“A great guide and camera car driver who understands and anticipates where you need to be when you are filming.”
Working seamlessly with cinematographers, I rely on my expert reading of animal behaviour to predict movement before it happens. By positioning the vehicle precisely where the action will unfold, I let camera operators stay focused on framing and capturing the exact brief.
I'm a specialist wildlife camera car driver and GSS gimbal driver based in Nairobi, Kenya, working mostly with British and American blue-chip natural history productions across the Mara and beyond. Over the years I've moved from driving into rigging and technical support: building long lens platforms, mounting GSS heads on jibs, solving power in the field, and designing one-off rigs to get shots that couldn't be done any other way. I now work as a wildlife camera car driver, gimbal driver and camera assistant in one.
I've worked hands-on with a wide range of stabilised systems, including the GSS gimbal and GSS Mini, Shotover M1, Cineflex, DJI Ronin, Black Arm and GripTech vibration arms, and the Fox Panther jib, across tracking vehicles and handheld rigs, from mounting and balancing through to power, servicing and troubleshooting on location.
I'm a FGASA-qualified field and trails guide with a deep read on animal behaviour, which means I can see what's about to happen and have the vehicle and rig ready before it does. Most of my recent credits are for BBC, ITV and Sky Nature productions, so I'm well used to working with UK crews and UK production standards.
Areas I work in: Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu, Laikipia, Tsavo and the wider Serengeti ecosystem in Kenya and Tanzania, plus Zambia.
I drive long lens vehicles, front-mounted gimbal trucks, jib-mounted trucks, and night thermal and IR lighting trucks — the natural history tracking vehicles this kind of filming depends on. My gimbal and jib tracking runs sit between 10 and 40 km/h, plus general 4x4 work over rough terrain and wet ground. I keep it calm, smooth and predictable, so the operator gets a stable platform and no surprises.
I handle GSS and Shotover mounting, jib rigging and counterbalance, vibration isolation, long lens platform design and build, and field power systems.
I work with SLX Merlin and Superhawk thermal cameras, FLIR thermal, and Sony A7 IR conversions for night sequences.
Probe lens setups, hidden and pole cameras, sliders, on-location modifications and camera prep.
I scout locations, access, light and animal movement before the crew lands, so the first shoot day is a shoot day. It saves a production time and money on the ground, and I can take a director or DP out on the recce itself.
I'm a FGASA-qualified Field and Trails Guide, and I guide privately across Kenya for individuals, families and photographers. More below.
Phone clips from location: rigging, servicing, and what my vehicle gets crews in front of.
Shots I needed to build, power or rethink on location.
The brief was to be on the trunk as the troop went up and came down. I built a camera into a section of palm trunk, strapped it to the tree with Vim Vorster, and left it for the baboons to find. This is what came back.
An immersive shot of an elephant drinking meant getting the lens where the trunk goes. I sank a GoPro into the sand of a dry riverbed water hole, hid the housing, and let the elephants do the rest.
I'm the guide BBC and Nat Geo crews use, available for a day or a week with just you.
I read animal behaviour for a living. On a private safari that means being in position before it happens, not arriving with the radio on. I'm a FGASA-qualified Field and Trails Guide, based in Nairobi, and I guide across Kenya — the Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu and beyond — for photographers, families and anyone who wants it without the convoy of vehicles.
Enquire about a safari
I position and drive vehicles built for filming wildlife — long lens vehicles, gimbal-mounted trucks and jib-mounted trucks — so the camera operator can stay focused on the shot while I read the animal's behaviour and keep the vehicle exactly where the action is about to happen.
Yes. My vehicle is a Toyota Land Cruiser fitted with custom camera mounts.
My main rig is a 150mm long lens setup on a custom side mount, sometimes called a filming balcony — a 150mm bowl mount that can house lenses up to a Canon CN30. I also work with front-mounted and jib-mounted gimbal trucks, so the mount depends on what the production needs.
Yes to both. I scout access, light and animal movement ahead of a production landing, and I can take a director or DP out on the recce itself. I also work in remote locations, anywhere in Africa or worldwide.
Yes, I'm available for international travel outside Africa.
I hold a Kenyan passport. Any visas required for international travel need to be applied for by the production.
I hold WIBA (Work Injury Benefits Act) insurance, and productions usually provide their own cover as well.
