Amazing Dinoworld (NHK, 2019)

Amazing Dinoworld

(NHK, 2019)

Two-part mini-series & theatrical feature NHK Special · Japan · 2016–2019

Amazing Dinoworld is a 2019 NHK-produced 8K documentary mini-series exploring how recent fossil discoveries are reshaping our understanding of dinosaurs and marine reptiles. Across two feature-length episodes, the series combines cutting-edge paleontological science with state-of-the-art imagery to bring extinct creatures to life and present new insights into their biology and behavior. After its original broadcast on NHK's BS8K the two 1-hr episodes were re-edited for 90-min theatrical release, later acquired by Apple. It can be now enjoyed on CuriosityStream, or via Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.

I was the DoP (Director of Photography) for this project. Deepely involved from the start with the initial planing and related technology development,
I have led the camera department through the grueling schedule spanning over 4 years and multiple locations in 10 countries around the world. Designing unique framing and shot compositions (that were unheard of at NHK) I was the very first foreigner to direct photography for one of these "NHK Specials".
I have worked closely with the VFX team to solve the technical challenges of filming the documentary. And while the dinosaurs were computer-generated, all the environments are real locations, carefuly selected by the two NHK directors and myself. To this date (as of 2026) it is still the highest-rated multi-award winning NHK Special of all time. My language abilities were crucial for coordinating the complex logistics of such a project across the multitude of countries and cultures. I am very proud of the whole crew and of what we have accomplished - and I want to thank NHK for this opportunity...

Trailer for Amazing Dinoworld NHK Special mini-series — **Amazing Dinoworld trailer**
Trailer for the NHK Special mini-series "Amazing Dinoworld" (2019)

This project spanned over four years, filming on countless locations across 10 countries. I wanted to keep the selected stills to a minimum, but it took me forever just to reduce the numbers to what you see here. There were so many more I wanted to share, but I had to draw the line somewhere. You can just flip through them in the lightbox mode (click on any image), if you don't need to read the captions. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into the making of this unique production...

Selected stills from the final project:

A herd of Pachyrhinosaurus moving through deep snow in an Arctic winter landscape — A herd of Pachyrhinosaurus wading through deep snow in a wintry landscape. The Arctic, 66 million years ago…

A group of Avimimus running downhill across grassy terrain, fleeing an unseen predator — A large group of Avimimus running in a grassy terrain, fleeing an unknown predator. Who is chasing them?

Deinocheirus following a group of Avimimus down a grassy hillside — Deinocheirus closely following the Avimimus down the hill — but they are herbivores, not predators.

A solitary Troodon wading through snow toward a small stream with an insect in its mouth — Troodon wading through snow toward a small stream. I wonder what it is up to with the insect in its mouth…

Professor Lawrence Witmer examining a fossil specimen during a scientific interview — Professor Lawrence Witmer (Ohio University), known for CT-based reconstructions of dinosaur and bird anatomy.

A Troodon sheltering from a winter blizzard among low shrubs — Our friend Troodon sheltering from a winter blizzard among low shrubs. Life was tough in the far north…

Pachyrhinosaurus gathered at a watering hole during a brief Arctic summer — Pachyrhinosaurus by a watering hole during the brief Arctic summer, when snow doesn't cover everything.

A group of Tarbosaurus scanning the landscape while hunting together — A Tarbosaurus “wolf pack” on aggressive lookout for an easy meal. I wonder what they are after…

A flock of Quetzalcoatlus gliding above a vast river delta in strong winds — A flock of Quetzalcoatlus gliding on strong winds above a vast river delta. Where are they heading?

Dr. Luis Chiappe discussing marine reptiles during an on-camera interview — Dr. Luis Chiappe, Senior Curator at NHM Los Angeles, discussing marine reptiles and their remarkable evolution.

A large female Mosasaurus resting in shallow coastal waters — A large female Mosasaurus resting in the shallows with a bulging belly. Was it a good hunt — or something else…?

A Protomosasaurus cautiously moving past Abelisaurus along a sandy shoreline — Protomosasaurus trying to sneak past a few Abelisaurus on the beach. One day it will be its turn to dominate…

An opalised ammonite fossil displaying iridescent colors and circular boreholes — An exquisitely opalised Ammonite fossil shimmering with rainbow colours. But what are those large, round holes?

A white-furred Nanuqsaurus trapped in an icy pond within a snowy landscape — A white-furred Nanuqsaurus blending into the landscape — but trapped in an icy pond. What happened?

Dr. Nicola Bressi examining the Carsosaurus fossil at Trieste Natural History Museum — Dr. Nicola Bressi (Trieste Natural History Museum) closely examining a rare and unique Carsosaurus fossil.

A massive plesiosaur erupting through a bait ball of fish — Our female Mosasaurus bursting through a bait ball, snapping up fish. Not going hungry today…

A green lizard camouflaged among moss-covered forest vegetation — A green lizard blending into the mossy forest. Hard to spot unless it moves — better stay still…

A massive asteroid approaching Earth moments before impact — The beginning of the end. A massive 10-kilometre-wide asteroid moments from impacting prehistoric Earth…

And selected behind the scenes pictures:

Peter Majtan standing in front of large Deinocheirus arms, making them appear as his own — With arms like this, I would never get tired of operating the 20+ kg (44+ lbs) stabilised 8K camera system…

Peter Majtan holding a large fallen tree trunk above his head with one hand — In the absence of those arms, stretching a little before filming starts also helps! (No AI on my site…)

Peter Majtan operating a large film crane to capture an elevated shot of the Royal Tyrrell Museum entrance — Sometimes even my 191 cm (6'3") height and "wingspan" aren’t enough. Film crane to the rescue…

Peter Majtan riding on the back of an ATV with a tripod extended on top of the M6 drone case to get an elevated shot — When the film crane isn’t available, other “creative solutions” will get you the elevated shot you need…

Filming the famous Black Beauty T-rex skeleton with a film crane at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller — The crane does give my arms a rest. Filming the famous “Black Beauty” T-rex skeleton at the RTM in Drumheller.

