Private Project

SLOW: Toad Patrol

SLOW: Toad Patrol is a thoughtful, inspiring and uplifting film about backyard conservation, the impact it has and what it takes to be a volunteer who dedicates several months each year to save thousands of toads lives.

  • Chris suddaby
    Director
  • Ernesta Gempler
    Producer
  • Angelina Jones
    Key Cast
  • John Sumpter OBE
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Nature, Human Interest, Wildlife Conservation
  • Runtime:
    31 minutes 14 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 9, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    200 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Sony Alpha A77 SLT
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Chris suddaby

I have spent the last decade as a Visual Effects Artist and Editor, working on many well-known Hollywood feature films. I decided that I was spending too much time in the studio, and that I was itching to get out and behind the camera. So with my lifelong interest in documentary film and my fiancée, we went out armed with our Sony A77 SLT camera and filmed what was originally going to be a micro-documentary about this fantastic local volunteer effort. It evolved into 8 hours of footage and a passion for getting the message out about this wonderful group of people, and the selflessness and understated importance of their cause.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Each year, thousands of toads attempt to cross a busy road to get to their ancestral pond to mate. Without human intervention many of these amphibians would not make the journey, so a local group was formed in the early 1980s to help.

In the film SLOW: Toad Patrol, We follow Angelina Jones and her team of volunteers around for three months as they endeavor to help thousands of toads cross a local busy road to get to their ancestral pond.
We highlight what it takes to be a Toad Patroller, and delve into the reasons why many different people from different backgrounds leave their warm homes on an evening to walk around in the winter mud and rain, helping amphibians survive a treacherous annual journey.
The film is a charming and uplifting example of human's love for nature, and a thoughtful reflection of what drives people to help.