List of films

Chris Mylne made a great many films during his career, as this list demonstrates. In the large majority of cases, he performed all the main roles himself – as cameraman, sound-recordist, editor, director and producer; for many films he also wrote the script and narrated the commentary. Significant exceptions are noted in the right-hand column.

The 3rd column indicates which films are held by the Scottish Moving Image Archive (National Library of Scotland), and a link is included if it is available to view online. The 4th column indicates which films are available to view from this site, and links re-direct to the relevant page.

TitleYearCopy in SMIA?Available on this site?Made forNotes
The Isle of Foula1955/6NoNo Silent, colour
Brathay on Foula1956NoYesBrathay Expedition GroupSilent, B/W
St Kilda1957YesNoNational Trust for ScotlandSilent, colour. Shows the village before restoration, and the early Army encampment; edited by WJ MacLean
Highland Birds 1957YesNoRSPBInitial filming by George Edwards; commentary by James Fisher
Island of Birds 1958NoNoRSPBAbout Havergate Island in Suffolk
Reed Warblers 1958NoNoRSPBB/W, commentary by Philip Brown
Reserved for Birds 1958NoYesRSPBCommentary by James Fisher
Sea Bird Summer 1959NoNoRSPBCommentary by James Fisher
Foula Visit1959NoYesSilent, B/W; informal record of visit to make BBC Radio programme
Isle of Foula1959NoYesSilent, colour; extended version of the 1955/6 film
Isle of May Bird Observatory1959NoNoRSPBSilent, B/W
Garden Birds 1960NoNoRSPBCommentary by David Attenborough
Urchin of the Hedgerow1961NoNoBBC “Look” seriesOn hedgehogs
Swallows at the Mill1962NoYes (incomplete)RSPBChris was made an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society (ARPS) for this film
Ospreys Return 1962NoYesRSPB Silent, B/W; edited by PE Brown & FD Hamilton
A Waterbird’s World1962NoNoRSPBChris was made a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society (FRPS) for this film, in 1964
Birds of Strathspey1962NoNoRSPBAdditional film and commentary by Anthony Clay
St Kilda, the Lonely Islands 1967YesYesFilms of ScotlandShown on BBC1 and BBC2
Vikings of Shetland1968Yes (clip only)NoEducational Films of ScotlandAbout Up Helly Aa
Return of the Reindeer1968NoNoEducational Films of Scotland 
Stranger on the Bass1968YesYesEducational Films of ScotlandAbout a Black-browed Albatross in a gannet colony 
A Place for Wildlife 1970NoNoScottish Wildlife TrustShown on BBC Scotland; Bronze Medal, Budapest Film Festival 1971
Operation Osprey1970YesNoRSPB 
Isle of Rhum1970YesYesFilms of ScotlandSpecial Prize of the Jury, Budapest Film Festival 1971; also available for purchase on DVD from Panamint Cinema
NTS Appeal1971YesNoNational Trust for ScotlandPromotional film to attract new members
Who Cares for Scotland?1972NoNoCountryside Commission for ScotlandShown on BBC1
Open Today 1972YesNoScotland’s Garden Scheme 
A Sampling of Scotland 1973YesNoNational Trust for Scotland 
Proud Predators1973NoYes  Scottish birds of prey
Canal Boys 1974NoNo  Set on the Union Canal, Linlithgow
The Booby Prize1975NoNo Edited and produced by Chris, using film taken by Bryan Nelson, about boobies on Christmas Island
A Pride of Penguins1976YesNoFilms of ScotlandShot in 35mm. Certificate of Merit, 13th International Film Festival, Chicago
A Day on Handa1976NoNo  
Who Cares for Animals? 1976NoNoScottish SPCA 
Shetland Inspector 1977NoNoScottish SPCA 
Owls1977NoYesEducational Films of Scotland 
The Highlands for Wildlife1978YesNoScottish Wildlife Trust 
Scotland – a Heritage 1979NoYesNational Trust for ScotlandCommentary by Iain Cuthbertson; shown on BBC1
Fair Isle – the Happy Island 1979YesYes  
Wildlife of St Kilda1980YesYes  
St Kilda Story  1980NoYes Commentary by Magnus Magnusson
The Sletthallen Project 1982NoNoHans Rasmus AstrupA story of grouse estate management in Norway
The Remarkable Willow Grouse1982NoYes Shown on BBC, 1983; edited version later shown on ITV; screened at Wildscreen 84
A Caring Society1987YesYesScottish SPCA 
Thrushes1986/7N/AN/AAnglia TVNever completed
Action for Animals 1988YesNoScottish SPCA 

Note on equipment

For most of Chris’s film-making career, his principal equipment consisted of:

  • Bolex EL 16mm cine camera with Angenieux 10:1 zoom lens and Vario-Switar 18-100 Zoom, plus 2,400 foot magazines
  • Back-up Bolex H16 clockwork cine camera
  • Kilfitt 400mm and 600mm f5.6 telephoto lenses
  • Switar 10mm, 25mm, 100mm and 150mm lenses
  • Bolex tripod with Miller fluid head
  • Uher 4000 Report-L portable tape-recorder and Grampian DP4 microphone

Film was mostly Kodak Ektachrome (High Speed or Commercial) Reversal or Fuji Reversal; latterly Eastman or Fuji colour negative (High Speed).

The earliest films were edited in the Genetics Department of Edinburgh University. All his freelance films were made in a home editing suite where films were viewed, cut and spliced, and sound-tracks added.

Chris Mylne (left) editing a film at the Genetics Department, University of Edinburgh, late 1950s