SCENE 01 / UNDERWATER FILMING
Underwater Filming
Professional marine cinematography with certified dive teams across New Zealand.
Underwater filming captures imagery beneath the water's surface using specialized waterproof camera housings, lighting systems, and safety protocols. New Zealand offers extraordinary diversity — the warm sub-tropical Bay of Islands and Poor Knights, the dramatic fiords of Fiordland with deep emerald water, the sheltered Marlborough Sounds, and the wildlife-rich coast of Kaikoura — ideal for documentaries, features, and natural history projects.
We coordinate underwater operations with certified New Zealand dive teams, source cinema-grade waterproof equipment, and manage permits through Maritime New Zealand and the Department of Conservation for marine reserves. Our team handles logistics for remote shoots, dolphin and whale work in Kaikoura, and controlled tank work at Wellington's Stone Street Studios — where Avatar and The Lord of the Rings were filmed.
Capabilities
Complete Underwater Services
From controlled pool environments to open ocean cinematography, we provide professional underwater filming with safety and quality as priorities.
01
Dive Cinematography
- Open water filming
- Reef & marine life
- Shipwreck exploration
- Deep water operations
- Night diving
Ocean Depths
02
Pool & Tank
- Controlled environments
- Actor water work
- Product photography
- Split-level shots
- Underwater sets
Controlled Shoots
03
Equipment
- Cinema camera housings
- Underwater lighting
- Communication systems
- Monitors & playback
- Specialty rigs
Pro Gear
04
Safety & Coordination
- Certified dive teams
- Safety divers
- Medical standby
- Actor training
- Risk assessment
Safety First
On Location
Underwater Filming Anchored by Avatar's NZ Capture Heritage
Here is how this works in practice. Our underwater filming capacity in New Zealand operates RED Komodo-X, Sony Venice 2, ARRI Alexa Mini LF, and Phantom Flex 4K (cross-Tasman via Vision Research Sydney) inside Gates, Subsea, and Nauticam housings, with cinematographers carrying combined AAUS / PADI / SSI Divemaster and commercial-diver certifications. The country's defining underwater site is the Manukau capture stage at Stone Street Wellington — built by James Cameron for Avatar Way of Water (2022), it is the largest underwater performance capture tank in the Southern Hemisphere and continues to host Avatar 3 / 4 / 5 pickups (Cameron NZ-resident dual-citizen since 2023). Beyond the tank, our crews work Fiordland's UNESCO marine reserves (Milford Sound + Doubtful Sound, with their distinctive freshwater-dark-water layering creating Fiordland's emerald photographic look and home to black coral and giant kelp forests). Goat Island Marine Reserve (Leigh — NZ's first marine reserve, 1975). Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve (Northland — Cousteau-ranked top dive site worldwide), Stewart Island/Rakiura, the Marlborough Sounds, and Kaikoura's sperm whale and dusky dolphin grounds.
Here is the short of it. Department of Conservation permits are mandatory for any commercial filming inside marine reserves, with Maritime NZ vessel and dive-craft compliance layered on top. Iwi/hapū consultation under Te Tiriti o Waitangi applies to coastal takiwā (Ngāi Tahu for the South Island and Fiordland in specific). Fiordland's 7-metre annual rainfall (the wettest place in NZ) drives the freshwater-on-saltwater layering that gives the region its visual signature.
Here is how this works in practice. NZ's underwater filming heritage runs through Niki Caro's Whale Rider, James Cameron's Avatar / Avatar Way of Water performance capture pioneering, BBC Earth Blue Planet sequences, and ongoing David Attenborough natural-history series. We bundle dive insurance, ACC universal accident cover, surface-support vessel sourcing through Kaikoura Whale Watch / Real Journeys (Fiordland) / Stewart Island Flights, and NZSPG 20% + 5% productivity uplift records through the New Zealand Film Commission. WorkSafe NZ commercial-diving compliance is mandatory.
FAQ
Underwater Expertise
What cameras can you use underwater?
We operate professional underwater housings for cinema cameras including RED, ARRI, and Sony systems. We match camera and housing combinations to your resolution, frame rate, and image quality requirements.
Do you provide certified dive teams?
Yes, all our underwater crews are certified commercial divers with extensive film production experience in New Zealand waters, including some of the world's most experienced water unit crews from Avatar and Pacific Rim. Teams include underwater cinematographers, focus pullers, safety divers, and dive supervisors as required.
Can you film in pools and tanks?
Yes — Wellington's Stone Street Studios is one of the best-equipped tank facilities in the world, used for Avatar and The Lord of the Rings. We also work in studio pools and other water facilities across Auckland and Wellington. These controlled settings are ideal for actor work, product shots, and sequences requiring precise control.
What about actor safety underwater?
Actor safety is paramount. We provide safety divers, breathing apparatus for extended takes, pre-shoot training, and clear communication systems. Non-diving actors can achieve impressive underwater shots with proper support — New Zealand crews regularly train Hollywood casts for water work.
Where can you film in New Zealand?
We film throughout NZ—Poor Knights Islands and the Bay of Islands offer warm-water sub-tropical reefs, Fiordland's Milford and Doubtful Sounds deliver dramatic deep-water environments, Marlborough Sounds provide sheltered conditions, Kaikoura is a global hotspot for whale and dolphin encounters, and Wellington's Stone Street Studios handles tank work. Marine reserves require DOC permits.
How do you handle underwater communication?
We use professional underwater communication systems including through-water comms for diver coordination and surface-to-diver links. Directors can communicate with underwater crews and monitor shots in real-time.
Related Services
Productions in New Zealand that need this often pair it with Underwater Lighting, Multi-Camera Setups, and Marine & Wildlife Filming for full coverage. Most projects also draw on Underwater Camera Operators and Camera & Cinematography.
On Set
Need Underwater Filming?
Tell us about your underwater requirements and we'll provide experienced dive teams.