While film is primarily a visual medium, the sound track’s contribution can be immense. Think of the haunting themes in movies such as “The Godfather” and “Chariots of Fire.” Or—as an experiment—watch the “Psycho” shower scene with the sound turned off. If you prefer a more current example, here is “Flying With Nature,” which won the top prize in the 2017 Drone Film Festival Australia + New Zealand (DFFANZ). Note how the director Sarah Coote uses the musical voice of a child narrator (her young daughter) not only to impart information but to intensify the emotion generated by the images.

Ms. Coote has been making movies since her teens. In the following interview, she shares her education as a filmmaker and reveals the method she employed in getting a winning performance from a young child.

MMM: How did you acquire your filmmaking skills?

Coote: I initially started filming, working as underwater videographer on a wild dolphin swim tour boat at the age of 15. I started out as a tour guide on the boat and then fell in love with being able to capture the encounters and share my enthralment with an entire audience. I then went on to study my Diploma in Screen and Media and found the combination of learning the technical side of cinematography, coupled with being able to implement the skills daily at work, allowed me to refine my style. I have also worked alongside multi award winning cameramen, directors and producers and found that mentorship incredibly contributing to my filmmaking skills. I really value continuous learning and evolve every opportunity possible to learn, refine and understand more to acquire skills and knowledge in cinematography. I started my own cinematography business at the age of 18, after working on a number of natural history documentaries and have been continually learning and growing in my cinematographic skillset and style.

MMM: How did you come up with the idea for “Flying With Nature”?

Coote: My purpose in life is to inspire awe and connection through breathtaking vision of the ocean encounters I am fortunate enough to experience and love. In ‘Flying With Nature’, I wanted to explore an emotive journey from my daughter’s perspective, full of wonder, adventure and reverence for nature through a child’s eyes. Through capturing WA’s vibrant wildlife and scenically spectacular coast, my intent for this video was to engage and inspire my audience to connect with nature, in a world that is so overwhelmed with disconnect and flooding of technology. I love sharing adventures with my family and capturing WA in all its vast scenic and wild beauty. Coupling this with an emotive angle, giving a humbling contrast of a small voice on a big adventure, it was a story I felt I really needed to create. I always want to inspire endless curiosity, wild and potential in my girls and flying with nature will always encapsulate you in its awe inspiring beauty.

MMM: What equipment did you use in the production?

Coote: I used a mixture of gear for above and below the surface shooting. Above I used the Phantom 4 Pro, Lumix GH5 and my trusty old Canon 5D Mark II. Below the water I used two Aquatica housings for both my 5D and GH5. Editing I used Adobe Premiere Pro CC on the Surface Book as I generally like to edit outdoors and move around!

MMM: How long did the production take?

Coote: I spent a year capturing the footage while working for Rockingham Wild Encounters and their Wild Dolphin Swim and Penguin Island Cruises company. I do all their video production work. I never just go out with a shot list to capture. It’s always about being adaptable and working with the wild you have in front of the lens.

MMM: Did you write the narration first and then shoot to the script, or did you start with the visuals?

Coote: It was a bit of both! I am around incredible wildlife that I’m fortunate to have on my doorstep all the time. This incredible part of the world definitely inspired some of the script. As I was writing it, I could see some of the experiences I had already captured coming together to create the story. I love writing and sharing my passion. When I’m in flow with the imagery and the message, it’s almost too easy to write. I don’t have much time with a toddler, so when inspiration hits, I’ve got to pen it to paper super quick!

MMM: Using a child narrator has great potential, as was done with  the hit feature movie “Beast of the Southern Wild.” But working with a young performer must be challenging.

Coote: It’s often said the most difficult talents to work with are animals and kids! In “Flying with Nature,” the entire story is based around both, so the production definitely had it’s challenges, but that’s what made it so much fun. To see it come together was really amazing.

MMM: Can you tell us how you worked with your narrator?

Coote: I started by creating a calm and relaxed setting. No pressure, no stress and just adapted with what she felt comfortable with. We worked sentence by sentence. It was read out, then she repeated. We did three rounds of this and then I simply cut the audio to her sections. It wasn’t a perfectly balanced audio recording and some sections were louder or softer than others, depending on how confident she was with the words but she was awesome and just like working with nature, you stay adaptable. It kind of adds an additional authentic feel to the movie.

MMM: Did you encounter unexpected problems?

Coote: I make short movies pretty much on a weekly basis so have ironed out most of the creases. I’m quite adaptable in my filming and have most of the editing requirements I need down to a fairly efficient process. The biggest challenge was the audio recording. I usually don’t have to do too much to clean it up nicely. But working with a young child was a bit more difficult. Because the narration was the biggest driving factor and significant element of the movie, I did a lot of research in audio editing, which helped a lot.

MMM: Do you have any advice for someone who is just beginning to work with a drone?

Coote: Be passionate, patient and make sure you follow the rules! With drones becoming more and more prominent, it’s only a matter of time before legislation becomes more strict. If we can show that drone users are responsible and respectful, hopefully those rules reflect common sense rather than restrictions on allowing us to capture amazing images. With wildlife I have licences for capturing all I do. I have to keep a distance of 30m from marine mammals. I always respect wildlife, never chase or get too close to influence a change in behaviour. I always aim to have the drone act as the fly on the wall. That’s always been more inspiring and exciting for me, capturing nature in all its wild.

MMM: Anything else?

Coote: Practice and find your niche. What are you passionate about capturing? What do you want to share with others? That’s what inspires me in all my filming, having  that purpose.

MMM: How can readers follow your work?

Coote: I always love to connect with likeminded and passionate people so give me a follow and I’d love to follow back. Pretty inspiring what people are capturing and sharing these days and I love seeing the adventures and images that inspire others. If you would like to see more of my work head to my website www.squidproductions.com.au You can also follow me on Instagram @sarahcootecinematography and on www.facebook.com/squidproductions

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“Flying With Nature” has been chosen as Mobile Movie of the Week by the editors of MobileMovieMaking.com.