Chris Palmer (film producer)
Encyclopedia
Chris Palmer is an environmental and wildlife film producer and director of the Center for Environmental Filmmaking at American University
. He was executive producer for the Oscar nominated film Dolphins
and is author of Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom (ISBN 1578051487).
, Palmer grew up in England
, served as an officer in the Royal Navy
for seven years, and immigrated to the United States
in 1972. He holds a B.S. with First Class Honors in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture from University College London
and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University
where he was a Kennedy Scholar and received a Harkness Fellowship.
. He then served as a political appointee in the Environmental Protection Agency under President Jimmy Carter
. In 1983, he founded National Audubon Society Productions, where he served as president and CEO for 11 years. In 1994, he founded the nonprofit National Wildlife Productions (part of the National Wildlife Federation
, the largest conservation organization in the United States) which he managed as president and CEO for 10 years, directing NWF's launch into broadcast, cable, IMAX
, and other media markets.
, including Coral Reef Adventure and Dolphins. Dolphins was nominated for the 2000 Academy Award for Best Short Subject Documentary. His other IMAX films include Bears, Wolves, and Whales. In 2004, Palmer was named president of the MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation, which produces and funds IMAX films and companion educational outreach materials and programs.
2004 Bears (documentary short) (co-executive producer)
2003 Coral Reef Adventure (documentary) (executive producer - as Christopher Palmer)
2002 India: Kingdom of the Tiger (documentary short) (executive producer)
2000 Troubled Waters (TV documentary) (executive producer)
2000 Dolphins (documentary short) (executive producer)
1996-2000 Wild Life Adventures (TV series) (executive producer - 8 episodes)
– Pollinators in Peril (2000) (executive producer)
– Wildlife Legacy (1999) (executive producer)
– Alaska's Bush Pilots (1998) (executive producer)
– Underdogs: Prairie Dogs Under Attack (1998) (executive producer)
– Wildlife Wars (1998) (executive producer)
2000 Tracks: Tracking with the San People of the Kalahari (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1999 Wild City (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1999 Wolves (documentary short) (executive producer)
1999 Return of the Eagle (TV movie) (executive producer)
1998 Wildlife Emergency (TV series documentary) (executive producer - 1998)
1998 Wildlife Wars (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1998 Nature (TV series documentary) (executive producer - 1 episode)
– American Buffalo: Spirit of a Nation (1998) (executive producer)
1998 Whales: An Unforgettable Journey (documentary short) (producer - as Christopher Palmer)
1997 BirdWatch (TV series documentary) (executive producer)
1997 Wildlife Encounters: Alaska (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1997 Tiger! (documentary) (executive producer)
1996 The Last Great American Gold Heist (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1996 Survival of the Yellowstone Wolves (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1996 Dolphins in Danger (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1996 An African Love Story (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1994 The World of Audubon 10th Anniversary Special (TV movie) (executive producer)
1994 Hunt for the Giant Bluefin (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1994 Desperately Seeking Sanctuary (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1993 Cathedrals in the Sea (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1993 Backlash in the Wild (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1993 Galapagos: My Fragile World (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1993 Hawaii: Paradise in Peril (executive producer)
1992 Sex, Lies and Holes in the Skies (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1992 Greenhouse Gamble (documentary) (executive producer)
1992 The Environmental Tourist (executive producer)
1992 Battle for the Great Plains (TV movie) (executive producer)
1992 This Island Earth (TV movie) (executive producer)
1991 Mysterious Elephants of the Congo (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1991 Caribbean Cool (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1991 Great Lakes, Bitter Legacy (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1991 The New Range Wars (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1991 Hope for the Tropics (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1990/I Wildfire (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1990 Danger at the Beach (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1990 Ivory Hunters (TV movie) (executive producer)
1990 Arctic Refuge: A Vanishing Wilderness? (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1990 If Dolphins Could Talk (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1989 Wolves (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1989 Ancient Forests: Rage Over Trees (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1989 Crane River (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1989 Greed and Wildlife: Poaching in America (video documentary) (executive producer)
1988 World of Audubon: Sharks! (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1988 Sea Turtles: Ancient Nomads (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1988 Messages from the Birds (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1988 Grizzly & Man: Uneasy Truce (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1987 Whales! (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1987 Woodstork: Barometer of the Everglades (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1987 Ducks Under Siege (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1987 Common Ground: Farming and Wildlife (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1987 On the Edge of Extinction: Panthers and Cheetahs (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1986 The Mysterious Black-Footed Ferret (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1986/II Condor (TV documentary) (executive producer)
Palmer is a frequent speaker at conferences and film festivals and gives workshops on such subjects as effective networking and giving effective presentations. In 2010, he was a featured speaker at the Environmental Film Festival
in Washington, DC as well as at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He has been interviewed on The Today Show
and The Fox News Channel and in May, 2010, appeared on the Diane Rehm Show as a guest panelist. His book, Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom was published in 2010 by Sierra Club Books
and has received critical acclaim for being "a sharp and searching assessment of the contemporary wildlife media universe from someone who loves the field and wants to see it live up to its promise."
