Ice Alive, the documentary following Joseph Cook as he takes a closer look at the microbial life that can be found all over the planet's glaciers and ice sheets. It is increasingly clear that this rich ecosystem affects the melt rates of polar ice and snow and could be accelerating climate change.

A complex VFX shot was required to marry together the live drone footage and microscopic life hidden in the glacier. Gecko created a number of effects elements to allow the camera to fly down from above into one of the cryo-konite holes. Plunging into the water below the camera sinks down until its viewing objects only a few micrometers in diameter. The end results settles on scanning electron microscope imagery.

Director
Eddie Frost

Narrator
Jim Al-Khalili

Editor
Ben Millner

Visual Effects
Gecko Animation Ltd.

Dubbing Mixer
Simon Couzens

Camera and Drone
Jeffrey Garriock

Additional Camera
Rick Horsfall
Joseph Cook
Marc Rovira

Executive Producer
Michael Proudfoot

Producer
Simon Richardson

Production Manager
Gemma Chapman

Production Coordinator
Marion Marot

Additional Research
Daphne Boulicault

Thanks to
Chris Hadfield
Joseph Cook
Andrew Tedstone
Andy Hodson
Arwen Edwards
Tom Davy
Jenine McCutcheon
Archana Dayal

A Proudfoot TV production

Ice Alive Documentary