NATURAL HISTORY FILM
Death of a Squirrel
Transforming a pest into a tragic hero
ROLE: DP / EDITOR / PRODUCER
California ground squirrels might seem like unlikely protagonists for a natural history film. They’re so common that most San Diegans see them as pests — if they notice them at all. But these varmints have a lot to teach us!
By removing predators and providing abundant habitat and food, humans have created new opportunities for ground squirrels to thrive. Their story became a returning thread in America’s Wildest City, our film about San Diego’s urban wildlife. I took the lead in developing, shooting, and editing two sequences featuring these unexpectedly charismatic rodents.
Challenges
Unsympathetic Characters: How do you make an animal relatable and engaging when many people view it as a pest?
Unclear Conflict: With squirrel populations booming, where’s the drama?
Twitchy Subjects: Squirrels are small and fast, making them tough to film.
Tight Spaces: How do you follow squirrels into their underground burrows?
Exploration and Solutions
Research and Observe
I started by reading about ground squirrel behavior, then spent a few days observing activity at two sites: Liberty Station and Robb Field. The colony at Liberty Station was easier to access and had more going on, so it became our main filming location.
Timing was an important factor: while natural history filmmakers are a crepuscular species (we like to work during golden hour) squirrels are diurnal, so they don’t become active until midmorning. I found the last two hours before sunset provided the best overlap between activity and beautiful light.
Sometimes the squirrels observed me too!
Film In Situ
At first, I used a RED Helium cinema camera paired with a Sigma 150-600mm lens and a 1.4x teleconverter to film common behaviors like foraging, grooming, and dust bathing.
Once I had enough telephoto footage, I switched to a motion control system, using the Sony FX6, A7Siii, Rhino Arc II, and Kessler Cineshooter/slider combo. Sony’s mobile app allowed me to remotely monitor and trigger the camera, which helped with more elusive moments, like squirrels emerging from their burrows.
Adapt to Insights
As filming progressed, unexpected events enriched our story:
Dogs frequently interrupted my shots by chasing away the squirrels. This annoyed me at first, but I gradually realized that it could become a scene in the film. While humans had removed natural predators like rattlesnakes and hawks, they had inadvertently introduced new ones.
We staged a lighthearted predation scene with Maggie (a coworker’s terrier) to show this dynamic and poke fun at San Diego’s dog-loving culture.
Another surprise came when crows began stalking the colony. No one on our team had ever seen crows hunt squirrels before. Over a weekend of round-the-clock filming, we recorded a successful kill, which became the tragic climax of our scene.
Build a Burrow (Above Ground)
Filming underground squirrel activity presented a unique technical challenge. To show this hidden world, we partnered with the San Diego Humane Society’s Project Wildlife, whose team rehabilitates dozens of baby squirrels each year. Alex Wiles, an experienced wildlife cinematographer (and level 20 DIY wizard), designed a modular set inspired by an ant farm. Together, we built it in Project Wildlife’s storage room.
The set used tunnel cross-sections pressed against plate glass to provide clear views of squirrel behavior. Two interchangeable cartridges fit into the main cabinet, each designed for different filming angles. Hatches on the top and sides let veterinarians safely place and retrieve squirrels. This modular design gave us flexibility, allowing us to experiment with different perspectives and change our approach as we learned what worked best.
For four months, Project Wildlife would notify us whenever they had a squirrel “patient” healthy enough to film. I would drive over with some camera equipment, and a vet would help place the squirrel in the set. We’d usually film for about fifteen minutes before returning it to its incubator.
This set design wasn’t just effective for ground squirrels — after wrapping our rodent stars, we repurposed it to film other burrow-dwelling species, including snakes, toads, and tarantulas.
Keep it Organized
By the time we wrapped, I had hundreds, if not thousands, of squirrel clips. I logged them all, creating a searchable library with metadata for behaviors, light conditions, camera type, and shot quality. This system ensured that no element — no matter how subtle — was overlooked in the edit.
Using the same process outlined in my Orca case study, I arranged the best clips into story beats, found the continuity, let the visuals set the pace, and heightened the drama with temp music.
I’m especially proud of the transitions between the in situ photography and our burrow set. A few overlapping sound effects with slight EQ changes on the cut sell the illusion well.
Collaboration
Lots of people contributed to this sequence:
Alex Wiles designed the squirrel set and taught me to build additional cartridges as needed.
Nate Dappen and Rick Smith provided cinematography support, with Rick capturing the pivotal crow predation shot.
Elliott Kennerson and his dog Magnolia brought life to the off-leash dog scene.
Nate Dappen and Neil Losin refined the script and provided helpful direction through several cuts.
The wizards over at Cleod9 blended surf rock with spaghetti western in a delightful original score.
The sound team at Ott House Audio refined my provisional effects and delivered a flawless mix.
DC Color unified the varied camera sources into a consistent and stylish grade.
Image by Sami Van Praet
Results
San Diego: America’s Wildest City premiered on PBS Nature on November 7, 2024, and cleared 200,000 views within three weeks.
A 40-minute version, Wild San Diego, began a residency at the San Diego Natural History Museum on November 22, 2024, where it will play daily in the museum’s giant screen theater for years to come.
This BTS featurette includes more information about our filming process.