Wildstar Films, a Fremantle company, has joined forces with wildlife filmmaker, explorer and scientist Dan O’Neill for The World is Out There, a new YouTube channel.
The new channel will feature longer-form docs with O’Neill on wildlife expeditions, a monthly podcast as he goes on outdoor walks with guests; and shorter-form, presenter-led films exploring animal behavior, science and topical stories from the natural world.
“As audience habits continue to evolve, The World is Out There represents an exciting opportunity to extend Wildstar’s storytelling beyond traditional platforms and build a long-term digital brand,” said Rebecca Wootton, COO of Wildstar Films. “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Dan O’Neill, whose expertise as a biologist and presenter, combined with his passion for exploration, makes him the ideal partner for this venture. Together, we have the opportunity to bring Wildstar’s Emmy Award-winning filmmaking to new global audiences, creating a platform that can grow and evolve alongside changing viewer behaviors while inspiring curiosity about the world around us.”
O’Neill added, “Nothing makes me feel more alive than being out in the wild, face to face with nature. This channel is about bringing people as close to that feeling as we can, as authentically as possible. On YouTube, we can show it all unfiltered: the embarrassing bits, the painful misses, and the absolutely magic moments, so viewers can feel what it’s really like to be out there. All I’ve ever wanted to do is get people as excited about the natural world as I am, and I think the best way to do that is to make it entertaining. Whether it’s tracking tigers in the jungle, going for a walk with a guest on the podcast or unpacking some brilliantly horrible parasitic behavior in an explainer, I want everyone to finish watching and immediately feel like heading outside to find something for themselves. It’s a big new chapter, and doing it with Wildstar, who are world leaders in wildlife filmmaking, makes it even more special and exciting!”
Ali Ciatti, lead for social impact and sustainability creator partnerships at YouTube, added, “I work on sustainability at YouTube because I believe great stories can change how people think about the natural world. That’s why I’m so excited to see The World Is Out There launch. Dan brings real scientific knowledge and a genuine passion for wildlife, and you can see that in everything he does. Combine that with Wildstar’s Emmy Award-winning filmmaking and you’ve got something really special. One of the things I love about YouTube is that it gives creators the freedom to tell stories in their own way and reach audiences around the world. I can’t wait to see what Dan and the team create.”
