Hidden Wild

Hidden Wild (2020) is a broadcast special produced by Day’s Edge Productions for South Florida PBS and NRS.

My roles: Writer • Editor • Sound Designer • Colorist • Animator

Behind the homes and freeways of suburban Palm Beach County, an incredible network of swamps, scrub, and waterways lies waiting to be discovered. Hidden Wild follows science educator Alex Freeze as she leads three South Florida students on an expedition through the wilderness hidden in their own backyards. Join Noah, Kiana, and Kourtez as they paddle down the Wild & Scenic Loxahatchee River, wade through ancient cypress swamps, and witness the life-giving power of fire in Florida scrub. It’s a tough journey, filled with mosquito bites and sore feet, but along the way, these students will discover a passion for Florida’s wildlands. 

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01. Kourtez, Alex, Noah, and Kiana (left to right) paddle down the Loxahatchee River. 
02. Setting up camp.
03. The sun rises over a pine flatwood, silhouetting palmetto in the understory.

Palm Beach County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management and tourism office came together to fund this neat little adventure film. Principal photography took place before I joined the Day’s Edge team, but I did most of the post-production work the summer I got hired.

This was my first time editing a project I hadn’t shot, and it was a great learning experience. Sound design was easily my favorite part — with so many water activities in the film, I had a lot of room to play. 

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04. The crew splashes through a cypress swamp on Day 2 of the expedition.
05. Noah takes a closer look at a two-toed amphiuma captured by Mark Cook. 
06. A Florida scrub jay observes the crew from its perch.

If we could do it again, I would try to write this film without a narrator. Narration can be a powerful tool to keep the story going, but I think we might have leaned into it a little too hard in this one.

  • Nate Dappen

    Producer • DP

  • Neil Losin

    Producer • DP

  • David Hutchinson

    Writer • Editor

  • Benjamin Studt

    Executive Producer

  • Sergio Piedra

    Executive Producer

  • Kori Price

    Production Manager

  • David Herasimtschuk

    Underwater Camera

  • Ben Herdon

    Still Photography

  • New West Studios

    Original Score

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