Palmer was recognized in 2010 as the "Environmental Film Educator of the Decade" at the Green Globe Film Awards. Palmer received the International Wildlife Film Festival's first-ever "IWFF Wildlife Hero of the Year Award" on Friday, May 13th in Missoula, Montana at the 34th annual award ceremony.
. He is married to Gail Shearer and is father to three grown daughters: Kimberly, Christina, and Jennifer. In his free time, he performs stand-up comedy in DC area comedy clubs.
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
. He was executive producer for the Oscar nominated film Dolphins
Dolphins (film)
Dolphins is an IMAX documentary produced in 2000. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. Directed by Greg MacGillivray, with Chris Palmer serving as executive producer, this feature follows a few scientists studying dolphins as...
and is author of Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom (ISBN 1578051487).
Early life
Born in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Palmer grew up in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, served as an officer in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
for seven years, and immigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1972. He holds a B.S. with First Class Honors in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture from University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
where he was a Kennedy Scholar and received a Harkness Fellowship.
Career
After his immigration to the United States in 1972, he worked as chief energy advisor to Senator Charles H. PercyCharles H. Percy
Charles Harting "Chuck" Percy was president of the Bell & Howell Corporation from 1949 to 1964. He was elected United States Senator from Illinois in 1966, re-elected through his term ending in 1985; he concentrated on business and foreign relations...
. He then served as a political appointee in the Environmental Protection Agency under President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
. In 1983, he founded National Audubon Society Productions, where he served as president and CEO for 11 years. In 1994, he founded the nonprofit National Wildlife Productions (part of the National Wildlife Federation
National Wildlife Federation
The National Wildlife Federation is the United States' largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization, with over four million members and supporters, and 48 state and territorial affiliated organizations...
, the largest conservation organization in the United States) which he managed as president and CEO for 10 years, directing NWF's launch into broadcast, cable, IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
, and other media markets.
Film and Television Production
Since the early 1980s, Palmer has been actively involved in film and television production, specializing in environmental and wildlife filmmaking. His films have been broadcast on the Disney Channel, TBS, PBS, Animal Planet, and other channels. Palmer has executive produced several IMAX films with MacGillivray Freeman FilmsMacGillivray Freeman Films
MacGillivray Freeman Films is an American film studio based in Laguna Beach, California and founded in the mid 1960s by Greg MacGillivray and Jim Freeman. Most well known for its IMAX films, the studio has produced and distributed 35 IMAX films since 1974...
, including Coral Reef Adventure and Dolphins. Dolphins was nominated for the 2000 Academy Award for Best Short Subject Documentary. His other IMAX films include Bears, Wolves, and Whales. In 2004, Palmer was named president of the MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation, which produces and funds IMAX films and companion educational outreach materials and programs.
