Written by new-contact on Oct 29, 2012. Posted in Production News

MAP Productions tries out latest GoPro camera with epic New Zealand filming

MAP Productions has put the new GoPro HERO3 HD camera through its paces in an epic shoot across New Zealand. Footage switches from sedate aerial images to stunning views filmed by a series of athletes over an action-packed five minutes.

Filming with the GoPro made it that much easier to transport the equipment and the cameras themselves were mounted on helmets, feet, skis and harnesses.

New Zealand proved a natural choice as a base for the project, given the country’s reputation for extreme sports. It was also the best place to find the right athletes, as professionals from around the world tend to head there to train in the off-season.

The full project lasted five weeks with a fortnight of scouting leading to a three-week shoot in collaboration with a GoPro team. Filming schedules depended on camera availability and when the athletes were free, as well as local weather conditions. Filming with the GoPro made it that much easier to transport the equipment and the cameras themselves were mounted on helmets, feet, skis and harnesses.

Pip Gillings is with MAP Productions in Queenstown: “The kayaking locations on the North Island's spectacular Central Plateau involved consultation with local Iwi (regional and local Maori Tribal Elders), who were extremely accommodating and helpful, providing the crew with a Powhiri - or spiritual blessing - prior to shooting on sacred land.”

While splinter film units shot footage in Tahiti and San Francisco, much of the shooting took place on New Zealand's South Island, where Queenstown is a global hub for sports, from bungee jumping and white-water rafting through to mountain biking. MAP worked with Southern Alps Guiding for the heli-ski footage (dropping from a helicopter onto a snowy peak) and Heliworks for the ski base jumping (skiing off a mountain peak with a parachute).

The kayaking locations on the North Island's spectacular Central Plateau involved consultation with local Iwi - regional and local Maori Tribal Elders.

Pip Gillings, MAP Productions

The GoPro product launch was being kept a secret throughout the shoot so MAP used a small crew, which helped keep them flexible too. Local crew members and specialist safety experts joined every now and then for specific sports.

Credits:
Client: GoPro (HERO3 camera)
Production Company: MAP Productions, Queenstown
Producer: Pip Gillings
Producer/1st AD: Mark Gillings