John Stainton

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)