Dropping in with an exciting update on my next film, Into the Midnight Zone! First off, I've been posting some lengthy previews of finished scenes and segments for channel members to watch while I work on the film, so if you're interested in seeing those now (and, in turn, supporting the channel and my work), you can become an Expeditionist level member by signing up here: youtube.com/channel/UCG5_BraUMNcluZPZ__oOeKg/join
I'll be posting more early access clips from the film for members in the coming weeks - thank you so much for your support! It's one of the only reasons I'm able to create this content. Of course, the final film will be made publically available once it's complete.
Now on to the updates: --
As many of you know, the Midnight Zone film is episode 2 of Worlds of the Deep, a sequel to Mysteries of the Twilight Zone, and created in collaboration with Schmidt Ocean Institute who have kindly provided an enormous amount of their 4K deep-sea footage for my series! I've been working on the episode for 9 months, and it's finally nearing completion, subject to a few tweaks and final touches needing to be added. It's one of my longest films *ever*, nearing an hour in length, and is in my opinion one of my best films yet. I bought a new mic, taught myself professional colour balance and sound mixing, and have been working to make it as immersive and cinematic as possible. If you do choose to become a member and check out the sneak peaks, I would LOVE your feedback! Some of the best scenes in the film are already finalised and posted in the members-only playlist here - www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
I've also recently started working on some other projects, including an exciting collaboration with OceanX featuring incredible footage they kindly sent over from their deep-sea Azores mission last year (if you are somehow not familiar with their work, go and check them out - they are doing some truly amazing things at the intersection of ocean science and media). More on that soon, though!
Underwater Paradise, and the subsequent episodes of Worlds of the Deep, are also being worked on! After the Midnight Zone film, episode 3 of WoTD will cover the deep-sea floor and the incredibly rich, colourful, and otherworldly environments at the very bottom of the ocean.
Aside from the footage, this channel and its writing, editing, narration is a solo project as many of you know (just little old me) so I can't thank you enough for bearing with me this past year as I balanced film-making with my university studies and other projects.
In other exciting news, I graduate this year (woohoo), meaning I'll (fingers crossed) officially be a marine biologist, and I'll be doing wildlife film-making here on YT (and beyond) full time! Hopefully, that'll mean I can get videos out MUCH faster, expand what I do, and work on more content for you all. Here's to an exciting future for the channel!
In the meantime, thank you for all of your warm and wonderful comments, they mean the world to me, and for supporting me through engaging, watching, and those of you who joined as Members here on YouTube or over on Patreon (I post the same early access previews on both platforms, as I know some users prefer one over the other).
Enjoy some screen-grabs from my upcoming Midnight Zone film and the early access previews below, including, in order:
1. A mother black-eyed squid (Gonatus onyx) carrying a clutch of more than a thousand eggs through the void, 2km deep!
2. A female glass octopus, nearing half a metre in length, filmed at around 1,000 metres down.
3. A deep-sea anglerfish with a bioluminescent lure, or 'esca'.
4. A dazzling bioluminescent deep-sea siphonophore - a colonial organism comprised of hundreds of tiny animals called 'zooids'.
5. A snipe eel, the fish with the most vertebrae of any animal on earth, suspended in the midnight void in wait of tiny crustaceans.
All this imagery was shot by Schmidt Ocean Institute via their deep-sea remotely operated vehicle, ROV SuBastian! Check out their work and see what they're up to over on their YouTube channel.
And don't forget to join NWF as an 'Expeditionist tier' channel member if you'd like to help shape the Midnight Zone film and see scenes early! youtube.com/channel/UCG5_BraUMNcluZPZ__oOeKg/join
Thank you all so so much,
Leo Richards (Natural World Facts)
ššš¦š¦šŖ¼š šš¦
Exciting news!! My next deep sea film finally has a release date, and it's this Friday (15th March) around mid-day UK time, here on my YouTube channel!
