
"Wild
America" is an extensive Film Collection which documents the behavior of
virtually every representative North American Mammal, Bird, Fish, and Reptile,
as well as the Natural Wonders and Scenic Beauty of the North American
Wilderness.
This
spectacular and irreplaceable Collection - the most comprehensive Film Library
in existence on the subject - is the quintessential Natural History Video
Encyclopedia. There is simply nothing
else like it in existence!
The
natural world gives us sheer pleasure and it is also our greatest repository of
knowledge. Simply put, Nature
teaches—and people like to learn. Parents and teachers, especially, who are eager to educate youngsters
about our natural habitats, will relish this resource.It is entertainment and
education at its best, a treat for adults and children alike – there is
something here for everyone.
Over
the past 40 years, Marty Stouffer, America's foremost authority on Nature, has
created film productions that are specifically focused on presenting the Flora
and Fauna of our amazing continent. Since 1970, Marty Stouffer’s companyhas been located in a modest studio near
Aspen, Colorado.
The long-running “Wild America” Series, hosted by
Stouffer, began airing nationally on PBS Television in 1981. After many years on the air, Marty is known
as America’s favorite WildlifeProgram host.
“Wild
America” is a virtual Video Encyclopedia of our entire living continent. It presents a close-up look into the
realities of living wild. Animals are
born and die, play and mate, feed and get fed up - on-camera- in spectacular
slow-motion and intriguing time-lapse.
Filmed over a 40-year span at a cost in excess of
$40 million dollars, the scope, depth and breadth of this material will simply
never be duplicated in our lifetimes.
For
much of those 40 years, Marty Stouffer has served in several varied roles - as
naturalist, filmmaker, storyteller, educator and entertainer on the subjects of
American Wildlife and the Great Outdoors.
About
the childhood beginnings of his career in rural Arkansas, Martysays, “We had an
old Kodak 8 millimeter movie camera and one of the first Polaroid cameras that
was ever made.”
He
continues, “Our parents would film various things, like birthday parties, and
then they would hand the camera to us and we would all take turns filming each
other, our pets and other animals. My
interest in photography began then and grew through the years.”
The
“Wild America” Series enjoyed a 15-year run on PBS and earned ratings in the
Top 10 during this entire period—proof of both the production’s quality and the
public's timeless interest in Wildlife. In many of those Television seasons, it was the #1 Nielsen-rated
regularly scheduled Series on Public Television in the U.S.A.
Millions
of people, young and old, have enjoyed the award-winning brand “Wild America”.It was recently released in a new format, as
the “Wild America” DVD Collection, which includes every “Wild America”
half-hour Program ever produced – the entire Film Library of 120 “Wild America”
Television episodes - and also the 12 One-Hour Specials.
This
is the very first time that thisaward-winning, critically acclaimed – and, at
times, controversial – content has been available on DVD. Over $1 million dollars
was spent to re-telecine and digitize the entire Film
Collection.
The Series is a 12-pack containing 24 DVDs and the
Specials are also in a 12-pack format, presented on 12 individual DVD discs. Together, they comprise a total of 72 hours on
36 DVDs.
The
"Wild America" Series Collector's Edition DVD Set consists of 12
Years of production, with 10 Half-Hours in each Year, for a total of 120 Programs
that are contained on 24 DVDs.
TheSeries,
presented in the Set of 24 DVDs, captures the beauty, grandeur, drama and
diversity of America’s wild lands and wild creatures. There is simply nothing else that even comes
close to its breadth and depth of coverage. It is truly unique in every way as it presents the Plants and Animals of
North America.
The
"Wild America" Specials Companion Edition DVD Set consists of 12 One-Hours
of fast-paced excitement and entertainment that are contained on 12 DVDs.
The
“Wild America” Specials are 12One-Hour Specials presenting warmth, jeopardy,
comedy and drama in the natural world. The
Specials are The Predators, Our Favorite Animals, Great Escapes, Dangerous
Encounters, Spectacular Showdowns, Tender Times, Fantastic Follies, Wacky
Babies, Wild Wings, Amazing Legends, Deadly Beauty, and Marty’s World.
