David Parfitt interviews Keith Scholey, the director, writer, and producer for DisneyNature's new film "African Cats."
The creative team spent two and a half years in the East African wilds shooting this film. “If we get a minute of good footage a week, we’re doing well,” Scholey said of the extended production schedule. I asked if they went into the field with a preconceived story in mind? Keith mentioned they actually worked with these animals for many years, much longer than the two and a half year shooting period, so they already had a good idea in their mind what would happen and could “rough out” a story. However, the key to “African Cats” was finding big characters, and once they found the animals to play those characters, the plot would happen: start filming and let the story run. The story is real; Keith said the filmmakers exert no control, and the narrative emerges organically.
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