About Us

We believe that true stories can change the world.

We’ve had the good fortune to travel the globe and film stories about remarkable people trying to understand and preserve the world we live in.

Mission. Vision. Values.

At Day’s Edge Productions, we believe that beautiful, true stories can spark an audience’s curiosity, move them into empathy, and compel them into action. The stories we tell aren’t just about what we know – the awe-inspiring wonders of nature, human beings, and the universe – they’re also about the people and process that create that knowledge, and the passionate souls who dedicate themselves to protecting and sharing those wonders with others. We demand a lot from our subjects, so we do our very best to match the energy, thought, and emotion that they bring to our films. Finally, in a world where entertainment is never more than a keystroke or swipe away, we live by the credo that quality, truth, and trust always matter.

The Team

Better Together

NEIL LOSIN, PhD (he/him)

Owner | Senior Producer

NATE DAPPEN, PhD (he/him)

Owner | Senior Producer

DAVID HUTCHINSON (he/him)

Director/Producer

KORI PRICE (she/her)

Production Manager

ELLIOTT KENNERSON (he/him)

Producer

ANGEL MORRIS (they/them)

Editor

PAGE BUONO (she/her)

Producer

SAMANTHA VAN PRAET (she/her)

Associate Editor

FRANCESCA HANEN (she/her)

Associate Producer

CHRISTIAN HEALY (he/him)

Production Tech

Days Edge Story

Our team of Ph.D.-trained scientists and award-winning filmmakers, photographers and storytellers is passionate about bringing cutting-edge science, inspiring stories and important messages to broad audiences. Day’s Edge has produced global media projects which have won dozens of awards and reached millions of people.people trying to understand and preserve the world we live in.

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How we met

Co-founders Nate Dappen and Neil Losin met as grad students on an OTS Tropical Biology field course in Costa Rica in 2008. They shared a love of evolutionary biology, photography, and weird critters. Soon they started collaborating on research and photography projects, and eventually on short science videos. By the time they finished their PhDs, Nate and Neil had decided to leave the academic path and start a production company: Day’s Edge Productions.

Early Years

Our first films came about through unexpected opportunities. Winning a video competition earned us our first commission from WWF, which became Saving the Sandhills, an early favorite. A “Stay Thirsty Grant” from Dos Equis (yes, the beer company!) led to Snows of the Nile, our first documentary with a big festival run. And a grant from the National Science Foundation with Dr. Al Uy led to our first broadcast special, Islands of Creation for the Smithsonian Channel.

Growing

We hired Producer Morgan Heim and Production Manager Kori Price in 2015, then remained a tiny, boutique production company for the next few years. Ironically, it wasn’t until 2020, right as the pandemic hit, that we needed to scale up again. We hired new producers, editors, AEs, and a post-production supervisor in rapid succession as new projects – our first full broadcast commission (Miami Wild), followed soon after by our first primetime series (Human Footprint) kept everyone busy, and then some.

Today

Day’s Edge Productions is running smoothly out of our main San Diego office, ready to tackle projects of any scale, anywhere in the world. Our team of producers, shooters, writers, and editors have training in science, journalism, and film / TV production. We have the gear and expertise to shoot just about anything, and we work with a super-talented slate of contractors for specialized camerawork, animation, film scoring, color and sound, and whatever else is needed to make our films pop!

We Are Grateful to Partner With

And We Are Honored to Be Recognized For Our Work

2023_ACFF_White_Laurels-OfficialSelection

NEIL LOSIN, PhD (he/him)
Owner | Senior Producer

Neil Losin is a biologist, photographer, and filmmaker based in State College, PA. He was named a National Geographic Young Explorer in 2009 while studying invasive lizard in Florida and Puerto Rico. Neil received an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and earned his Ph.D. in UCLA’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in 2012. He’s an incorrigible birdwatcher and can juggle more objects than you’d think. Neil cofounded Day’s Edge Productions with Nate Dappen in 2012.

NATE DAPPEN, PhD (he/him)
Owner | Senior Producer

Nate Dappen is a biologist, photographer, and filmmaker based in San Diego, CA. He studied sexual and ontogenetic color evolution the Ibiza Wall Lizard in grad school at the University of Miami, earning his Ph.D. in Biology in 2012. Since then, he’s been making science, natural history, and adventure documentaries full-time. Nate is a Fellow of the Explorers Club and an Affiliate of the International League of Conservation Photographers. He can’t get enough of surfing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, or IPAs.

DAVID HUTCHINSON (he/him)
Director/Producer

David Hutchinson is a documentary filmmaker from San Diego, CA. In 2020, he joined Day’s Edge Productions, where he has worked on broadcast and digital projects including “Human Footprint” (PBS), “Miami Wild” (Smithsonian Channel), and “Sym-bee-osis” (Seeker). In 2023, his film “The Reservoir” won “Best Natural Sciences Short” at the Jackson Wild Media Awards. David is an enthusiastic reader, surfer, runner, hiker, bassist, cook, and linocut artist, all of which intersect meaningfully with his documentary work.

