Beach House hires Claire Clements to lead Asia Pacific-focused wildlife unit

Claire Clements

Blue Ant Media’s Singapore-based production outfit Beach House Pictures (BHP) is launching an Asia Pacific-focused natural history and wildlife unit, to be led by director Claire Clements.

The new division will focus on increasing BHP’s slate of natural history specials and series, focused predominantly on Asian Pacific animals. It will also tap BHP’s capability in financing development and co-productions.

Clements is a former zoologist who has worked with BHP for a decade, directing shows including Uptown Otters for Love Nature and Netflix special Wild City Forest Life. She reports into Beach House creative director Donovan Chan and the prodco’s MD Jocelyn Little.

“When it comes to showcasing more diverse stories and storytellers from the Asia-Pacific region, we are really only at the beginning of a new and exciting wave,” said Chan, echoing comments made to TBI last year. “A lot more can be done to grow the opportunities for local filmmakers and reveal the stories of the amazing lives of animals here.”

Clements, who has been named head of wild at BHP, added: “I feel so grateful that the next evolution of my career will be to establish Beach House Pictures’ Natural History unit as a best-in-class, blue-chip producer of wildlife documentaries.

“I am very passionate about increasing diversity and training up new talent within the industry. For Uptown Otters, I assembled a predominantly local female crew and I want to do more of the telling stories of unique, diverse animals with diverse talent both behind and in-front of the camera.”

BHP has been expanding rapidly over recent years, including launching factual firm RIverland in India with former Netflix exec Raghav Khanna, acquiring Japanese firm Vesuvius Pictures and bolstering its operations in China.