Malaʻe Productions is based on the Big Island of Hawaii (Hawaiʻi Island). Every RED camera, Shotover gimbal, DJI drone, Nauticam housing, truck and boat we own lives here, so a Big Island production starts with the gear already on the island and a crew that has worked its lava fields, summits and coastline since 2003.
This is the island where most of our natural history work is made. The portfolio includes active eruption sequences at Kīlauea shot on RED 8K S35, lava ocean entries filmed from the air, week-long volcanic eruption time lapses, volcanic lightning, and a Ronin 2 rig working the lava field. Our broadcast credits as Directors of Photography on National Geographic's Wild Hawaii: Land of Fire and Discovery Channel's Sharks of the Fire Goddess and Sharkcano grew out of the same volcanic and marine subjects.
Above the clouds, Mauna Kea sunrise and a Milky Way arc over the summit are standing time-lapse and photography subjects. Down the slopes there are rainforest waterfalls and hidden falls, a Big Island sunset from the hilltops, lava rock coves and storm fronts over the Pacific along the coastline, and shore break on the Big Island coast.
Offshore, tiger sharks feeding at a whale carcass (the exclusive field footage behind Hawaii News Now's Tiger Shark Feeding Frenzy), whale shark encounters and humpback whales from the air are all in the archive. Our channel-crossing fishing boats are based at Keauhou Harbor on the Kona coast and at Kawaihae, with a third bound for Hilo, and a Zodiac inflatable covers the surf zone.
Gear that lives on the Big Island
The RED fleet — RED V-RAPTOR 8K VV, DSMC3 S35, MONSTRO 8K VV, HELIUM 8K S35 and GEMINI 5K S35, each with PL and EF mounts, ND filters, on-board monitors, follow focus and V-lock power — is here. Two Shotover F1 gimbals are on the island, one mounted in a dedicated production truck and one portable for boat and vehicle work. The cinema drone fleet pairs the DJI Inspire 3 (Zenmuse X9-8K) with two Inspire 2 aircraft (Zenmuse X7, 6K CinemaDNG), Mavic 3 Cine and Mavic 4, plus Autel thermal drones. Nauticam housings for RED DSMC2 and DSMC3, Salty surf housings, Emotimo, Rhino and Kessler motion control, LED and HMI lighting, and UTVs and 4x4 trucks with production storage round out the kit.
Drone operations under FAA Part 107
Aerial work is flown under FAA Part 107 with airspace authorizations, LAANC approvals and restricted-zone waivers handled for you, including coastal airspace. We pre-fly locations to document access points, lighting windows and conditions before a crew arrives, and our thermal platforms have supported search and rescue over jungle, lava fields and open ocean.
Pickup, delivery and pricing
Rental pickup is coordinated at Keauhou, Hilo or Waimea, and we deliver across the island. Every piece rents with or without an operator. Price match guarantee: bring a quote from any Hawaii camera or production equipment rental house and we will beat or match it, from a single lens to a full production package.
Plan a Big Island shoot
Send your shoot dates, locations and an equipment list. We reply with availability and pricing, typically within one business day.
Related
- Oahu
- Maui
- Kauai
- Equipment Rentals — Rent RED cinema cameras, Shotover gimbals, DJI drones, Nauticam underwater housings and full production packages on the Big Island, with delivery statewide and a price match guarantee.
- Aerial Services — FAA Part 107 licensed aerial cinematography, thermal survey and location scouting across the Big Island and all Hawaiian Islands.
- Contact — Tell us about your production, rental or stock footage needs anywhere in Hawaii. We reply with availability and pricing, typically within one business day.