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storytelling, video, editing, corporate video, film production, Bristol, expedition, film-maker, collective, media, social media Top of the Mast
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Oliver Clague
Founder and Filmmaker

For years, I worked in television, filming everything from wildlife documentaries to extreme survival series. I traveled the world, capturing incredible moments—polar bears in the Arctic, remote tribes in the Amazon, and conservation efforts in places few people ever see. It was fast-paced, exciting, and high-profile.
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But something was missing.
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Television often felt like it was built for spectacle rather than substance. The stories I worked on were visually stunning, but I kept asking myself: What impact are we really making? I wanted to create films that didn’t just entertain but actually meant something—films that untangled complexity, illuminated connection, and helped people understand the world more deeply.
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That’s why I founded Top of the Mast.
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I wanted to tell stories with authenticity. To move beyond surface-level narratives and create films that inspire real understanding—whether about leadership, conservation, or the intricate relationship between humanity and nature. My background in wildlife filmmaking, expedition leadership, and corporate storytelling gives me a unique perspective, allowing me to bring depth and clarity to complex subjects.
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Now, every project I take on is driven by one question: Does this story matter? If the answer is yes, I’ll do whatever it takes to tell it.
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I left TV to make films that don’t just look good, but do good—films that inspire, inform, and connect us to something bigger.
Meet the Team

Director of Photography
Adam Laister
Adam has made films for the BBC Natural History Unit, National Geographic, VICE and Apple TV. From flying drones in bat caves in the Philippines to diving with sharks, he's been there and filmed it - his technical expertise and cinematic style is a key part of what keeps Top of the Mast at the cutting edge of filmmaking.

Editor
Amy Swan
Irish Canadian Amy originally trained as an editor on dramas like 'A Discovery of Witches' before making the jump to factual. This gives her a uniquely dramatic vision of how a story comes together - Amy has a deep fascination with the art of storytelling and a knack for cutting to the core of what's important - leaving the rest on the cutting room floor.