Filmography
Producer (58 titles)2004 Bears (documentary short) (co-executive producer)
2003 Coral Reef Adventure (documentary) (executive producer - as Christopher Palmer)
2002 India: Kingdom of the Tiger (documentary short) (executive producer)
2000 Troubled Waters (TV documentary) (executive producer)
2000 Dolphins (documentary short) (executive producer)
1996-2000 Wild Life Adventures (TV series) (executive producer - 8 episodes)
– Pollinators in Peril (2000) (executive producer)
– Wildlife Legacy (1999) (executive producer)
– Alaska's Bush Pilots (1998) (executive producer)
– Underdogs: Prairie Dogs Under Attack (1998) (executive producer)
– Wildlife Wars (1998) (executive producer)
2000 Tracks: Tracking with the San People of the Kalahari (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1999 Wild City (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1999 Wolves (documentary short) (executive producer)
1999 Return of the Eagle (TV movie) (executive producer)
1998 Wildlife Emergency (TV series documentary) (executive producer - 1998)
1998 Wildlife Wars (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1998 Nature (TV series documentary) (executive producer - 1 episode)
– American Buffalo: Spirit of a Nation (1998) (executive producer)
1998 Whales: An Unforgettable Journey (documentary short) (producer - as Christopher Palmer)
1997 BirdWatch (TV series documentary) (executive producer)
1997 Wildlife Encounters: Alaska (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1997 Tiger! (documentary) (executive producer)
1996 The Last Great American Gold Heist (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1996 Survival of the Yellowstone Wolves (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1996 Dolphins in Danger (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1996 An African Love Story (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1994 The World of Audubon 10th Anniversary Special (TV movie) (executive producer)
1994 Hunt for the Giant Bluefin (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1994 Desperately Seeking Sanctuary (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1993 Cathedrals in the Sea (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1993 Backlash in the Wild (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1993 Galapagos: My Fragile World (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1993 Hawaii: Paradise in Peril (executive producer)
1992 Sex, Lies and Holes in the Skies (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1992 Greenhouse Gamble (documentary) (executive producer)
1992 The Environmental Tourist (executive producer)
1992 Battle for the Great Plains (TV movie) (executive producer)
1992 This Island Earth (TV movie) (executive producer)
1991 Mysterious Elephants of the Congo (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1991 Caribbean Cool (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1991 Great Lakes, Bitter Legacy (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1991 The New Range Wars (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1991 Hope for the Tropics (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1990/I Wildfire (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1990 Danger at the Beach (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1990 Ivory Hunters (TV movie) (executive producer)
1990 Arctic Refuge: A Vanishing Wilderness? (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1990 If Dolphins Could Talk (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1989 Wolves (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1989 Ancient Forests: Rage Over Trees (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1989 Crane River (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1989 Greed and Wildlife: Poaching in America (video documentary) (executive producer)
1988 World of Audubon: Sharks! (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1988 Sea Turtles: Ancient Nomads (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1988 Messages from the Birds (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1988 Grizzly & Man: Uneasy Truce (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1987 Whales! (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1987 Woodstork: Barometer of the Everglades (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1987 Ducks Under Siege (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1987 Common Ground: Farming and Wildlife (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1987 On the Edge of Extinction: Panthers and Cheetahs (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1986 The Mysterious Black-Footed Ferret (TV documentary) (executive producer)
1986/II Condor (TV documentary) (executive producer)
Teaching
In August 2004, Palmer joined the full-time faculty of American University as Distinguished Film Producer in Residence. At American, he founded the Center for Environmental Filmmaking. He continues to serve as director of the Center for Environmental Filmmaking while also teaching classes in the School of Communication.Palmer is a frequent speaker at conferences and film festivals and gives workshops on such subjects as effective networking and giving effective presentations. In 2010, he was a featured speaker at the Environmental Film Festival
DC Environmental Film Festival
The Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital is a film festival held annually in Washington, D.C., typically in March.- Mission :According to the festival's official website, "The Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital seeks to further the public’s understanding of...
in Washington, DC as well as at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He has been interviewed on The Today Show
The Today Show
Today is an iconic American morning news and talk show airing every morning on NBC. Debuting on January 14, 1952, it was the first of its genre on American television and in the world. The show is also the fourth-longest running American television series...
and The Fox News Channel and in May, 2010, appeared on the Diane Rehm Show as a guest panelist. His book, Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom was published in 2010 by Sierra Club Books
Sierra Club Books
Sierra Club Books is the publishing division of the Sierra Club, founded in 1960 by then Sierra Club President David Brower. Volumes intended for club members had been published prior to 1960. In addition, books under their name had been published before 1960, but done through already established...
and has received critical acclaim for being "a sharp and searching assessment of the contemporary wildlife media universe from someone who loves the field and wants to see it live up to its promise."
Awards
In 1994, Palmer received the Frank G. Wells Award for ongoing commitment to environmental protection from the Environmental Media Association. In 2009, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Media at the International Wildlife Film Festival.Palmer was recognized in 2010 as the "Environmental Film Educator of the Decade" at the Green Globe Film Awards. Palmer received the International Wildlife Film Festival's first-ever "IWFF Wildlife Hero of the Year Award" on Friday, May 13th in Missoula, Montana at the 34th annual award ceremony.
Personal life
Palmer lives in Bethesda, MarylandBethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
. He is married to Gail Shearer and is father to three grown daughters: Kimberly, Christina, and Jennifer. In his free time, he performs stand-up comedy in DC area comedy clubs.