01:23,866 be a great place to raise kids. 35 00:01:23,866 --> 00:01:25,833 We had just had a little baby. 36 00:01:25,833 --> 00:01:27,433 I mean we had this little baby girl 37 00:01:27,433 --> 00:01:29,300 who was born in Brooklyn. 38 00:01:29,300 --> 00:01:30,700 And we were like, no. 39 00:01:30,700 --> 00:01:33,033 We thought we'd have a little hipster, downtown baby 40 00:01:33,033 --> 00:01:34,466 and then we were like, no we want to get out 41 00:01:34,466 --> 00:01:36,733 to the woods and then to, you know. 42 00:01:36,733 --> 00:01:38,133 >>All right, let's talk about your work. 43 00:01:38,133 --> 00:01:39,366 What is your focus? 44 00:01:39,366 --> 00:01:41,833 What would you say is your main theme? 45 00:01:41,833 --> 00:01:44,866 >>Well I mean, since I've been at Geographic 46 00:01:44,866 --> 00:01:49,600 and beyond for the past 12, 15 years it's mostly 47 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,966 in natural sciences, and science and natural history. 48 00:01:52,966 --> 00:01:56,600 Animals, the environment, evolution, biology, 49 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:58,766 but I've also done things on topics 50 00:01:58,766 --> 00:02:01,633 from nuclear physics to Afghanistan, 51 00:02:01,633 --> 00:02:05,466 but most of the stuff I do is wildlife, wildlife related. 52 00:02:05,466 --> 00:02:08,533 >>Give us a few examples of some of the more interesting 53 00:02:08,533 --> 00:02:10,033 projects you've done over the years. 54 00:02:10,033 --> 00:02:11,733 Favorites or what you think other people 55 00:02:11,733 --> 00:02:13,200 would find interesting. 56 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:15,266 >>For me personally, some of it has to do with where you go, 57 00:02:15,266 --> 00:02:17,900 some of it is just the personal satisfaction of that, 58 00:02:17,900 --> 00:02:20,033 and some of it is the subject matter. 59 00:02:20,033 --> 00:02:22,500 I think those two came together for me in a way 60 00:02:22,500 --> 00:02:27,133 that was pretty special, I got to make an hour long special 61 00:02:27,133 --> 00:02:29,766 about Darwin about the "Origin of Species". 62 00:02:29,766 --> 00:02:30,766 That was amazing. 63 00:02:30,766 --> 00:02:32,500 Just to read the original Darwin. 64 00:02:32,500 --> 00:02:36,466 To then go where he went through South America, 65 00:02:36,466 --> 00:02:38,500 and Galapagos, Tahiti and New Zealand 66 00:02:38,500 --> 00:02:40,666 and see what were the many influences, 67 00:02:40,666 --> 00:02:43,966 not just the finches that led this young 23 year old guy 68 00:02:43,966 --> 00:02:45,333 to figure this out. 69 00:02:45,333 --> 00:02:46,633 >>Right. 70 00:02:46,633 --> 00:02:47,900 >>Probably the hardest shoot I've ever done, 71 00:02:47,900 --> 00:02:49,866 and one of the films I'm most proud of 72 00:02:49,866 --> 00:02:52,266 we did on Easter Island where we followed 73 00:02:52,266 --> 00:02:54,533 a caving expedition that was looking, 74 00:02:54,533 --> 00:02:57,666 it's a volcanic island so there's all these caves 75 00:02:57,666 --> 00:03:00,300 throughout, giant lava tubes and all of this crazy stuff 76 00:03:00,300 --> 00:03:02,533 inside and they were looking for signs 77 00:03:02,533 --> 00:03:05,833 of past civilizations and so we followed them 78 00:03:05,833 --> 00:03:08,133 and told the history of the island 79 00:03:08,133 --> 00:03:10,300 which was basically "The Lorax" on steroids. 80 00:03:10,300 --> 00:03:11,800 >>Right, right. 81 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:13,766 Give us a little taste for our viewers. 82 00:03:13,766 --> 00:03:17,500 >>Oh, the long story short is that the Polynesians 83 00:03:17,500 --> 00:03:20,166 who are these incredible seafarers found their way 84 00:03:20,166 --> 00:03:25,166 to what was still is the most remote inhabited spot on Earth 85 00:03:26,333 --> 00:03:27,833 and then they started chopping down the trees 86 00:03:27,833 --> 00:03:30,633 to help make these giant moai, these massive statues 87 00:03:30,633 --> 00:03:32,133 the heads of which we see 88 00:03:32,133 --> 00:03:34,500 but actually two-thirds of which are below the ground now, 89 00:03:34,500 --> 00:03:37,966 most of them, they're giant, and moved them around 90 00:03:37,966 --> 00:03:41,366 and by the time they kind of realized it, they had chopped 91 00:03:41,366 --> 00:03:45,333 down or lost all of the trees to rats that they brought, 92 00:03:45,333 --> 00:03:47,466 and they marooned themselves. 