James Honeyborne

James Honeyborne is the creative director of Freeborne Media, he previously worked as an executive producer at the BBC Natural History Unit where he oversaw some 35 films, working with multiple co-producers around the world. His projects include the Emmy Award and BAFTA-winning series Blue Planet II, the Emmy Award-nominated series Wild New Zealand with National Geographic (U.S. TV channel), and the BAFTA-winning BBC1 series Big Blue Live with PBS.

Honeyborne conceived Blue Planet II in 2013. It was first broadcast on BBC1 in October 2017.

He spent five years on attachment to John Downer Productions, co-directing the series Supernatural and Weird Nature, before returning to the BBC to make Wildlife on One documentaries with David Attenborough and to work on the strand Natural World (co-produced by Animal Planet and National Geographic Channel).

A keen scuba diver and photographer, he has also made a series of documentaries with world champion freediver Tanya Streeter.

From 2009 to 2013, he was series producer for Africa the BBC TV series which aired in 2013. In 2019, he signed an overall deal with Netflix.

Early life Honeyborne attended Ampleforth College and studied biology at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He graduated in 1992 and joined the BBC Natural History Unit in the same year.

Filmography

Executive producer Blue Planet II (BBC1 2017)

Mountain: Life at the Extreme (BBC2 2017) – delivered

Wild Alaska Live (BBC1 2017) – Development Exec / Business Winning Exec

New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands (BBC2 2016) Nominated Best Cinematography, Royal Television Society Craft Awards Nominated Outstanding Narrator, EMMY – Sam Neill Nominated Best Natural History Documentary, Grierson Awards Patagonia: Earth's Secret Paradise (BBC2 2015)

Big Blue Live (BBC1 2015): Winner, BAFTA TV Awards, Best Live Event Nominated Best Science & Natural History Documentary, Royal Television Society Programme Awards Nominated, Technical Innovation, Wildscreen Japan: Earth's Enchanted Islands (BBC2 2015): Nominated Best Science & Natural History Documentary, Royal Television Society Programme Awards Nominated Best Grading, Royal Television Society Regional Awards, West of England Winner, Award for Excellence, Guild of TV Cameramen Alaska: Earth's Frozen Kingdom (BBC2 2015): Nominated Best Cinematography, Royal Television Society Regional Awards, West of England Wonders of the Monsoon (BBC2 2014): Winner, Best Composer, Royal Television Society Regional Awards, West of England Nominated Best Cinematography, Royal Television Society Regional Awards, West of England Nominated Best Sound, Royal Television Society Regional Awards, West of England Winner, Award for Excellence, Guild of Television Cameramen Nominated Best Composer, Jackson Hole Nominated Best Cinematography, Wildscreen Autumnwatch (BBC2 2014):

24 Hours on Earth (BBC1 2014): Nominated Best Sound, Royal television Society Regional Awards, West of England

Series producer Africa (BBC1 2013): Nominated, Best TV Series, Freesat Awards Winner, Best Series Wild Talk Africa Winner, Cinematography, Wild Talk Africa Nominated, Music, Wild Talk Africa Winner, Best Film, Green Screen Awards Winner, Best Post-production, Green Screen Awards Winner, Best Animal Behaviour, Jackson Hole Nominated, Conservation Hero, Jackson Hole Winner, Best Limited Series, Jackson Hole Nominated, Marian Zunz Newcomer, Jackson Hole Nominated, Best Cinematography, Jackson Hole Nominated, Best Editing, Jackson Hole Winner, Best Documentary, Prix Italia Bronze Award, APG Creative Strategy Awards Nominated, Best photography, RTS Craft Awards Winner, Grand Prize for Documentary (Nature and Environment), International Gold Panda Awards, Sichuan TV Festival Winner, Best Long Documentary (Nature and Environment), International Gold Panda Awards, Sichuan TV Festival Winner Best Wildlife Film, New York Film Festival Winner, Best in Festival, New York Wild Film Festival Winner, Cinematography, Royal Television Society Regional Awards, West of England Winner, Music, Royal Television Society Regional Awards, West of England Winner, Best Science and Natural History Documentary, Royal Television Society Programme Awards Nominated, Photography: Factual, British Academy Television Craft Awards Nominated, Sound: Factual, British Academy Television Craft Awards Guild of Television Camera Award for Excellence Winner, Best Specialist Factual, Televisual Bulldog Awards Winner, Best Cinematography, Televisual Bulldog Awards

Feature Director Meerkats the Movie (2007) Winner, Grand Prix Earth, Tokyo International Film Festival Best of Festival, Wild Talk Africa Film Festival Winner, Best Editing, Wild Talk Africa Film Festival Winner, Best Sound Design, Wild Talk Africa Film Festival Nomination, Best Music, Wild Talk Africa Film Festival Nomination, Best Script, Wild Talk Africa Film Festival Winner, The Silver Teton, Jackson Hole Nomination, Best Theatrical, Jackson Hole

TV producer Natural World (BBC2 2006) - Buddha, Bees and the Giant Hornet Queen Winner Best Programme (over $500,000), IWFF Missoula Nominations for cinematography, animal behaviour and music, IWFF Missoula. Winner, Best People and Nature Award, Japan Wildlife Film Festival Nomination, Animal Behaviour, Jackson Hole Winner, Special Jury Prize, Festival de l'Oiseau Nomination, Parthenon Entertainment Award for Innovation, Wildscreen Festival Nomination, News & Documentary EMMY for outstanding individual achievement in a craft, cinematography Dive Galapagos (BBC2 2005) Winner, Best Presenter, IWFF Missoula Winner, World Underwater Festival, Antibes Diving with Whales (BBC2 2005) Nomination, News & Documentary EMMY for outstanding individual achievement in a craft, cinematography Wildlife On One (David Attenborough): Dragonfly (BBC1 2004) Nomination at Japan Wildlife Film Festival Winner at Festival International du Film Ornithologique de Ménigoute Nomination, Best Editing, Wildscreen Nomination, Editing, Broadcast Young Talent Award Peregrine (BBC1 2004) Nomination at the European Nature Film Festival, Valvert Winner Best animal behaviour: International Festival de l'Oiseau Winner Grand Prix du Festival: Festival International du Film Ornithologique de Ménigout Pelican (BBC1 2001) Winner Grand Prix du Festival: International Festival de l'Oiseau Nomination, Best Cinematography, Jackson Hole

John Downer Productions Weird Nature (BBC1 2002) Winner RTS Award for Picture enhancement and also Design and Craft Innovation Winner best animal behaviour and winner best TV series, IWFF Missoula Also 4 craft merit awards EMMY nominations in Cinematography and Best Direction Winner Most innovative documentary award and winner Best Nature documentary award, Shanghai Film Festival Supernatural (BBC1 1999) Winner RTS Craft Award for Design and Craft Innovation