These
FilmPrograms and Specials stand alone as the first and only to exclusively celebrate
this rich natural heritage. The Series
is an incredible array of experiences. It will entertain, enthrall, enlighten, educate and empower. TV Guide
calls “Wild America” "the next best thing to being there," while the
Los Angeles Times refers to the photographic quality of the Series as
"literally breathtaking."
In
addition, there exists the “Wild America” Film Library containing the millions
of feet of film that Stouffer has exposed over a lifetime of exploring and
shooting in the wild, from Panama to Alaska and from Maine to California.
Not
only are all of the episodes ever produced, including the entire 120 "Wild
America"Seriesof Programs andthe 12 One-Hour Specials,now on DVD, they are
also Online.
This
entire Collection is also available for Video download on the Internet at
www.WildAmerica.com.All of the Specials, and also all of the Programs in the Series,
are now available as streaming Video downloads on the Website.
Online,
all formats are supported, from Quicktime to iPods
and iPhones to the very latest of modern media like Tivo and Divx. The Videos can be “streamed” live and viewed
immediately or they can be “downloaded” for continuous viewing in a particular
format at a later time.
Even
though there is currently a necessary monetary component involved in the
high-tech delivery of these Episodes and Content, Stouffer has bigger wishes
and dreams.
It
is his hope that, someday soon, he will be able to locate a philanthropist who,
or an organization which, will graciously enable the delivery of this “National
Treasure” to everyone who would like to be able to access it.
When
that happens, it is his hope that literally every American will have the
opportunity to experience "Wild America", a true classic in Wildlife
documentary filmmaking. Whether they are revisiting certain episodes on DVD,
researching for scientific or educational purposes or just viewing a variety of
creatures for the pure joy and fun of it, Stouffer hopes that teachers, students
and Nature lovers of every age will be thoroughly astounded – and entertained –
by their very own wild and beautiful legacy.
A healthy natural environment is crucial to the
continued survival of our Planet Earth. It
has been recently estimated that one in four Mammals alive in the World today is
now in danger of extinction. A tragedy
of this magnitude can only be prevented when people understand what is truly at
stake and then act upon that understanding. The basis of all conservation efforts must be the acquisition of
knowledge.
Ecological sustainability requires scientific
knowledge and the conscientious cooperation of society. These goals can best be accomplished through
purposeful education. This remarkable
Natural History achievement will provide a giant step in that direction and is
a must for schools and families alike.
While
broadband Internet technology is new and impressive, the interest in WildlifeProgramming
has long been definitively established. “Wild America” has been at the
forefront of that movement.
What
drives such unequivocal success? The
answer is an unending human fascination with ecology and the natural world -
and a persistent human desire to have an intimate connection with these primal
forces.
Consumers
consistently rank Wild Animals and the Great Outdoors on their list of
important topics. According to the
American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, 120 million people
visit the nation's zoos every year. Records show there are more than 70 million visits annually to our
national parks.
A
recent survey estimates that there are as many as 18 million amateur Nature
photographers in this country. The
National Wildlife Federation boasts a strong monthly magazine circulation of
1.6 million. Backpacking, kayaking,
skiing, hiking, mountain climbing, birding, fishing and hunting draw record
numbers of city dwellers back to the land. And behind much of this interest is the simple goal to observe Wildlife
and Nature.
The
advent of broadband Internet will enable people to expand on these interests
and experiences in new and unique ways. It will enable them to search for entertainment and information, and it will
allow them to use additional features not available through the mediums of
Television or Video.
The
potential reach of the “Wild America” content delivered via the Internet to
classrooms, libraries, and public institutions is vast. With well-proven visuals, which have been
entertaining and educating people for more than 40 years, it will continue to
entertain and educate well into the future.
Since
the technology is interactive, people can experience the parts of the Programs
that are most interesting to them. By letting users choose what interests them,
each experience will be different and personalized.
When
actualizedby the creation of The American Wildlife Project, universal access
will be fully allowed to the largest, most complete, Video Encyclopedia
available on the topic of North American Wildlife and Nature - all based on "Wild
America".
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