93 00:03:47,466 --> 00:03:48,633 >>Right. 94 00:03:48,633 --> 00:03:49,866 >>And they got stuck on the island. 95 00:03:49,866 --> 00:03:51,633 And they started like having, they fought 96 00:03:51,633 --> 00:03:53,800 and had cannibalism and then they figured out 97 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:55,733 a way to make that, to survive. 98 00:03:55,733 --> 00:03:57,300 It's just this incredible story. 99 00:03:57,300 --> 00:04:00,300 So, it's being able to kind of dig in 100 00:04:00,300 --> 00:04:02,633 as a professional neophyte. 101 00:04:02,633 --> 00:04:05,133 I'm not an expert on any of this stuff. 102 00:04:05,133 --> 00:04:08,900 I either get assigned something or I come up with an idea 103 00:04:08,900 --> 00:04:11,500 and then you get to research it. 104 00:04:11,500 --> 00:04:13,500 You call people up, you read all the books, 105 00:04:13,500 --> 00:04:16,566 you learn about it and then you get to go to these places 106 00:04:16,566 --> 00:04:18,233 and learn about something new. 107 00:04:18,233 --> 00:04:22,600 And since the world is so vastly inexhaustible 108 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:23,833 in terms of how interesting it is. 109 00:04:23,833 --> 00:04:25,066 >>That's an understatement! 110 00:04:25,066 --> 00:04:26,266 Wow. 111 00:04:26,266 --> 00:04:27,200 >>You know there's always something new. 112 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,766 (gentle music) 113 00:04:38,833 --> 00:04:40,300 >>You wear a lot of different hats, 114 00:04:40,300 --> 00:04:41,700 you have throughout the years. 115 00:04:41,700 --> 00:04:45,800 You've worn the hat of filmmaker, producer, director, 116 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,433 writer, talk about those different roles 117 00:04:48,433 --> 00:04:52,466 and what you like best and sort of the evolution for you 118 00:04:52,466 --> 00:04:54,500 of how you've gone through, 119 00:04:54,500 --> 00:04:57,200 where you started and what you do now. 120 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:00,466 >>For me, I kind of went from the academic realm 121 00:05:00,466 --> 00:05:02,700 where I kept working primarily with the camera 122 00:05:02,700 --> 00:05:06,866 as an editor to then becoming a director and a producer 123 00:05:06,866 --> 00:05:09,000 to then actually executive-producing 124 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,400 where I was overseeing 25, 30 hours of TV a year 125 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,966 and looking at it strategically as part a network. 126 00:05:15,966 --> 00:05:20,966 And now I've come full-circle and I'm directing 127 00:05:22,366 --> 00:05:24,100 but I'm also shooting again, I'm editing again. 128 00:05:24,100 --> 00:05:25,333 >>That's great. 129 00:05:25,333 --> 00:05:27,200 >>And my hands are dirty in the projects again 130 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:29,566 and I'm happiest this way. 131 00:05:29,566 --> 00:05:33,333 I really like doing fewer things and just focusing on it 132 00:05:33,333 --> 00:05:35,933 for a year or two if it takes 133 00:05:35,933 --> 00:05:38,733 and just kind of doing with my hands again. 134 00:05:38,733 --> 00:05:41,700 I can find a way to feel energized by what I do 135 00:05:41,700 --> 00:05:44,233 as opposed to having that energy pulled out of me. 136 00:05:44,233 --> 00:05:45,266 And that happens sometimes. 137 00:05:45,266 --> 00:05:46,133 That happens with everybody. 138 00:05:46,133 --> 00:05:47,400 >>Right. 