KORI PRICE (she/her)
Production Manager

Kori Price is the Production Manager at Day’s Edge Productions. With a degree in journalism, she has crafted unforgettable experiences at renowned conferences like Jackson Wild and SMASH. Kori’s expertise extends to her role as a production specialist, where she orchestrates the magic behind the scenes. She has collaborated with industry giants such as Netflix, Smithsonian Channel, PBS, and more. When she’s not immersed in the world of production, Kori spends most of her free time by campfires or frolicking about public lands looking for wild food with her furry friend, Bronner.

ANDY LAUB (he/him)
Producer

Andy’s birth certificate says he was born in Pennsylvania, but that’s a lie. Andy was born thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, a 2,000-mile journey that sparked a passion for nature and capturing stories connected to it. Andy has since hiked & filmed over 5,000 miles of remote backcountry, including award-winning feature-length films and doc-series that have been featured on Discovery Channel, BBC World, National Geographic, PBS, Outside and Hulu. Andy continues to hone his craft with the goal of exposing audiences to stories connected to the natural world. When Andy’s focus isn’t a camera, you can find him playing outside with his kiddos, trail running thru the desert or noodling a guitar on his front porch.

ANGEL MORRIS (they/them)
Editor

Angel is a San Diego-based producer and editor with extensive experience in film, broadcast, and digital media, with a focus in natural history and archival documentaries. Their work includes projects with National Geographic, NBC, PBS, among others. In 2021, Angel produced their award-winning debut film, “Diving for Rays,” on WaterBear Network. They won the Original Voices Pitch competition by If/Then and NBCU in 2023, leading to their sophomore project “Love Birds”, which is currently in production.

Presently, Angel serves as a full-time editor at Day’s Edge Productions, a renowned natural history production company known for PBS’s Emmy-nominated series “Human Footprint”, for which their work earned them an Editing nomination at the Jackson Wild Media Awards in 2023. Additionally, they are a member of Think Lemonade Productions.

Beyond their professional endeavors, Angel enjoys spending time with their crew – their two dogs, two parrots, and many aquariums of fish.

PAGE BUONO (she/her)
Producer

Page is a writer and producer working at the confluence of human and environmental issues with a deep dedication to science, traditional knowledge, story, and equity. She received her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of Arizona. Her writing has appeared in High Country News, Nature Conservancy Magazine, Public Books and others. She was a 2021 Media Lab Fellow at Jackson Wild. You can find her wandering through sagebrush near her home in Arroyo Hondo, NM with the small dog she calls Moki.

ELLIOTT KENNERSON (he/him)
Producer

Elliott is a San Diego-born producer who specializes in post production. He is the recipient of three Regional Emmys for his work on Deep Look, a co-production of KQED and PBS Digital Studios, and the originator of Animal R&R, an Emmy-nominated wildlife rescue series for KPBS San Diego. Elliott did his M.F.A. in natural history filmmaking at Montana State and holds a B.A. from Yale in archaeology. He lives with his partner and their dog, Magnolia.

SAMANTHA VAN PRAET (she/her)
Associate Editor

Sami is a filmmaker from Orange County, CA, who knew from a young age she desired to work in the entertainment industry. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Television, Film, and New Media Production from SDSU, with a minor in Communications. Previously, she contributed to live news, specials, and documentaries at KPBS, while also focusing on archival development. In her free time, she enjoys dancing at concerts, scenic hikes, and exploring eclectic playlists of podcasts and music.

FRANCESCA HANEN (she/her)
Associate Producer

Francesca is a nature and adventure photographer from Washington state. Inspired by her surroundings, she developed an interest in outdoor recreation and environmental issue storytelling. She graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in sustainability hoping to use her knowledge and skills to craft impactful narratives. In her free time you can find her hiking, mountain biking, scuba diving, or (most likely) rock climbing.

CHRISTIAN HEALY (he/him)
Production Tech

Christian Healy is a New York born animal-lover and filmmaker. He recently graduated from Northwestern University with a dual-degree in environmental science and film with a Spanish minor. He has an acute interest in environmental justice and nature’s intersection with different cultures. Christian is a published author with The Marine Technology Society Journal, and has previously worked as a photographer with Northwestern’s media team and as a post production assistant with an emphasis on accessibility at Petunia Productions. In his free time he enjoys drinking sugarcane juice, climbing pretend boulders, and loving sidewalks. He is also a proud member of the Gold III rank on Geoguessr

MATTHEW BUSCH (he/him)
Intern | Masters student in Documentary Film at UC Berkeley

Matthew Busch is a filmmaker and journalist currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Documentary Film at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Over the last 10 years his work across mediums has documented personal stories and issues related to the environment, mental health and migration in the U.S. and around the world for publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Southern Cultures Magazine and Texas Monthly. In addition to studying journalism at the University of Missouri and the Danish School of Media and Journalism, in 2017 Matthew was awarded a Fulbright-Nehru Student Research Grant to India. Matthew was also a Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellow with The Institute for South Asia Studies at UC Berkeley.