Wild Heroes Flies Flag for 4K

Even though it will screen in HD, viewers of a new Auckland Zoo series should still see the benefits of it being filmed in 4K.

Wild Heroes (Three, 7.00 Saturday) will launch in one of the week’s most coveted slots: as the lead-in to live coverage of the Rugby World Cup match between NZ and Australia.

The conservation series is billed as following “the vital work being undertaken by Auckland Zoo professionals as they rescue, rehabilitate and protect endangered animals inside the Zoo and out in the stunning and intrepid wilds of Aotearoa New Zealand”.

Magnetic Pictures shot the nine episodes in 4K, even though Warner Bros. Discovery’s NZ broadcast and streaming platforms aren’t 4K-capable.

“We have chosen to shoot all of our broadcast content in 4K with the future in mind, both here in New Zealand and to enhance the overseas sales potential of our shows, where 4K is now an advantage,” Magnetic Pictures’ co-founder Brian Holland says.

“Our Head of Post Production supports this move suggesting there may also be an advantage in shooting a show in 4K for 1080 broadcast as the source material is crisper to begin with, especially when it comes to fine detail such as hair, fur and vegetation for example.

“Sound is a multi-track mix but not mixed for surround.”

The quality of production is just one facet that will distinguish Wild Heroes from traditional zoo shows.

“From the outset, we challenged ourselves to create an unparalleled series in this genre, in terms of captivating storytelling and the quality of production,” producer Juanita Edwards says.

She cites the incredible point-of-view drone filming that takes viewers through the zoo as never before, the macro lens wildlife photography that brings audiences up close to animals at the zoo and in the wild, and venturing out into the wilds of NZ to highlight the vital native conservation projects Auckland Zoo professionals support.

“We also meet the many hands coming together to support this work, from iwi, communities and families, and organisations like DoC and SeaLife Kelly Tarlton’s and charities such as Save the Kiwi and the Takahē Recovery Group.  

“Wild Heroes also describes what it means to be a modern zoo today, a wildlife organisation that plays a vital role in sustaining the precious taonga in their own backyard and around the globe.”