Do you love animals? Do you like exploring locations like National Parks of India where rare species are found? Or Do you want to conduct commercial filming/documentary/photography for your next project in an area full of wildlife species in India? If yes, then you might be worried about when, where, and how you can filming license for protected national parks in India. A line producer or a fixer in India can help you with all the steps for applying permits for film shooting/commercial photography in Protected Areas of India. The article beautifully explains on various Protected areas like wild forest available for film shooting purpose and the pros and cons of it.

 

Wildlife Filmmaking in India: A wild experience

Shooting animals is a totally different task from shooting humans. With humans, you can make changes at any point in time. But with animals you have to be extra careful. That is why shooting a wildlife film can be a wild, interesting and exciting experience. From planning the film to completing it, a large number of changes will take place. Sometimes you might not find the animal on the pre-decided location. Sometimes the weather is not suitable for shooting. Or a bigger problem can happen if you do not get permission for the shoot.

 

While making a wildlife film, you shoot in natural surroundings. You learn about the pattern of different species. You research and plan your schedule for the film. You hire your crew, directors, cinematographers. And you raise funds for your film.

 

Pros and Cons of Wildlife Filmmaking in National Parks

As the name itself contains ‘WILD’ in it. One can imagine what it contains. On one hand, where you learn about the different patterns of different species. When are they found? How to protect yourself while shooting? How you can take a better shot? Taking a wide shot or a close-up shot will be better. And how to convert the raw footage in a complete final film. You learn the ‘ABCD’ of wildlife filmmaking.

 

While on the other hand, it is a risky plan. You don’t know from which direction the animal will come. You have to take a lot of precautions before entering the forest. You need to be well-read about the dangers that you might face.

 

All these things are only possible when you do detailed research before starting a project. Sometimes researching for years can be less for shooting a film containing wildlife species.

 

Wildlife Filmmaking in India

India is a rich country in every sense. Be it culture, traditions, rituals, people, or even wildlife. It has everything for everyone. What you need to do is just search for it and then you are good to go.

 

India has a large variety of species from East to West and North to South. You can find about 500 species in Indian forests. According to a 2014 census by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), India has 2226 tigers. It counts for about 70 percent of the total tiger population found in tiger reserves. Apart from tigers, you can find Asian Elephants, Asiatic Lions, Indian Leopards, Indian Sloth Bears, and Indian Rhinoceros.

Top 5 Indian Wildlife Forests/ National Parks/ Sanctuaries 

Here is a list of five Wildlife forest in India, that can be your next shooting location:

 

1. Kaziranga National Park, Assam

Located in the North Eastern state of Assam, Kaziranga National Park was established in 1908. It is governed by the Government of Assam and Government of India. It is spread in 430 square kilometers area. It is a world heritage site. It is a home for two-third of one-horned rhinoceros in the World. It was declared a tiger reserve in 2006. It has elephants, wild water buffalo and swamp deer in large numbers. The best time to visit Kaziranga National Park is between November to March.

2. Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh

This national park is located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. It was established in 1968. It is governed by Madhya Pradesh Forest Department. In 1993, it was declared as a tiger reserve. Spread in 1536 square kilometers area, it is home to a large population of leopards. Deer, butterflies, reptiles, and tigers can also be found here. This national park derived its name from the famous hillock of the area. This hillock was used by Lakshamana (Lord Rama younger brother) to keep an eye on Lanka. The best time to visit this national park is between November and March.

 

3. Hemis National Park, Jammu and Kashmir

Hemis National park is located in one of the finest tourist destinations in India. It is located on a high altitude in Leh district in Ladakh. It was established in 1981. It is governed by the Government of India, Government of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council. It is spread in an area of 4400 square kilometers. Snow Leopard is the most found species here. Tibetan Wolf, Eurasian brown bear, Asiatic Ibex, and some other endangered species in India can also be found here. The best time to visit Hemis National Park is between January to March.

4. Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand

One of the oldest national parks in India is Jim Corbett National Park. It is located in Nanital and Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. It was established in 1936 to protect Bengal Tiger. It is governed by Project Tiger, Government of Uttarakhand, Wildlife Warden, and Jim Corbett National Park. It has a vast variety of birds and animals. It contains 488 different species. The best time to visit this national park is between November to February.

5. Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ranthambore National Park is located in the royal state of Rajasthan. Initially established by the Government of India under the name Madhopur Game Sanctuary in 1955. It was declared a tiger reserve in 1973 and a national park in 1980. It covers 1334 square kilometers area. It is governed by the Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests, and Project Tiger. Wild boar, Nilgai, Indian Leopard, Sambar, and Sloth bear are among the various species found here. Between October to April is the best time to visit Ranthambore National Park.

 

Now, you might be thinking that indeed these places are exciting but how we can shoot in these places. So Filming Indo is your one-stop solution. We are media fixers in India who help you in planning shooting and finishing your feature film or documentary. Whether you want to shoot a film, documentary or any Commercial photography, we are here to provide you with an experienced crew, the latest equipment, transport, and accommodation facilities. Besides, we also take all the required licenses/permits from the authorities for a smooth shooting experience in protected national parks of India. For more information mail us at info@filmingindo.com.

 

 

Author: Anjali Datt

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