Get ready for Ocean Watch, a film I created for Schmidt Ocean Institute, documenting their new state-of-the-art deep-sea research vessel named Falkor (too), and its first year at sea exploring the wonders of the deep ocean! Some sneak preview pics are below...
You can watch the film's trailer here: https://youtu.be/wLra8GiJs-E
Get ready to witness some truly fascinating discoveries, including never before seen hydrothermal vents, the first ever footage of deep-sea octopus babies hatching at a Costa Rica seamount, and the discovery of an entirely new ecosystem hidden away beneath the sea floor at deep-sea vents - an underworld, where animals spread between ecosystems!
I've also shared an early access link to the film to channel members, so if you're a member you can go ahead and watch it now by checking my channel's community tab! If you're interested in becoming a member and supporting the channel, for perks like early access, here's the link to do so :) youtube.com/channel/UCG5_BraUMNcluZPZ__oOeKg/join
P.s. my Midnight Zone film, ep 2 of Worlds of the Deep, is nearly complete and should come out in the next few months!
Featured pics:
1. Deep-sea octopus hatchlings!
2. Newly discovered hydrothermal vents!
3. A deep-sea colony organism called a siphonophore.
4. A female octopus, nearing the end of her life after brooding her young 2,000 metres down for 5 years!
5. The ship, Falkor (too), at sunset, with closing director credits.
#deepsea #ocean #wildlife #documentary #nature
Hi all! Excited to announce a new one-off film project with Schmidt Ocean Institute! Join us in-person at the Royal Institution in London on the 27th January (7pm) for the world premier of Ocean Watch (I'll be there :D), a 40-minute documentary film featuring new deep-sea discoveries and showcasing mesmerising never-before-seen deep sea footage from Schmidt Ocean Institute and their new global-glass research vessel, R/V Falkor (too)!
Book your tickets to the premier at the Royal Institution in London here (disclaimer - I don't make any money from ticketing): www.rigb.org/whats-on/world-premiere-ocean-watch
There will be an in-person Q&A following the film with writer/director/narrator Leo Richards (me), hosted by Dr. Carlie Wiener, Head of Communications at Schmidt Ocean Institute.
As a little update, since I know many of you have been asking, I put the Midnight Zone episode of Worlds of the Deep temporarily on pause to work on this time-sensitive project as a commission for Schmidt Ocean Institute to get it ready for an IN-PERSON premier in London at the Royal Institution!! Which is just... mind-blowing to me! I would love to see some of you there :D happy to chat afterwards too to any of you that attend!
I am over the moon with how this film turned out. It tells the story of the 2023 expeditions on board Schmidt Ocean Institute's brand new state-of-the-art deep-sea research vessel, Falkor (too)! This film and Worlds of the Deep are both collabs with SOI, featuring breathtaking cinematography from the same footage pool, but this one has a specific focus on the INCREDIBLE new discoveries, ecosystems, and species found on their cruises last year, showcasing interviews with scientists and fascinating new technology (bordering on sci-fi) that is allowing us to understand the deep ocean like never before! This film will also be releasing on YouTube some time after the premier, so rest assured all of you can watch it! But I would love to see some of you at the event. Let me know if you plan to attend. ;)
Hope you're all doing really well!
Leo Richards (Natural World Facts)
Exciting news! The NWF Merch Store is now LIVE! At the request of many of you, Iāve set up the channelās very first store and worked with the fantastic artist Jakub Misiek to create a line of products featuring some fascinating Deep Sea Creatures (Jakub worked on the art in the animations of many of my deep sea videos, like hydrothermal vent formation - heās brilliant). Weāre open to any feedback and suggestions for designs, products, or colours.
As a thank you for supporting my work here on YouTube, Iāve set up a launch discount code - pop in āNWFLAUNCH101ā for 10% off most clothing items (expires on the 16th). The store page is here: crowdmade.com/collections/naturalworldfacts
Let me know if I can help with anything or if you encounter any issues - this is brand new territory for me and I want it to reflect what you, the viewers and fellow deep-sea lovers, most want from such a store! This is an opportunity to make some awesome deep-sea designs weāre all proud to wear (just in time for Christmas hopefully).