139 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:48,866 And in the arts there are different projects 140 00:05:48,866 --> 00:05:52,466 that you do that, you did one on urban wildlife, 141 00:05:52,466 --> 00:05:56,433 which is really interesting, but it was tricky too because-- 142 00:05:56,433 --> 00:05:58,433 >>Yeah, it was tricky. 143 00:05:58,433 --> 00:06:01,766 Well it was tricky because I'd wanted to do it 144 00:06:01,766 --> 00:06:04,333 for many years, I had been pretty astonished 145 00:06:04,333 --> 00:06:08,333 to see how wild creatures have been making their homes 146 00:06:08,333 --> 00:06:11,066 in suburbia and in the heart of cities. 147 00:06:11,066 --> 00:06:15,266 We followed coyotes in the middle of the polar vortex, 148 00:06:15,266 --> 00:06:16,566 if you remember that from a couple of years ago, 149 00:06:16,566 --> 00:06:19,433 40 below zero in downtown Chicago, 150 00:06:19,433 --> 00:06:20,633 there's no part of Chicago 151 00:06:20,633 --> 00:06:23,600 that doesn't have coyotes living in it. 152 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,300 Not passing through, but living there. 153 00:06:26,300 --> 00:06:29,900 Some of them never leaving the loop, you know the downtown. 154 00:06:29,900 --> 00:06:34,900 And we're filming them hunting rabbits at 40 below zero 155 00:06:36,333 --> 00:06:39,833 with the streets empty with the sirens going you know. 156 00:06:39,833 --> 00:06:43,000 And so I wanted to celebrate this and then was given 157 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,933 an edict to make it scary. 158 00:06:45,933 --> 00:06:49,000 And we tried to walk the line between letting people 159 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:49,966 go "What's going on?" 160 00:06:49,966 --> 00:06:51,700 and trying to be celebratory. 161 00:06:51,700 --> 00:06:53,533 But that was frustrating when you face 162 00:06:53,533 --> 00:06:56,300 some of the politics that can come up. 163 00:06:56,300 --> 00:07:00,433 >>Talk about the great project that you did in Africa 164 00:07:00,433 --> 00:07:04,133 on African elephants, that story, talk about that. 165 00:07:04,133 --> 00:07:06,533 >>I mean this is where my whole family 166 00:07:06,533 --> 00:07:08,633 we uprooted ourselves, we moved to Amsterdam 167 00:07:08,633 --> 00:07:11,033 where the production company was based, 168 00:07:11,033 --> 00:07:12,500 so that was an adventure in itself. 169 00:07:12,500 --> 00:07:15,033 And then I spent probably a quarter of the year 170 00:07:15,033 --> 00:07:19,000 in Botswana filming this incredible herd of elephants 171 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:20,233 and the men who look after them, 172 00:07:20,233 --> 00:07:23,066 this group of basically misfits and orphans 173 00:07:23,066 --> 00:07:27,033 that have been rescued, and then given a second chance; 174 00:07:27,033 --> 00:07:28,466 circus elephants. 175 00:07:28,466 --> 00:07:31,833 You know the calves from culls when they used to think 176 00:07:31,833 --> 00:07:33,566 that the elephant population was a problem 177 00:07:33,566 --> 00:07:35,433 they'd go out and kill all of the adults 178 00:07:35,433 --> 00:07:38,700 and these are the calves that were left over 20 years ago. 179 00:07:38,700 --> 00:07:42,433 So there's this camp where they rescue them 180 00:07:42,433 --> 00:07:45,633 and they help them to rewild eventually. 181 00:07:45,633 --> 00:07:47,966 And so this little baby elephant was born there 182 00:07:47,966 --> 00:07:50,800 and tragically her mother passed away 183 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:53,900 from natural causes about six weeks after she was born 184 00:07:53,900 --> 00:07:57,366 so it fell to these men to try to save her life. 185 00:07:57,366 --> 00:07:58,833 And that's the story of the film; 186 00:07:58,833 --> 00:08:02,400 these incredible guys who are just to this day 187 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:03,733 are feeding her, looking after her 188 00:08:03,733 --> 00:08:05,633 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 189 00:08:05,633 --> 00:08:08,333 (emotional music) 190 00:08:08,333 --> 00:08:10,733 >>We have to save our elephants one at a time. 191 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:13,633 Every elephant counts. 