Our world is facing many challenges. But if you look a little closer, there’s much to be inspired by.
Inspired Planet Productions, located on the beautiful Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula in Ontario, Canada, is run by Producer Yvonne Drebert and Director/Cinematographer Zach Melnick. The husband-and-wife team have co-created more than 40 hours of nature and history documentary together over the past 20 years, including The Land Between (2012) and A Desert Between Us & Them (2013) and The Bruce (2018), all of which were broadcast on TVO. In 2014, the pair embarked on an epic journey throughout Canada that would become the 17×1 hour documentary series, Striking Balance, produced by TVO and the Knowledge Network and narrated by Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy. In 2021, Striking Balance was nominated for the Canadian Screen Award’s Rob Stewart Award for Best Science or Nature Documentary Program or Series.
In 2022, in response to the heartbreaking decline of freshwater ecosystems globally, we decided to shift our focus beneath the surface. We have partnered with Boxfish Research in New Zealand to bring Luna, the world’s most advanced underwater drone (or remotely operated underwater vehicle) to Canada for the first time. We are launching a series of exciting projects that will use this technology to film rarely seen underwater wildlife, to inspire the public, deepen scientific understanding, and inform decision makers, with the goal of protecting and restoring the freshwaters we all depend on. Stay tuned!
Key members of the Inspired Planet team:
Kyle Melnick, a data analytics wiz who is also a gifted producer and cameraperson, capable of overcoming just about any problem quickly and ethically.
Simon Wood is the musical brains behind Inspired Planet, and his tireless dedication to his craft adds a remarkable level of emotion and wonder to our work.
Alec Bell started working at Inspired Planet as a student and has progressed from an assistant editor to a director of photography, editor and most recently, colourist, who makes sure our finished products look fantastic.
Ann Tipper is the cinematographer we call upon a the project demands images that are nothing short of magical, and she delivers every time.
Anthony Grani is an amazing producer and director who has been instrumental to our most successful projects, including A Desert Between Us & Them, The Bruce, and Striking Balance.
