NHNZ, NHK Team Up for Multi-Million Dollar Series

Media Release
NHNZ-NHK
Tuesday October 21st, 2008

NHNZ and NHK Team Up for Multi-Million Dollar Series

NHNZ signed it biggest ever co production agreement in Cannes last week.

Together with Japanese broadcaster NHK, the Dunedin-based television production company announced production of multi million dollar television series Weird Edens at the international film industry market, MIPCOM.

The 6 x 1 hour natural history and science series revealing the power and magic of evolution will cost in excess of $1.6million per hour to produce. Weird Edens will also be NHK's biggest natural history documentary series in the next few years.

NHNZ is one of NHK's best-established co-production partners with the partnership having proven its worth twice already - first on the stunning Wild Asia series (1999-2000) as well as the ground breaking Equator series (2005-2007).

NHK executive producer Shinichi Murata says that Weird Edens has all the ingredients to be the next big natural history ratings hit.

"Weird Edens is sure to offer our viewers a new, attractive and authentic experience through this series which will be crystallized from the culture and wisdom of both the East and the West. This series represents a true collaboration of stories and styles which we are confident will result in another remarkable series," he says.

Weird Edens sees the successful team of NHK's Shin Murata and NHNZ's Peter Hayden again working together as executive producer and supervising producer/writer, with Andrew Waterworth named NHNZ's executive producer.

NHNZ managing director Michael Stedman says the company is thrilled to be partnering with NHK on what promised to be one of the biggest natural history productions ever made.

"Weird Edens will be natural history for the new millennium. We're excited about the opportunity to collaborate with NHK's expert filmmakers and pioneers in HD equipment such as low-light cameras and high-speed cameras. It's a winning combination that will set new standards in natural history filmmaking."

Airing at the end of 2010, Weird Edens will focus on six magical environments which are home to some of the world's most bizarre creatures. From Brazil's cerrado to Africa's great lakes, the series will explore and reveal the natural forces which shape life on our planet.

NHNZ will carry out all post production for Weird Edens which will blend the best nature cinematography with computer graphics, visual effects and sound to create a contemporary yet timeless style for what promises to be one of this decade's most influential natural history and science series.

ENDS

www.nhnz.tv

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