NHNZ sets its sights on 3D TV

While that fact may surprise many New Zealanders, what really astounds is the audience figure, an estimated 300 million.

The documentary New Zealand Journeys was made for the Chinese government broadcaster, CCTV, and the six episode series screened nine times to a national audience.

NHNZ, the letters ‘NH’ the only nod to its former incarnation as the old natural history unit before it was sold by TVNZ, is one of the most exciting success stories in the export sector.

The pioneer in high definition television documentaries has sold worldwide and has a production presence in China, Singapore, Africa and the Middle East. Annual revenue has grown six-fold in the last eight years from around $5m to $30m.

Revenue growth is predicted to top 10 per cent per year for the next few years, hardly surprising given the ink is barely dry on a deal to establish a production office in Abu Dhabi and the acquisition of a majority stake in South African production company, Aquavision.

The new frontier

But what really sets managing director Michael Stedman’s pulse racing is the new television frontier: 3D documentaries.

Stedman is palpably excited at the first project about deep forests around the globe, set high up in the jungle canopy.

“Elements will be high definition but there will be 3D elements that will allow you to travel inside and become encased in a forest and explore inside that environment,” he promises.

Then he becomes frustrated at the difficulty of communicating in words what is a multidimensional visual experience: “Explaining 3D is a little like trying to describe a painting by Colin McCahon on your wall at home. It’s really hard.”

But it’s more than that, Stedman insists. Watching 3D is an ‘immersive experience.’

Deep Forest is being made for National Geographic but the company is in talks with European broadcasters too. The rush is on for 3D capability: BSkyB has launched, Discovery is launching and China is on the action too.

It will be a while, however, until we’re all ensconced on our couches wearing funny glasses. NHNZ has been producing high definition television for at least a dozen years yet it is only the past two years that has seen the technology achieve domestic market penetration.

Sport, particularly football, has tested the market and, Stedman says, ‘where will it end, nobody knows – it’s gathered incredible momentum in a very short space of time.’

Even overseas, 3D television for the home remains a wee way off. Sony and Panasonic are bringing out their first 3D televisions and ‘these will, initially, be three times the cost of the highest end HD.’