192 00:08:17,333 --> 00:08:19,000 >>It changed your perspective, 193 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:20,533 >>It did. >>Talk about that. 194 00:08:20,533 --> 00:08:25,000 >>I've been very lucky to meet a lot of different creatures, 195 00:08:26,366 --> 00:08:28,966 chimps, wolves, great white sharks over the years 196 00:08:28,966 --> 00:08:32,133 and I've been moved by them and see them all as being 197 00:08:32,133 --> 00:08:36,333 a lot smarter and a lot more as individuals and variegated; 198 00:08:36,333 --> 00:08:39,300 that's a nice shark, that's a troublesome shark, 199 00:08:39,300 --> 00:08:44,300 that wolf is kind of timid but to experience that 200 00:08:45,500 --> 00:08:47,200 with elephants the way I was able to, 201 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:52,200 to be so close to them and to experience their sentience 202 00:08:53,433 --> 00:08:55,633 and that's really the best word I could use. 203 00:08:55,633 --> 00:08:59,866 They are thinking, feeling beings with a society 204 00:08:59,866 --> 00:09:03,400 that I frankly think is every bit as complex as ours. 205 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:05,100 It's astonishing what they're able to do. 206 00:09:05,100 --> 00:09:07,700 They could peg us based on the language we speak 207 00:09:07,700 --> 00:09:10,566 and which language means you're more dangerous 208 00:09:10,566 --> 00:09:11,966 or whether you're male or female 209 00:09:11,966 --> 00:09:13,433 or whether you're old or young. 210 00:09:13,433 --> 00:09:16,466 They're watching us, and they're responding to us 211 00:09:16,466 --> 00:09:18,133 and they're reacting to us all the time 212 00:09:18,133 --> 00:09:19,900 to try to survive because they have to. 213 00:09:19,900 --> 00:09:23,766 >>See now people are sitting here thinking, 214 00:09:23,766 --> 00:09:26,400 "Oh, he has a dream job. 215 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:28,166 "This is the dream job." 216 00:09:28,166 --> 00:09:30,866 And you would probably say, "Yes". (laughs) 217 00:09:30,866 --> 00:09:32,366 >>Absolutely, it's my dream job. 218 00:09:32,366 --> 00:09:35,533 It wasn't something I thought I would do when I was a kid, 219 00:09:35,533 --> 00:09:36,800 you know when I was a little kid I would have loved to do it 220 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:38,566 and then I kind of forgot about it. 221 00:09:38,566 --> 00:09:41,533 And it certainly has become a dream job for me. 222 00:09:41,533 --> 00:09:46,533 But that's not by accident and that's also not without cost. 223 00:09:47,700 --> 00:09:49,200 You know what I mean? >>That's what I want 224 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:50,733 to talk about too, because you have this beautiful family. 225 00:09:50,733 --> 00:09:53,333 When you go away, how long are you gone, usually? 226 00:09:53,333 --> 00:09:55,900 >>I tend to be gone for maybe three weeks at a time 227 00:09:55,900 --> 00:09:57,333 a couple of times a year. 228 00:09:57,333 --> 00:09:59,466 With "Naledi" and those films it was more. 229 00:09:59,466 --> 00:10:03,933 For the Darwin film I was probably gone overall 230 00:10:03,933 --> 00:10:05,533 for about a month and a half. 231 00:10:05,533 --> 00:10:08,233 But it's trying to find that balance and work together 232 00:10:08,233 --> 00:10:12,266 as a family so that I can be there to support her 233 00:10:12,266 --> 00:10:14,966 when she's directing a show at Live Arts or something 234 00:10:14,966 --> 00:10:18,266 or that then she can take the ball 235 00:10:18,266 --> 00:10:20,333 when I've got to go off on a trip. 236 00:10:20,333 --> 00:10:23,466 And the kids they step up too to handle themselves. 237 00:10:23,466 --> 00:10:26,166 >>Well, and how do you transition? 238 00:10:26,166 --> 00:10:29,400 You must feel for a few days like "Who am I? 239 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:30,500 "Where am I?". 240 00:10:30,500 --> 00:10:31,733 >>I think part of it is 241 00:10:31,733 --> 00:10:33,133 that I simply feel home at this point. 