Natural History, Documentary, and Underwater
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR / DIVE SUPPORT
Russell Clark is a natural history and documentary Producer & Director based in British Columbia, specializing in underwater environments and water stories. Russell is currently developing a greenlit series for CBC's The Nature of Things, and was an Assistant Producer, Director and Cinematographer on CBC's forthcoming Shared Planet, both with River Road Films. Russell won an Emmy Award for his cinematography on the Netflix series Island Of The Sea Wolves, and also a Jackson Wild Award for Tadpoles: The Big Little Migration. He is a fully certified commercial diver, highly experienced cold water diver and former Editor of DIVER magazine. Russell was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and co-lead The Great Island Expedition in 2022 documenting Canada's submerged WWII wrecks. For the last fourteen years he has made it his goal to introduce more people to the wonders of Canada's underwater world through storytelling.
In Development
(coming 2026)
Development Writer
3 part natural history series for CBC/PBS/Arté
Island of
the Sea Wolves
Shooter / AC / Dive Ops
4 Emmy Awards - 3 part natural history series for Netflix
Shared Planet
(coming 2025)
AP / Director / Shooter
4 part natural history series
for CBC/PBS/Arté
Secrets of
the Octopus
Dive Ops
3 part natural history series for Disney+ and Nat Geo
Tadpoles: The Big
Little Migration
Writer / Director / Editor
Jackson Wild Award winning
short wildlife minimentary
Call of the
Coastal Wolves
Writer / Director / Editor
Award winning short wildlife minimentary
In Development
(coming 2026)
Writer / Director
Short wildlife minimentary,
currently in production
Islands: Natures
Wild Laboratories
AC / Dive Ops
Multi part natural history
series for SkyTV
Seaproof.tv
For over a decade Russell has operated a successful small scale production company focussing on ocean related organizations and businesses. It has specialized in producing underwater video for the scuba industry, tourism, competitive freediving, education and entertainment avenues - from concept to full delivery. It has also produced award winning short documentary films; Tadpoles: The Big Little Migration, Call of the Coastal Wolves, Exploring Bell Island, and the Great Bear Swim.
Diving Operations
Russell is a certified commercial diver, holding the DCBC level of Occupational Scuba. He works as a safety diver, surface supervisor and general dive operations and production management, as well as underwater camera operator and AC. He is also a PADI Divemaster, and an experienced cold water diver. In fact, he favours a drysuit over a wetsuit. Weirdo.
RCGS
Russell was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society following the success of the minimentary Exploring Bell Island, and his work in promoting British Columbia’s underwater environment. Russell was Expedition co-leader (along with Jill Heinerth) of The Great Island Expedition, a flag-carrying expedition supported by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, uncovering a sunken 1942 Liberator bomber that made international news, and documenting WWII shipwrecks around the coast of Newfoundland. Russell continues to serve the RCGS's mandate of "Making Canada better known.'"
DIVER magazine
DIVER was a glossy newsstand magazine that I was Editor of for 8 years. I was also Staff Writer and Art Director for 12 years. Founded in 1974, DIVER was North America's longest established scuba diving publication, until its closure in the Fall of 2023, after the passing of Publisher and ocean legend Phil Nuytten. Though magazine covered exploration, adventure and underwater wildlife content from all around the world. International contributors included Jill Heinerth, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Brandon Cole, Michael Menduno, and Nathalie Gibb.
Publishing
Prior to natural history Russell had a very successful career in publishing based in London, England. Starting on newspapers then moving into print magazines, before pioneering digital and iPad magazines - Russell was an Art Director working across all mediums; print, digital, video, interactive and UI design, and brand art direction for multiple titles. He had an iTunes number 1 app, an Adobe Max Award for a project with David Attenborough, multiple other awards, talks and university lectures, publications, and lots of beer. He also launched Earth Periodical - the world's first exploration and conservation magazine on the iPad.
Photography
Though he's also been mildly obsessed with movies, Russell has had a digital camera in hand since 2000 (1 mega pixel!), and before that film. He had been published in tons of magazines and websites, including front covers and feature articles. He won the Top 100 Art Prize in London in 2008, and has work displayed in the Jealous Gallery, Christies, and galleries across France, Canada and England. Russell's love for photography continued underwater after his move to Canada, where he focuses on extraordinary submerged environments. He also has a very trendy street photography camera.