It depends on availability. I'd recommend getting in touch early to avoid disappointment, as bookings are first come, first served.
I don't supply the gimbal itself — that's usually provided by the production or gimbal operator. I do drive and rig it to the vehicle, and I've worked hands-on with the GSS gimbal and GSS Mini, Shotover M1, Cineflex and DJI Ronin, including mounting, balancing, power and servicing in the field.
Yes, I have a lot of experience with night filming as well as daytime work.
Yes, I regularly work alongside drone teams on the same shoot.
Yes. I can help with camera prep, mainly around rigging on the vehicle to make sure everything runs smoothly out in the field.
Yes, most of my recent credits are for British broadcasters, including the BBC, ITV and Sky Nature, so I'm well used to UK crews and UK production standards. I also work with Nat Geo and Disney+ productions from the US.
Yes. I can offer the full package or just what's required — get in touch to discuss your requirements.
Up to 13 people.
I'm based in Nairobi and work across Kenya and Tanzania, including the Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu, Laikipia, Tsavo and the wider Serengeti ecosystem, as well as Zambia.
I'm fluent in English, Swahili and Luo.
Yes, I'm a FGASA Field and Trails Guide.
He worked with long lens, GSS and drone teams over three years and became an integral part of our series success. Wickliffe's instinct to position the crew and vehicle in the best place, for behaviour and light, was key, as was his patience and eager eyes to spot the next opportunity.
Full quote
Wickliffe was one of our fantastic film drivers throughout the Lion production period, working on multiple shoots in the Mara Triangle and the Mara Reserve over 3 years. He approached every shoot with each of our cinematographers with a professional attitude, full of enthusiasm and brimming with fantastic knowledge of the area, wildlife and birds. He worked with Long Lens, GSS and Drone teams, and became an integral part of our series success. As a film driver, Wickliffe's instinct to position the crew and vehicle in the best place, for behaviour and light, was key, as was his patience and eager eyes to spot the next opportunity. Wickliffe's respect for the wildlife, park rules and local cultures meant he kept each shoot on track without concerns. He was always keen for feedback from directors or cinematographers, eager to watch rushes, and learn about kit and rigging to improve chances of shooting great material. He's organised, practical, proactive and strong! Able to build kit with crew, or create shelters in sudden rainstorms to protect kit! Wickliffe was a genuinely positive person on the team and I would recommend him for any future work.
I thoroughly recommend Wickliffe. He is a great guide and camera car driver who understands and anticipates where you need to be when you are filming, and he's a great person to spend long hours in the field with too.
It was a pleasure to film with Wickliffe on the BBC's Planet Earth III. He is an incredibly skilled and knowledgeable expert guide and driver and great company when spending hours, days and weeks together in a vehicle. I would thoroughly recommend him for his professionalism, natural history knowledge and fun personality.
Throughout the filming of Lion I had the privilege of working closely with Wickliffe. He was a key member of our film driver team, providing quality film driving, guiding and the exceptional field experience that was key to our success. In addition to his long lens driving, Wickliffe showed a keen interest in developing gimbal tech support and driving too. He is highly dedicated to his craft, ethically focused when working with wildlife and on a personal level, a pleasure to work with in the field.
Not only was he an excellent specialist filming driver who kept our crew safe, but he also worked as my 1st AC. He was exceptionally reliable, safety-conscious and calm under pressure, while also being technically capable, resourceful and incredibly willing to take on whatever the production demanded.
Over the years that I've worked with Wickliffe I've come to rely on him as a truly knowledgeable guide and collaborative specialist driver. He's passionate about animal behaviour and a lot of fun to spend time with. He understands the dynamics of the team and is instrumental in getting the best out of the time we have. His ability to camera assist and knowledge of kit is also extremely useful.
I worked with Wickliffe on his first film shoot. It was clear from the start that he had a detailed knowledge of flora and fauna, and he was quick to learn what was required working with a wildlife film crew. He has since built on this experience to offer brilliant technical support, earning him a first class reputation in the industry, which he fully deserves. His vehicle is very comfortable and can be adapted to suit your filming needs. I highly recommend!
Based in Nairobi. Available for travel, long shoots and remote locations across East Africa and Zambia.
Filming, a recce or a private safari — I'm happy to hear from you. WhatsApp is fastest when I'm on location, or send the details below.