Speaking to BBC Radio Devon in 1995, Mr Soper said the team who set up the unit “had to be very resourceful” in its early days.
“Our cutting room set up was a projector and a splicing machine, which we bought from the local camera shop – we lusted after having a camera so we could shoot our own film,” he said.
According to his website, external, he started working as a freelancer in 1963 so he could live closer to the sea in Devon.
He subsequently pursued a career leading wildlife cruises to the Arctic and Antarctica, writing a multitude of books about wildlife in the UK and further afield.
Mr Soper is survived by his wife Hilary, his two sons Tim and Jack and his five grandchildren.
