By Felix Feng, NHNZ Senior Manager: China Operations in Beijing

Covering ten different locations in ninety days is a challenge in itself, but add new and unfamiliar 3D technology to the mix and it feels like I’m just starting out on a whole new career.

The ten-hour China 3D series produced with our China partners, CICC, and the new Discovery, Imax and Sony joint venture, 3D Net, is a dream job. We are filming ten of China’s most unique and breathtaking locations for a series that will be one of the first 3D broadcasts on cable television. But before we can record the most stunning and diverse people and places in China, we first had to learn how to make documentaries in a whole new dimension.

The technical team at NHNZ developed a unique 3D camera system that’s light weight and portable enough to carry up the Yellow Mountain and take down the River Li, yet still powerful enough to deliver the all important on screen resolution. Before filming began, we spent a couple of days in Beijing intensively learning the ropes with Producer and DOP Mike Single. We practiced assembling and disassembling the massive jumble of wires, practiced balancing the two cameras and downloaded test shots from the flash drives so many times, we can now almost do it blindfolded (which we wouldn’t do because 3D doesn’t work well in low light). This attention to detail is essential because you can’t fix 3D in post!

The locations range from the legendary Great Wall to the fabled Shangri-La. However, the highlight so far has been the stunning scenery of the mountainous villages and lakes at Jiuzhaigou, in the northern Sichuan Province. Jiuzhaigou means literally nine-village valley and this isolated place has been home to traditional Tibetan villages that have survived here for hundreds of years. Their brand of Tibetan culture and religion is quite different from what you can see in Lhasa. Their rituals are a mix of Buddhist and Bonpo religions. Bonpo is an ancient variation of Buddhism developed in western Tibet thousands of years ago. There are so many diverse cultures and customs still alive in China that it is difficult to stereotype a country with so many different peoples.

Jiuzhaigou is most famous for its crystal-clear blue and green lakes, vividly coloured by mineral deposits and natural springs. The surrounding forests are home to an incredibly diverse range of wildlife, from the ubiquitous Panda to troops of monkeys. It reminds me of parts of New Zealand’s South Island (minus the pandas) - it’s indeed a paradise on earth. I’m looking forward to being able to share the best of China with my colleagues and friends overseas when they tune into to watch China 3D.