David Attenborough’s serene, endearingly weathered voice is one that can really only be developed over a lifetime of experience, and that’s precisely what the man has had, starting at the BBC in the 1950s and working in media from then to now, where he sits at the ripe age of 90. Here’s a fun fact that really shows how long Attenborough has been in the game: He’s the only person to win a BAFTA award for shows broadcast in black and white, color, and 3D.

Attenborough has lived and worked through essentially all of television, but it still shouldn’t be surprising that this old dog would rather stick with familiar tricks sometimes. For example, it turns out that while scripting the brand new Planet Earth 2 series, he still relied on VHS tapes to get the job done (via Cinema Blend).

“You work to picture by using, actually I use VHS,” he said. “Move backwards and forwards until you get the right words. It may take you up to a week to get the words absolutely right, and then you should be able to record a one-hour program in two hours.’

This quote comes from a behind-the-scenes video posted to Facebook by BBC One that shows the process, and in the clip, Planet Earth composer Hans Zimmer beautifully summarized what makes Attenborough’s narration so moving: “[He had] that voice that makes it feel like he’s only talking to you and he has something very important to tell you. The work he has done has stayed relevant for all these years… I mean, is it 60 years now? And his voice is more important to this world now than ever before.”

You ain’t kidding, Hans. Watch the behind-the-scenes video below, the trailer for the series above, and catch the first episode of Planet Earth II when it premieres on BBC America on January 28, 2017.

Featured image: BBC Earth