Hereās some more information about a couple of the animals included:
The Bigfin Squid (MagnapinnaĀ sp.) is likely the deepest known squid species in the ocean, having been sighted as deep as 6,212 metres (20,381Ā ft) below the surface. Their anatomy is unique among squids; their arms and tentacles are of equal length and identical, held perpendicular to the body in a fashion that resembles the strings of a marionette puppet with jointed elbow-like structures. Little is known about their life history or feeding strategy, but the presence of long, draping arms and tentacles has lead scientists to postulate that they feed by dragging these appendages along the seafloor below and āfishingā for prey on the great silt sea of the deep's Abyssal Plain! Their tentacles, which contain elastic filaments, may recoil when they come in contact with prey, drawing the food up towards the mouth. What it is exactly that they're eating remains a mystery.
Stephanomia sp. is a species of Siphonophore capable of reaching 10 metres in length - but itās not one animal! Itās a colony of specialised smaller individuals called zooids that work together in order to survive, divided into types that each carry out different (vital) functions within the colony, like digestion (gastrozooids) and movement (nectophores). The largest animal ever observed on Earth was a type of Siphonophore, at 45 metres or 150 feet - longer, even, than a blue whale!
The designs and products are all created by myself and Jakub, and the sales, production and delivery are all handled by Crowdmade which is hosting the store. I'm sorry if the delivery fee is high for non-US viewers (including myself), sadly I have no control over this.
Iām super excited for this launch! Let me know your thoughts, and what youād like to see in future designs, below. Iām also looking forward to sharing episode 2 of Worlds of the Deep very soon where we delve into the oceanās Midnight Zone with stunning 4K footage from Schmidt Ocean Instituteās recent expeditions.
Wishing you all the very best,
Leo :D
Hi all! I've got some VERY exciting news and a bit of an update for you. My latest film, Mysteries of the Twilight Zone (which you can watch below), part of my cinematic Worlds of the Deep series, has just been announced as winner of Best Overall Film AND Best Youth Film at Australia's Wild Earth Oceania Film Festival!! I want to thank all of you for keeping me motivated and always supporting my work here on YouTube. It means the world.
I'm aware I've been a little absent lately on YouTube, and views are down as a result, but rest assured many things are in the works. Episode 2 of Worlds of the Deep is underway, featuring yet more breathtaking 4K footage courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute from across their hundreds of ROV dives. I have already completed editing the first 20 minutes of what will likely be a 40-60 minute film, in which we delve into the ocean's Midnight Zone - a place of pure darkness, extreme pressure, and creatures stranger still than the drifting wonders we encountered in episode 1. It will likely come out later this year, or early in January, so stay tuned. It's shaping up to be my best film yet.
I'm also working on Underwater Paradise, my series exploring the vibrant wonders of the Coral Triangle and Raja Ampat, which is taking longer than expected while I prioritise Worlds of the Deep. That said, a big portion of the first two episodes is already complete, so it's just a matter of finishing up!
Other projects include:
- Worms of the Antarctic Deep - in collaboration with a science team from the 2023 Icy Inverts cruise, who reached out and provided me with hours of footage to document their expedition.
- Wonders of the Pacific Deep - documenting the deep-sea research expedition I was fortunate enough to join this Summer, investigating deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seeps off the coast of Oregon, as well as the high-tech (and frankly absurdly sci-fi) Regional Cabled Array of sensors and instruments on the deep sea floor. I got to try my hand at presenting in-person from the middle of the Pacific and OPERATE THE ROV - how freaking awesome!?!
- Untitled Woodland Series - a more intimate project, filmed on location in my local ancient woodland, documenting some of the UK's beautiful, yet elusive and threatened species.
- Worlds of the Deep episodes 3-5 - after the Midnight Zone episode, we'll cover Abyssal Plains, Seamounts and Canyons, and Chemosynthetic Paradises.
So...
