Life on Our Planet: Emmy-nominated producer to speak at WCU
‘Life on Our Planet’ is an acclaimed American television nature documentary series. Steven Spielberg was the executive producer, with Dan Tapster also a producer. Donated photo
As a young child, growing up right outside of London, Dan Tapster fondly remembers watching David Attenborough’s nature documentaries with his mother, these family moments that were “a cherished ritual.”
“She proudly claims to be his number one fan,” Tapster said. “And those early experiences ignited my fascination with storytelling and the natural world.”
From there, Tapster pursued and earned a degree in biology, only to parlay that deeply held love of nature and storytelling into eventually working on some of Attenborough’s films, including “The Life of Mammals” and “Planet Earth.” Those experiences are where Tapster “learned the art of blending scientific insight with compelling narratives.”
And over the last 20 years, Tapster, who has eight Emmy nominations to his credit, has continued his cinematic journey of creating, cultivating and connecting audiences with these incredibly visual (“VFW-heavy series and presenter-led documentaries”) and profound stories about our planet and everything that has happened since the dawn of time — whether millions of years ago or right now.
“My passion lies in crafting string narrative arcs that engage audiences,” Tapster said. “Ensuring that every project I undertake tells a story that’s both informative and emotionally resonant.”
One of Tapster’s prized projects is the recent “Life on Our Planet” documentary series, where he served as a producer alongside executive producer Steven Spielberg. Released in 2023 on Netflix, the highly-acclaimed series — which focuses on the evolutionary arc of life on Earth — has become a popular feature on the streaming service.
“The idea was to create a landmark series that would bring the story of life on Earth to a mainstream audience with cinematic ambition and scientific vigor,” Tapster said. “But, doing that — especially across billions of years — required a huge amount of planning, coordination and innovation.”
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To note, Tapster will host a special immersive presentation, “Our Planet Live,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 24, in the Bardo Arts Center Performance Hall at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.
“Culturally, I hope the series sparks conversation — about our place in the natural world, our impact on it and our responsibility to it,” Tapster said of “Life on Our Planet.” “And, on a more personal level, I hope it inspires a sense of wonder, that people come away not just informed, but moved — maybe even changed.”
Dan Tapster. Donated photo
According to Tapster, “Life on Our Planet” took about five years to complete “from initial concept to final release.” This included in-depth conversations with paleontologists and evolutionary biologists, all amid endless research covering a multitude of subjects, species and pivotal eras on our planet.
Next, came the visual development stage. This encompasses storyboarding and beginning to put together the chronological puzzle of our planet. After that, it’s the endless depths of using VFX (visual effects) to produce “photorealistic extinct creatures and ecosystems on an unprecedented scale.”
“Every creature had to be designed from fossil evidence, with scientific advisors involved at every stage — from anatomy to behavior,” Tapster said.
When it came to the visuals, “Life on Our Planet” was a mix of live-action shots from locations around the globe mixed with VFX. Not to mention the editorial side of things, where endless pages of script had to be accurate and entertaining, this effort to find the ideal rhythm between images and words.
“We were essentially building a planet from scratch — time period by time period,” Tapster said. “And populating it with creatures that hadn’t walked the Earth for hundreds of millions of years.”
So, what was the biggest takeaway for Tapster from “Life on Our Planet”?
“Both personally and professionally, is just how fragile, yet resilient life on Earth truly is,” Tapster said. “Telling the story of five mass extinctions — and all of the life that came back in their wake — really reframes your sense of time and place. It’s humbling. You realize that we, as a species, are just a blink in Earth’s history, but we’re having an outsized impact.”
At the core of “Life on Our Planet” is the underlying emphasis on the five mass extinctions that have occurred over the period of four-billion years that are showcased in the series. Tapster noted that, according to many leading scientists, modern-day humanity is currently living through what could be considered the sixth mass extinction — “this time, one of our own making.”
A computer-generated recreation of the extinct cameroceras. Donated photo
“If the series can help people feel both the awe of life’s story and the urgency of protecting its future?” Tapster pondered. “Then we’ve done something worthwhile.”
With “Life on Our Planet” now in the rearview mirror for Tapster, he’s off to his next project — somewhere, anywhere on our planet. Telling intricate, immersive stories and using the stunning artistic medium of film to do so.
“I feel like we’ve only scratched the surface of what nature has to teach us — about resilience, about beauty and about ourselves,” Tapster said. “Filmmaking [has] allowed me to take it a step further — to not just understand nature, but to share it, dramatize it and bring others into that sense of awe.”
For Tapster, he’s never lost that childlike wonder of discovery, going all the way back to simply being a kid running around the forests near his home.
“That fascination goes all the way back to my childhood — walking through the woods, flipping over stones to see what was hiding underneath,” Tapster said. “And maybe because nature makes you feel small, in the best possible way. It reminds you that the world is bigger, older and more intricate than any one of us. There’s humility in that — and also responsibility.”
Want to go?
Emmy-nominated producer Dan Tapster will host a special presentation, “Our Planet Live,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 24, in the Bardo Arts Center Performance Hall at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.
“Our Planet Live” is a new and immersive live show featuring behind-the-scenes stories from the explorers, filmmakers, scientists and adventurers that created some of the most eye-catching footage of our planet.
With a focus on climate fragility and climate migration, “Our Planet Live” tells an unprecedented story about overcoming obstacles on a global scale and explores the messages at the heart of these action-packed, emotional and unforgettable sequences.
Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 seniors and WCU faculty/staff, $15 child/non-WCU student and $5 for WCU students.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit wcuarts.universitytickets.com.
