Extraordinary Kiwis sets out to celebrate Kiwi success stories.
We have produced two series now for Prime TV and the episodes are all available for sale. A third series is currently in production for screening in 2010 with a change in the format to include Clarke Gayford as presenter and guinea pig. A pilot for the series was screened in 2009 where Clarke spent time in Antarctica working with scientist Dr Victoria Metcalf. Activities included catching fish specimens through the ice shelf and disecting the fish in the laboratory.
Series 2 featured: Indy racing car driver Scott Dixon, Wellington speedway star Tama Arapere, Henderson police Senior Sergeant Niki Seager, Edge Disc jockey JJ Feeney, Golf legend Michael Campbell, Rugby legend Colin Meads, Air NZ Fashion week producer Jane Fullerton-Smith, heli ski guide Hugh Barnard, and World champion water skier, Kristy Sloane.
Series 1 featured: V8 race car driver Greg Murphy, Fashion guru Trelise Cooper, Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard, Champion shearer David Fagan, Rescue helicopter pilotGrant Withers, Conservationist and crayfish boat skipper Grace Ormond.
Documentary: Last Man Standing - Bright Williams
Until his death at 105 years of age, Bright Williams was New Zealand’s last surviving World War One soldier.
Execam Director Jim Greenhough conducted an extensive interview with Bright as part of a history of the New Zealand Army.
Compelling, raw and gritty, Bright gives a unique insight into conditions our boys faced in the trenches of the First World War. This fascinating interview is mixed with rare movie footage of New Zealand and British soldiers and a wealth of archive still photographs.
Last Man Standing was screened by Prime TV on Armistice Day (Nov 11) 2003
Duration: 24 minutes.
Documentary: El Alamein, Crucible of Fire
An Execam crew followed New Zealand veterans of this crucial World War 2 battle back to El Alamein in Egypt for the 50th anniversary of the conflict. We concentrated on five soldiers, and let them tell their stories in depth. Two brothers sought the grave of a third brother killed in action and found it in an emotional climax to the programme. Included in the documentary is a range of archive footage, including rare colour film of day to day life for our soldiers shot by the Reverend Riga Blair.
Documentary: Kiwi Nightmare, the Battles of Monte Cassino
Another 50th reunion of New Zealand soldiers with their German counterparts, this time at the meat grinder, which was Monte Cassino in Italy. Kiwi General Bernard Fryberg gave the controversial order to bomb the historic monastery believed to be occupied by German troops. This programme takes more of a historic angle than El Alamein, and sheds new light on the famous battle
Documentary: Murder Whodunit?
For the first time ever New Zealand police allowed television cameras to document a murder investigation. Norrie Triggs was found dead in his Crofton Downs bedsit, and Wellington police mounted an exhaustive homicide inquiry, with Execam cameras documenting their every move.
Police probably wished in hindsight they had picked another murder for us to cover as they still have not “solved” this crime. The officer in charge, Quentin Doig is satisfied he knows who did it (Suspect X) but could not gather enough evidence to gain a conviction in court.
The programme is fascinating for its detail of investigation methods, and also for the bizarre twists the inquiry took.
Documentary: Keeping the Peace
The New Zealand Army commissioned this documentary which looked at NZ peacekeeping operations around the world. Our crew travelled to the Sinai, Israel, South Lebanon, Bosnia, Mozambique, and Bougainville to showcase Kiwi soldiers on a range of peacekeeping operations.
This programme was a finalist in the 2000 Media Peace Awards
Documentary: Then & Now, a Century of New Zealand soldiering
The second in our series the NZ Army this documentary explored life in the Army over the past 100 years, with a special emphasis on overseas action we have been involved in, starting with the Boer War. Interviews with surviving veterans of World War 1 are a strong feature of this programme.
Investitures:
Execam videotapes all investitures at Government House and makes copies of the ceremony available to recipients, friends and family on DVD. Cost is $100 for the first DVD, then $10 each for additional copies. Each DVD includes all of the ceremony and is tailored to the individual being honoured. It includes background material on the honours system, and comment from the Governor General. Please use the investiture order form (below).
Anything at all!
If you think we hold video footage you’d like to have a copy of, please contact us and we’ll let you know if the footage is available, and what it will cost to copy for you.
All our edited programmes contain only a small portion of the footage shot for them, and we understand there is often strong personal interest in some of the out takes. We are generally happy to make this available for personal use, though it can be time consuming (and thus costly) in finding the shots in question.
Execam will also sometimes licence its own copyright footage to other production companies for corporate work or TV programmes. Rates are available on request.