UNDAODU · THE MONK · MICHAEL J. TROUT
Trained in Japan.
Experienced on location.
Over a decade filming giant hornets.
A beekeeper’s beginnings. An ongoing field education.
From protecting bees to supporting film crews
UnDaoDu — the monk, Michael J. Trout — first approached giant hornets through keeping Japanese honeybees. Protecting his colonies led him into a closer study of the animals and became part of his on-screen story in Killer Hornets from Hell.
Since the 2014 Animal Planet shoot, his documentary experience has grown across hornet consultancy, location planning, filming support and production coordination. His work includes productions for Animal Planet, Smithsonian Channel and National Geographic, most recently Secrets of the Bees.
Based in Fukui, he brings long-standing field relationships in beautiful rural Ehime, on Shikoku, to crews looking to film giant hornets in Japan.
TEACHERS & FIELD KNOWLEDGE
Learning from
Susumu Tokunaga.
Susumu Tokunaga · 徳永進
Tokunaga is a beekeeper and hornet specialist based in Uchiko, Ehime. Michael’s field education includes learning from him and working together on hornet filming projects.
Japanese television experience
Tokunaga’s apiary archive records years of hornet and honeybee work for Japanese television, including The! Tetsuwan! DASH!!, NHK and TV Asahi.
Explore Tokunaga’s own archive ↗Experience passed on in the field
The monk’s approach brings together beekeeping, learning alongside Japanese specialists and the practical demands of natural-history filming. He remains a student of the animals as well as a guide for visiting crews.
Read the field background ↗CREW CARE
A reported record
of no filming-team stings.
Michael reports that no member of his filming team has been stung during the hornet shoots he has led.
Discuss the location, behaviour, crew requirements and safety planning with him before your shoot. Each production begins with its own field assessment.
Plan your shoot with the monk ↗MEET THE MONK IN THE FIELD
Close experience.
First-hand knowledge.
Michael with a giant hornet, from his personal video archive. The original video is titled “How to handle a giant hornet. (DO NOT TRY THIS).”
Explore the field videos ↗The monk with a giant hornet · Watch on YouTube ↗