I supplied six minutes of 8K underwater stock footage for A world of Calm, a new series launched on the 1st October 2020 on HBO Max, the streaming arm of HBO.
A World of Calm is a collaboration between HBO Max and Calm – the successful relaxation and meditation app. There are eight episodes on different themes which each combine mesmeric imagery with soothing narration by an A-list actor such as Idris Elba, Cillian Murphy and Nicole Kidman. The full episode list, with narrator in italics is:
- The Coral City – Lucy Liu
- The Glassmaker – Zoe Kravitz
- The Birds Journey – Nicole Kidman
- Snowfall – Cillian Murphy
- The Great Beyond – Idris Elba
- Living Among Trees – Keanu Reeves
- The Gift of Chocolate – Priyanka Chopra
- Water, Giver of Life – Mahersha Ali
- Noodles – Oscar Isaac
- A Horses Tale – Kate Winslet
My footage was acquired on Red Helium and is featured in episode one: Coral Reefs, which is narrated by Lucy Liu. The star of my footage is undoubtedly a sleepy green turtle who blisses out while having a massage at a surgeon fish spa. The series was produced by one of my regular collaborators, Nutopia productions.
“Although this collaboration has been in the works for many months, this series has been entirely created during quarantine using Nutopia’s worldwide network of award winning cinematographers and filmmakers. We hope this series of serene stories will bring a sense of much needed calm to audiences.”
Jane Root CEO and founder of Nutopia productions
The series is available on HBO Max from the 1st October 2020. At the time of writing this blog HBO Max is only available to US subscribers, but I’ll update this article as and when it is available in more territories. I have a high quality, curated collection of 4K underwater coral reef footage and have worked on similar projects such as Apple’s Under the Sea Screensavers. For UHD (4K) underwater stock footage inquiries please contact me.
The first installment is the perfect hook; the visuals are breathtaking, and Liu’s voice is, well, calming. Pair that with the inherently serene nature of the ocean, and you’ve got magic.
Jade Budowski – Decider.com