Who’s afraid of the dark? Not the camera operators on Apple TV+ docuseries “Earth at Night in Color.” Though they probably should be.
Fascinated by the documentary series’ highly advanced night-vision technology, TheWrap bugged everyone associated with the streaming show to get us the best look possible at the transition from actual night to the bright result we see. They came through — a little after the debut, but through nonetheless.
Watch technology in action — and animals in never-before-seen night action — via the video above.
Using various combinations of astronomy-grade glass and low-light cameras, “Earth at Night” crews shot the full spectrum of light from (visible) white light to (invisible) infrared light. They then teamed up with a company that specializes in film restoration, NULIGHT Studios), and stripped out the pink and the red.
If none of this makes sense to you, readers, it doesn’t to us either. But the result is cool as hell.
“Earth at Night in Color” was filmed with 72 shoots over an 18-month period. However, the crew only filmed six days per month to take advantage of the full-moon light. That meant there would be six to eight simultaneous shoots taking place across the globe.
Think that’s crazy? To capture bears and the northern lights with little light pollution, a cameraperson had to drive out to the wilderness and cross country ski more than 20 kilometers in the freezing cold, we’re told. And you think your work commute sucks? (That joke would have landed stronger if people still commuted.)
Among its boasts, “Earth at Night in Color” is the first production to film Peregrine Falcons at night. It also delivered some rare sightings, like (hungry, hungry) hippos trekking through the grasslands eating and two cheetah brothers playing and hunting together.
“Earth at Night in Color” premiered on Dec. 4, 2020 on Apple TV+. New episodes roll out on Fridays, one at a time.