Biography.
After graduating in Zoology Alastair MacEwen made his first 'commercial' film while still a student at the London Film School. This kick-started his career by winning an International Festival and led to the formation of a company, London Scientific Films. Starting out as a director/writer his first three films won Best of Festival at the International Scientific Film Association Festival, Gold Award at the British Medical Association Festival and the Times Newcomers Award at the British Industrial Film Association. These early successes established London Scientific Films as a credible industrial documentary production company.
The company specialised in making commercial documentaries but quite quickly came to the attention of the BBC. During its existence LSF contributed to many BBC science and natural history programmes took a keen interest in developing innovative optical and electronic systems. In the early 80's the company was developing some of the earliest motion control time lapse rigs.
In 1986 Alastair MacEwen gave up his directorship of LSF to move out of London with a young family. He continue to work as a freelance cameraman and film maker. He spent some time working with Survival Anglia, followed by a very productive spell at Partridge Films. It was during this time that he met Hugo Van Lawick and worked on a number of films over a six year period while based in Hugo's camp at Ndutu in the Serengeti.
Subsequently he has been based in the West country near Bristol. Most of his work has been for the BBC Natural History Unit and for National Geographic TV.
