Highlights:
- It’s fair to say David Attenborough is the world’s OG content creator.
- Sir David Attenborough has captured millions of hearts and imaginations around the world with his TV shows and documentaries that explore the majesty of our planet.
- He is known for his captivating storytelling alongside stunning nature visuals.
Introduction
Over the course of his expansive career as a biologist, natural historian, and writer, Sir David Frederick Attenborough has become an international treasure. Born in Middlesex, England, in 1926, he began his career at the BBC, where he put his background as a natural historian to good use by presenting the TV show Zoo Quest in 1954. Since then, he’s gone on to host the most ground-breaking nature documentaries of our time, including Natural World, The Blue Planet, and A Life on Our Planet. He’s won dozens of awards and prizes, including The Culture Show’s British Icon Award and the Champion of the Earth award from the United Nations Environment Programme.
He was knighted in 1985 and has around twenty different species named after him, including Microleo Attenborough, a miniature marsupial lion, and Platysaurus Attenborough, a Namibian lizard.
However, perhaps the most awe-inspiring thing about Sir David Attenborough is his universal popularity. His soothing voice, alongside jaw-dropping cinematography, continues to mesmerize millions, and at the grand age of 98, he’s still capturing hearts, minds, and imaginations all over the world.
Here at Motion Array, we see Sir David as the original—and one of the world’s best—content creators. In this blog post, we share how he’s created a content blueprint by weaving narrative storytelling, stunning visuals, and compelling narration together to create content people can’t stop watching.
His signature voice
“Here, on the rugged cliffs of the northern coast, lies a sanctuary for one of the most charming and iconic seabirds of the Atlantic: the puffin.”
There’s no greater comfort than the familiar, raspy voice of David Attenborough. It’s proven that familiar voices connect better with audiences, which is why the David Attenborough AI voice is cropping up over millions of videos online.
David Attenborough’s voice connects with viewers on an emotional level. He shares his story in a concise and compelling way that drives his message forward and makes us want to keep watching until the very end — making a scene as simple as a colony of puffins seem utterly enchanting.
People connect with stories
Stories foster connection, and David Attenborough championed this decades before TikTok was a thing. His passion for his subject matter shines through everything he does, whether it’s a TV show, documentary, or feature film.
“The natural world is the greatest source of excitement,” David says. “It is also the greatest source of visual beauty and intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.”
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Making the whole video a call to action
“The truth is: the natural world is changing,” David says. “And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water, and air. It is our most precious thing, and we need to defend it.”
This message underlines everything David communicates in his videos. His content can be viewed as one giant advertisement for protecting and advocating for our planet, and it makes his videos all the more powerful as they hold such a strong and important message.
Key takeaway: Attenborough aims to educate and inspire. His documentaries showcase the beauty of the natural world and raise awareness about environmental issues.
Advocacy for nature and the planet
Attenborough’s passion for the planet shines through everything he does. “I just wish the world was twice as big and half of it was still unexplored,” he once said. He’s dedicated his life to advocating for our planet, stating: “If we have not taken dramatic action within the next decade, we could face irreversible damage to the natural world and the collapse of our societies.” In 2021, he attended COP26 as the People’s Advocate, where he urged world leaders to reduce carbon emissions.
“Ultimately, the emergency climate comes down to a single number — the concentration of carbon in our atmosphere,” he said. “The changes in that one number is the clearest way to chart our own story, for it defines our relationship with our world.”
The urgency of his message rings through all of David Attenborough’s documentaries and TV shows, engaging his audience and motivating them to do their bit to protect our planet.
Key takeaway: Attenborough’s documentaries all have a powerful message —find your own message and ensure it shines clearly throughout your content.
Wrapping up
With every David Attenborough documentary and TV show, he aims to educate and inspire. His shows demonstrate the beauty of the natural world while raising awareness about environmental issues and the need for conservation. His infamous, instantly recognizable David Attenborough voice brings calm to anyone who hears it, and his commitment to capturing world-class cinematography has permanently changed the world of nature documentation, making him the world’s first (and best) content creator.
Remember to check out Motion Array for all the footage, photos, music, and more you need to bring your own stories to life.
