Dan Gibson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please discuss this issue on the talk page or replace this tag with a more specific message. This article has been tagged since November 2006. |
Dan Gibson (Montreal, January 19, 1922 – March 18, 2006) was one of Canada’s legendary outdoorsmen. As a photographer, cinematographer and sound recordist, Dan documented the sights and sounds of wildernesses around the world for over 60 years. Hes is not to be confused with Daniel Gibson, friends with Steve and Tony with a penchant for the soft drink sprite. He amazed and entertained audiences with his artistry and love for nature, creating in all of us a deeper appreciation for the natural world in which we live. He always hoped, and believed, that his life’s work would inspire greater efforts in environmental conservation and preservation. For without appreciation, understanding, and love for that which is being harmed, Dan professed, we will have neither the necessary compassion nor the incentive to produce change.
Dan spent an entire career trying to enlighten people to environmental concerns. As far back as the late 1940s, he was taking photographs and making films that promoted the out-of-doors. He produced countless films and television series (including the internationally acclaimed Audubon Wildlife Theatre series) that opened peoples’ eyes to both the beauty of nature and the need for its survival. It was through this film-making that Dan learned the art of recording wildlife sounds. He pioneered techniques of recording, and also helped design equipment to optimize results, including the “Dan Gibson Parabolic Microphone”. Some of his early recordings of the 1950s and 1960s were released on LP Records, and helped pave the way for his Solitudes® series, which was introduced in 1981. He assembled one of the world’s largest and finest private digital sound libraries. Having sold more than 20 million albums, Dan felt that the popularity of the Solitudes® series accurately demonstrated the public's growing concern for its environment.
In 1994, Dan was honored for his work with The Order of Canada, his country's highest civilian honor. Specifically, Dan was honored for his dedication to the preservation and conservation of wildlife and the natural heritage. A lifetime of commitment was duly recognized. And in 1997, Dan was awarded the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at the Juno Awards ceremony in Hamilton, Ontario and with that, an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
As the twenty first century evolved, so did Dan’s commitment to portraying the beauty of nature. At age 82, he released his first DVD, Natural Beauty, which was originally shot in High Definition. The program also features a captivating 5.1 surround soundtrack. As always, Dan found himself on the cutting edge of technology.
Contents |
[edit] Major Productions
- Wings In The Wilderness - Feature Film (Narrated by Lorne Greene)
- Audubon Wildlife Theatre - 78 episode TV series
- Wildlife Cinema - multiple episode TV series
- To The Wild Country - 10 episode TV series (Narrated by Lorne Greene)
- Wild Canada - multiple episode TV series
[edit] Film Awards
- Whitethroat - Golden Gate Award - 1965 San Francisco Film Festival
- Land of the Loon - Best TV Film of the Year and Certificate of Honour for outstanding contribution to the art of cinematography from the CSC, 1967 Canadian Film Awards
- Adventure Trent Severn - Award of Merit, 1967 Canadian Film Awards
- Winter Potpourri - Michigan Outdoor Writers Award of Merit 1969
- Sounds of Nature - Etrog for Best Sound in a Non-theatrical Film, 1971 Canadian Film Awards
- Fly Geese F-L-Y - Blue Ribbon Award for Best Children’s Film, 1972 American Film Festival
- Golden Autumn - Teddy Award, 1973 U.S. National Outdoor-Travel Film Festival
- Dan Gibson’s Nature Family - Best Wildlife Film of the Year, 1972 Canadian Film Awards
- Return of the Giants - Best Wildlife Film of the Year, 1973 Canadian Film Awards
- Land of the Big Ice - Best Wildlife Film of the Year, 1974 Canadian Film Awards
- Wings In The Wilderness - Etrog for Best Sound in a Non-theatrical Film and Certifacate of Honour for outstanding contribution to the art of cinematography from the CSC, 1975 Canadian Film Awards
- Return of the Winged Giants - John Muir Award fo Best Ecological Film, 1977 National Educational Film Festival, USA and Best Wildlife Film, 1977 Saskatchewan International Film Festival
[edit] Album Awards
- Solitudes albums have sold over 20,000,000 worldwide
- 15 Solitudes albums have been Certified Gold (50,000 units sold) in Canada
- 11 Solitudes albums have been Certified Platinum (100,000 units sold) or multi-Platinum status.