How would you all feel about seeing previews of some of these projects? I'm hesitant to release clips or finished segments ahead of time in case anyone is disappointed by the fact it's not a full film, so I'd love your input here! Would you like sneak peaks at some of these films scenes posted here on YouTube?
Hi all, I have some VERY exciting news! I'm heading out to sea for all of August and a little of September on board a deep-sea research expedition to film for an upcoming series and as a science communicator! So until I'm back, I'm having to put my current projects on hold. This will be my first time joining a marine research cruise, and it's safe to say I've been pinching myself a little with disbelief.
The ship in question is the RV Thomas G Thompson, a world-class oceanographic vessel operated by the University of Washington. The cruise itself is VISIONS'23, led by the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), and will involve setting sail for the Juan de Fuca ridge in the Pacific Ocean. We will deploy ROV Jason, a remote operated vehicle depth-rated to 6,500 meters (4 miles) where it can explore for days on end controlled from the ship, transmitting live video and opening a window to the deep sea floor for scientists and the public alike.
During the expedition, OOI will be conducting maintenance work to their array of undersea observatories, while also exploring FASCINATING deep-sea environments including towering hydrothermal vents at Axial Seamount (nearly 300 miles offshore), where superheated water spews out of the seafloor and creates an oasis for life to thrive, and Cascadia Margin, where the Southern Hydrate Ridge hosts exposed deposits of methane ice on the seafloor coated in dense bacterial matts. Regular viewers will be familiar with both of these ecosystems - for those of you wanting to learn more, check out this miniseries: youtube.com/watch?v=ECBbAjoEHWI&list=...
On previous expeditions, OOI have encountered an array of curious creatures drifting in the expanse of the oceanic deep, from charismatic deep-sea sharks, blob sculpins (blobfish), dumbo octopuses, hagfish, snailfish, sea pigs, deepsea skates, and charismatic jellyfishes, to marvelous twisting tube-worms! The pictures attached are all captured by OOI during previous missions at these sites.
Using footage I'll capture on board during the cruise, and recordings from ROV Jason's deep-sea dives, I'll be piecing together a series of films upon my return about the undersea observatories, the research being done on board the vessel, and the incredible animals we'll witness; Wonders of the Pacific Deep.
I'll do my best to post updates, pictures, and videos while I'm out at sea over on my socials (primarily Instagram - @naturalwfacts) so be sure to follow if you're keen stay up to date with the expedition! I'm super excited to share this adventure with you, and I hope to have more of my usual long-form videos ready once I return. Stay tuned and bear with me to see more from this project as it develops, and the continuation of the Worlds of the Deep series with the next instalment delving into the Midnight Zone.
Anyway, that's all for now. Very excited to share this news with you - I feel similar to how a space-obsessed kid might feel if they ever got to board a rocket. š
- Leo (the Natural World Facts guy)
Read more about the expedition here: interactiveoceans.washington.edu/visions23-live-viā¦
Image credits:
Black smoker chimney at the base of the actively venting Mushroom edifice on Axial Seamount (water depth ~1500 m). Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI.
A brown catshark swimming near the seafloor at Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF.
A small flapjack octopus sits atop a lobate flow at the summit of Axial Seamount - water depth ~ 1500 m (nearly 5000 feet beneath the surface). Credit: UW/OOI-NSF/CSSF.
Close up of vent animals, including palm worms and tubeworms, on the hydrothermal chimney called Mushroom in the ASHES hydrothermal field. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI.
ROV Jason. Credit: WHOI.
Welcome to Natural World Facts. I'm Leo, a Marine Biology undergraduate student with a passion for the natural world, a fascination with the deep sea, and a dream of working in the field of science-communication. This channel began as a passion project when I was 8 years old. Now, more than 10 years later, I'm still releasing fortnightly videos documenting a number of natural history topics, and I invite you to join me on my journey to discover all there is to know about our incredible planet.
Be sure to subscribe to be notified when I release a new video, and most importantly, enjoy. I hope you learn something new :)