242 00:10:33,133 --> 00:10:34,833 I've lived here longer than any place 243 00:10:34,833 --> 00:10:36,433 I've ever lived in my life. 244 00:10:36,433 --> 00:10:38,600 I mean when Bree and I met I pretty much lived out of my car 245 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:41,300 so I settled down. (Terri laughing) 246 00:10:41,300 --> 00:10:43,200 So, I-- >>Things have changed. 247 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:45,300 >>Yeah, things have changed 248 00:10:45,300 --> 00:10:47,966 So I think there's also feeling part of a community. 249 00:10:47,966 --> 00:10:50,200 I mean I almost always go straight to Dr. Ho's 250 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:53,033 and sort of just ground here in the community 251 00:10:53,033 --> 00:10:56,300 in the quietude of the house for a couple of days, 252 00:10:56,300 --> 00:10:58,033 just to the family itself. 253 00:10:58,033 --> 00:11:00,033 And Bree's always saying when I come back, 254 00:11:00,033 --> 00:11:02,233 "Oh you I can tell you've been hanging out with boys." 255 00:11:02,233 --> 00:11:05,366 Evidently my energy-- >>You just throwing-- 256 00:11:05,366 --> 00:11:06,566 >>My cadence-- >>Everything on the floor. 257 00:11:06,566 --> 00:11:09,433 >>Whatever it is I'm just acting differently. 258 00:11:09,433 --> 00:11:13,366 I kind of have to settle down and get in the domestic groove 259 00:11:13,366 --> 00:11:16,166 again after having been out there being silly. 260 00:11:16,166 --> 00:11:18,000 >>With the boys and the elephants. 261 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:19,233 >>Not always boys. 262 00:11:19,233 --> 00:11:20,466 >>So, what are you working on now? 263 00:11:20,466 --> 00:11:21,933 You've got some exciting projects. 264 00:11:21,933 --> 00:11:24,366 >>I'm really lucky, Geographic has asked me to come back 265 00:11:24,366 --> 00:11:26,200 and I'm working with them 266 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:28,500 on several different film projects. 267 00:11:28,500 --> 00:11:33,500 One is a film about the impact of climate change 268 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:36,233 on the Inuit in Nunavut and Greenland. 269 00:11:36,233 --> 00:11:38,566 And this area that 40 years from now 270 00:11:38,566 --> 00:11:40,966 scientists predict is going to be the last area 271 00:11:40,966 --> 00:11:43,333 in the Arctic with sea ice. 272 00:11:43,333 --> 00:11:44,800 Where it's the last place it's gonna be 273 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,233 and how they want to protect that area now. 274 00:11:47,233 --> 00:11:48,500 Because it's incredible. 275 00:11:48,500 --> 00:11:51,033 It'll sort of be the Serengeti of the North 276 00:11:51,033 --> 00:11:54,766 where this is the one spot left where narwhal and polar bear 277 00:11:54,766 --> 00:11:56,033 and all those things 278 00:11:56,033 --> 00:11:57,966 that depend on the ice will be able to survive. 279 00:11:57,966 --> 00:12:01,533 I'm prepping right now to head to Gabon 280 00:12:01,533 --> 00:12:03,900 because it's the largest intact portion 281 00:12:03,900 --> 00:12:07,033 of equatorial rainforest in Africa 282 00:12:07,033 --> 00:12:11,366 and it has the largest population of forest elephants, 283 00:12:11,366 --> 00:12:12,766 which are a separate species 284 00:12:12,766 --> 00:12:14,400 than the savanna elephants I've been filming. 285 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:16,200 All last year I did savanna elephants 286 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:17,733 and now I get to go do forest elephants 287 00:12:17,733 --> 00:12:19,500 and we're profiling the people 288 00:12:19,500 --> 00:12:21,233 who are trying to save them there. 289 00:12:21,233 --> 00:12:23,700 >>Oh, this is fascinating hanging out with you. 290 00:12:23,700 --> 00:12:24,900 Thank you. 291 00:12:24,900 --> 00:12:26,133 >>Oh, it's awesome, thanks so much, 292 00:12:26,133 --> 00:12:27,166 it's so great to spend some time with you.