JOHN STAINTON
Australian director John Stainton's main claim to fame is the successful
docu/comedy The Crocodile Hunter, but he did pass his time in the shadows of
the film industry. A sort of Jack-of-all-trades, Stainton started his career
working on a variety of genres creating documentaries, variety programs,
comedy series, specials, chat shows and commercials, displaying his
versatile talent. In 1976, he won the country's prestigious Penguin Award
for Best Documentary for his Sahara desert-based film Journey to a Legend.
By the mid-1980s, Stainton and his colleague Judi Bailey formed The Best
Picture Show Company, producing commercial ad work. Five years
later, while on a shoot for a local brand of beer at the Queensland Reptile
and Fauna Park where his friend, Steve Irwin worked, he was struck by the
on-screen potential of the wildlife park owner.
In 1992, Stainton launched Steve and Terri Irwin onto Australian television
with an ambitious and groundbreaking documentary called The Crocodile
Hunter. The documentary proved so successful that they decided to make a
series out of it. Years later, the series was still a hit viewed by
millions all over the world. Stainton expanded the show into a second
series, Croc Files, which earned an Emmy nomination. In 2002, Stainton
released his feature directing debut: The Crocodile Hunter: Collision
Course.
Filmography:
The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (2002)