Pliosaurus - The Discovery of a Monster

“A solid documentary that sheds light on a totally unique and captivating story…”

Explore the story of how Attenborough's Giant Sea monster made it from cliff face to public display.

When it comes to our Documentary category, the bar is typically very high with a mix of various topics. Which us why we were pleasantly surprised to discover a film revolved around the discovery of a Pliosaurus fossil, as it’s not exactly common. Although there’s good reason for that, finding the skull of a Sea Monster from the Jurassic period 10 meters up a cliff isn’t something you find everyday. Which is why this film is so important as it educates viewers on something they likely have no awareness about.

The film takes its time to capture the whole journey from discovery, extraction and rebuilding which took an incredible amount of patience and planning. This is a truly inspiring story that will amaze viewers with the level of commitment from the team involved.

Filmmaker Ash Hall handled the film by himself from start to finish which is a feat in itself as there was a lot of material to cover and keep the viewer engaged. It’s also worth noting that the location of the fossil made filming a particularly challenging exercise along with the extraction itself. But you wouldn’t notice, it all flows together well with some excellent cinematography.

If budget allowed, the film could do with another round of post-production to make general improvements to raise the overall production quality, however Hall did a fantastic job and should be very proud of the end result.

Presenter and geologist Emma Cieslak-Jones really stood out and was the perfect choice to narrate the film. Jones has a natural and simple approach to telling the story, making it easy to understand for the viewer whilst at the same time showcasing the skill involved from the team. In fact everyone in the film presented well and provided a solid narrative to work from.

The editing for the film was a big undertaking as not only was their a lot of material to work with but it was shot over a long period, making it challenging to keep on top of the story as it continued to evolve. Hall made full use of the time and packed it with the best moments. The run time works at just over the 30 minute mark, any longer and it would have required new faces to help tell the story.

This film is an incredible insight into the world of fossils and what goes into extracting a find like this, hopefully making you wonder about other specimens you see in a museum and how they got there. Overall this is a solid documentary that sheds light on a totally unique and captivating story, showcasing the immense talent and problem solving from a group of dedicated individuals…

— APEX Film Awards