She got a sniff of me and she came right up to me. There I was on my own on the sea ice, with this beautiful big female polar bear, stalking me no more than 10 metres away.

 – Max Quinn on filming an anestheised polar bear, for 2002 series Ice Worlds

Max Quinn has been involved in television production for over 50 years. He cut his professional teeth as a cine cameraman for the NZBC in news, current affairs, and documentaries. He then went on to become a prolific Director of Photography on many early New Zealand TV drama productions including Hunters Gold, The Mackenzie Affair and Ngaio Marsh Theatre. He was also a visiting Lecturer in Film at the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts. In the 1980’s, Max moved into TV production as a director and producer of children’s programmes.

In 1987, Max fulfilled a lifelong passion for wildlife by joining TVNZ’s Natural History Unit in Dunedin. This gave him the chance to move back behind the camera and film in many of the world’s wildlife hot-spots for broadcasters such as National Geographic, Discovery Channel, The Smithsonian Channel as well as TVNZ. In 1991, Max wintered over in Antarctica for 11 months to film and direct documentaries on the Emperor Penguin and winter life at New Zealand’s Scott Base. Max went on to film, direct and produce many natural history documentaries including more than 10 based around the Polar Regions as well as the Pacific, China, Australia and North and South America.

In recent years, Max has been working extensively in Mexico, the USA, Taiwan and China (including Tibet), for a series of nature documentaries for National Geographic Wild. Although officially ‘retired’, Max still works as a freelance producer, director and cameraman, specialising in polar climates, natural history, wildlife and the global environment. He has just completed filming for a major three-part wildlife series in Brazil.

Max lives with his wife in Dunedin, New Zealand, and it is a common opinion in his family that he shows no signs of slowing down.

Video Credit: TVNZ – One News (John McKenzie Reporting)

Recognition

Max Quinn is A Life Member of the New Zealand Antarctic Society.

Discover more at:

Max Quinn | NZ On Screen

Max Quinn – Aged 17, Max Quinn joined the NZ Broadcasting Corporation as a trainee cameraman. At 25 he was filming landmark television dramas like Hunter’s Gold. In 1980 he moved into directing and producing. Since joining Dunedin’s Natural History Unit (now NHNZ) in 1987, Quinn’s many talents have helped cement his reputation as one of the most experienced polar filmmakers on the globe.

Wild at heart

Max Quinn has spent half a century telling stories, many of them gathered at the ends of the earth, Kim Dungey reports. The polar bear paces back and forth only 20m away. Alone on the Arctic sea ice, Max Quinn is being stalked by a 200kg mammal that is all teeth, claws and aggression.

Selected Screenography