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Kate's Bio:
Kate Streather is a documentary researcher with over five years of experience across some of the most respected names in natural history filmmaking, including BBC Studios, Silverback Films, Wildstar Films, and Open Planet Studios. Their credits include Ocean with David Attenborough and Blue Planet III.
Kate brings a rare combination of scientific rigour and production expertise to their work. As a biologist with a First-Class degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Durham, where they specialised in animal behaviour, ecology, and climate change, they bring a depth of understanding to the stories they help tell.
Their hands-on experience spans the full production process, from pre-production and development through to post-production as a core member of edit teams. In the field, Kate has set up and directed a wide range of shoots, including Cineflex, human, macro tank, dive, long lens, drone, and interview, across some of the world's most remote and challenging environments, including Antarctica and West Africa.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - How Kate Streather’s found her passions
00:04:10 - Branching into wildlife film making and the opening of new opportunities
00:08:40 - What it means to work as a scientist in the film making world
00:14:50 - Strengths and struggles of working in wildlife documentaries
00:18:30 - The opportunity to work with Sir David Attenborough in “Ocean”
00:22:00 - What to expect from “Ocean” and what it takes to develop such a project
00:28:10 - Structuring the content in film making: blending science and storytelling
00:33:20 - Why “no one today has seen a truly wild ocean” and a comparison to the past
00:35:00 - The challenging access to the fishing industry and how to convey difficult images
00:39:00 - How “Ocean” condenses a wealth of incredible experiences around the world
00:47:30 - Adventures on board of a Sea Shepherd’s campaigners boat in Antarctica
00:53:00 - Liberia: election tensions, coastal communities, overfishing and pollution
00:55:10 - More with Sea Shepherd’s cooperating with the Liberian Coast Guard
00:59:00 - The challenges of being a researcher for “Ocean”
01:02:30 - The incredible unbalance between Liberian and Norwegian fishing fleet
01:04:05 - Kate's once-in-a-lifetime experience working with Sir David Attenborough
01:07:10 - Post-production: editing, archive, fact‑checking, and premiere in London!
01:12:40 - The far-reaching impact of “Ocean” into politics and institutions
01:15:00 - Kate’s motivations and future plans
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Useful Links & Resources:
Kate Strether on Instagram, Linkedin
Ocean with Sir David Attenborough, 2025 official trailer
Sea Shepherd's website: Sea Shepherd
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Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
The Ocean Age Podcast is produced by Charlotte Raffo and edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants. The show notes for this episode were produced by Cecilia Bombonato.
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