Canterbury’s international profile as a destination for global productions and drone technology development is set to rise after the region was selected to film a campaign for the world’s first 8K flying action camera.
Industry experts said the campaign, which required 70 scenes shot across snow-covered mountains, forests, and beaches in just two days, could not have been accomplished as quickly or with the same level of scenic diversity anywhere else in the world.
HoverAir, the makers of the X1 drone range, raised over US$1 million in just two hours after the New Zealand-filmed commercial was posted on crowdfunding site Indiegogo, marking one of the fastest milestones ever achieved on the platform.
Diaries Downunder director and a former professional snowboarder Nick Hyne said New Zealand’s dramatic landscape was the ideal backdrop for the commercial, with the ability to transition from snow to surf in under two hours.
“The visual impact you get from our vistas is hard to replicate anywhere else. Our mountains fall dramatically into lakes, and the scenery from our braided rivers is unmatched. This flexibility allows us to create the appearance of any season in a single day, which is particularly valuable to offshore clients during the Northern Hemisphere summer,” Hyne said.
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HoverAir was founded by tech entrepreneur Mengqiu (MQ) Wang, a graduate of Otago University with a postgraduate degree in Computer Science and a PhD from Stanford University.
HoverAir’s COO Emily Wang said the commercial had already been viewed by millions of people in over 75 countries, with the CEO’s previous experience in New Zealand prompting him to return to shoot the campaign.
“We wanted to leverage New Zealand’s dynamic landscapes to bring these drones to life. The quality of the content exceeded our expectations, and within hours of posting the video, we generated millions in financial backing globally. This success would not have been possible without New Zealand’s diverse scenery and the expertise of the local production team,” Wang said.
She added that the variety of environments also provided perfect conditions for the technical team to test new features in challenging settings, such as high altitudes and strong winds. The data was relayed back to the company’s headquarters in real time, aiding future product development.
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“Our research team believes New Zealand could become an international hub for both drone technology development and content creation,” she said.
Hyne said the 14-member crew, which included mountain specialists, shot the campaign at locations such as Mt Hutt, Bottle Lake Forest, Banks Peninsula, and New Brighton Beach, with professional skiers and snowboarders taking part.
“One unique aspect of the shoot was our ability to capture both first- and third-person perspectives of the drone. This allowed us to showcase the product’s features, including its compact size and flight modes. We were able to shoot authentic winter action while highlighting the diverse beauty of New Zealand’s landscapes,” he said.
