Hot Shots 2023: Nathalie Swain-Diaz

As an assistant producer on the BBC’s AP Accelerator Programme in 2022/3, Nathalie Swain-Diaz excelled far beyond everyone’s expectations, says Paul Williams, a series producer at the BBC Studios Natural History Unit.

Starting out on the development team in 2017 before swiftly joining Springwatch as a researcher, Swain-Diaz has continued on her upward trajectory, and as an AP was integral to the success of the three-part BBC2 series Big Little Journeys. The series followed six tiny animals – including Labord’s chameleons, pangolins and golden-headed lion tamarins – as they travelled across rainforests, wetlands and mountains.

Williams describes Swain-Diaz as “proactive, creative, reliable and hardworking”, and says she amply demonstrated this while working on the series.

When a storyline on which an episode was dependent had to be dropped for logistical reasons, it was Swain-Diaz who found a replacement. Together with the producer, she developed and pitched it to the commissioner, set it up and assembled a brilliant team within just a few weeks.

“Without this action, the series would have been unable to deliver,” says Williams.

Crisis management

But her e­fforts didn’t stop there – the replacement story took Swain-Diaz and the team to a remote part of Madagascar, the most challenging location in the series. Once on the ground, Swain-Diaz managed missing luggage, widespread illness across the team, flooding, hurricane evacuation and significant editorial issues.

“Despite this, she made the most of every moment, put the safety of the team at the forefront and always communicated with me and the production management team,” says Williams.

“She directed shoots in the series’ most extreme locations and handled unpredictable challenges with professionalism and positivity. She ensured that the safety and wellbeing of the crew and contributors was paramount, and this ultimately resulted in success for the team.”

In the event, the shoot was cut short due to a second hurricane, but Williams says it is a testament to the team and to Swain-Diaz that they still managed to film enough material to tell a captivating and visually rich story that is one of the strongest in the series.

“Nathalie is an invaluable member of our team at BBC Studios Natural History Unit,” Williams says. “She cares deeply about her work, is fascinated by story and how we engage audiences, and strives to meet the highest editorial and trust standards.”

He adds: “Nat is an excellent ambassador for the industry – courteous and respectful of contributors, di­fferent cultures and ways of working. She is a brilliant team player who spreads positivity wherever she goes.”