Crew taking a break after spotting a hedgehog at a remote filming location — When the crew gets distracted by a hedgehog visiting our remote location, it’s time to take a breather…

Map showing a long mountain trek to the filming location with photo points marked — We had to repeat this 4+ hours climb on several days just to reach the filming location. Who needs a gym…

National Geographic Earth Explorer backpack loaded with camera equipment and a Ronin 2 stabiliser — How do you bring 8K camera, lenses, batteries, stabiliser and provisions up a mountain? NatGeo Earth Explorer XL!

Peter Majtan standing in front of a large cave bear exhibit at the Trieste Natural History Museum — Meeting distant relatives is always fun! I forgot his favourite apple honey pie again… My bad!

VFX team reviewing footage while Peter Majtan fishes in the distance to prepare lunch — Where’s Wally? While the VFX team checks our footage, he’s catching everyone’s lunch in the distance…

Checking dinosaur scale and reference size before filming to ensure realistic imagery — Checking true dinosaur scale and reference size before every shot was crucial for producing realistic imagery.

Peter Majtan with Kazuki Ueda, Professor Lawrence Witmer, and his parrot after a long filming day — With Professor Lawrence Witmer, NHK director Ueda-san, and the hardest-working crew member. And myself…

Camera assistant Shuko Kitazawa and crane operator concentrating during a complex crane shot — Intense focus (pun intended) during crane operation — and the moment you know you’ve nailed the shot!

Point of view from a remote crane head suspended above the Deinocheirus skeleton — PoV from the remote crane head suspended high above the most complete Deinocheirus skeleton in the world.

Peter Majtan filming close-up details of the Deinocheirus skeleton — Up close and personal to capture even the most minute details of this remarkable Deinocheirus fossil…

Peter Majtan, directors, and VFX crew carrying a heavy tree trunk to the filming location — When the DoP wants the perfect composition, we bring even the heaviest props to the location!

VFX team members standing in for dinosaurs during rehearsal on a windy winter day — Only top Hollywood actors will do when rehearsing action and composition for the next shot…!

Peter Majtan running through deep snow with a stabilised 8K camera rig — Running through deep fresh snow with a 20+ kg (44+ lbs) stabilised 8K camera to capture the perfect PoV shot.

Peter Majtan enjoying a cup of coffee while standing thigh-deep in water and planning the next shot — Enjoying a double espresso while thinking through the next shot’s logistics and composition.

Shuko Kitazawa and Peter Majtan filming during a winter blizzard in sub-zero temperatures — It wasn’t all beaches and sunshine. Much of the filming happened in far-from-ideal conditions, to say the least.

Shuko Kitazawa preparing to record location sound on a sunny beach — I swear! It wasn’t all beaches & sunshine. Just two weeks earlier we were filming in −30 °C (−22 °F) in Mongolia…

Young grizzly bear walking past a car during location scouting — A young grizzly casually strolling past our car. We also encountered a few adults on the mountain treks…

Shuko Kitazawa reacting to a door staged with fake blood for a dinosaur scene — There were other terrifying monsters to worry about while filming a dinosaur documentary. Shuko just realised…

Peter Majtan standing next to a cardboard cut-out of a Bigfoot with a PROOF sign — Proof indeed! Proof that the real Slovak Yeti is far bigger than the (yet to be discovered) North American Bigfoot!

Peter Majtan and Shuko Kitazawa standing in front of an IMAX poster for Volcanoes 3D in Los Angeles — While filming in LA, IMAX happened to be screening another feature we worked on for Michael Dalton-Smith!

Shuko Kitazawa sitting on ice furniture while holding an audio boom in extreme cold — Audio cables inside the boom kept freezing solid. Recording sound in −30 °C (−22 °F) was a real challenge!

Shuko Kitazawa posing for a selfie with two well-known Mongolian filmmakers between shots — Working with two legendary Mongolian filmmakers was a welcome reward for enduring the frigid temperatures…

Professor Tanaka inside a restricted exhibit containing fossilised Deinocheirus eggs — We were granted rare access to film Tanaka-san in normally enclosed exhibit of fossilised Deinocheirus eggs

Peter Majtan holding a stabilised 8K camera rig above his head while filming from a boat — Should’ve put the life jacket on the 8K camera instead. Unlike the heavy gear - I can actually swim!

Exhausted crew members resting beneath the Fish Within a Fish exhibit after a long filming day — “Fish Within a Fish” and a crew with absolutely no energy left within after a very long day of filming in Kansas…

Camera crane extended inside the famous Nodosaurus fossil at the Royal Tyrrell Museum — Having the privilege of filming one of the rarest dinosaur fossils in the world — the legendary Nodosaurus!

Interview with Dr. Caleb Brown at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller — Interviewing Dr. Caleb Brown, Curator of Dinosaur Systematics & Evolution at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.

Peter Majtan taking a power nap on the floor during a demanding filming schedule — Catching a much-needed power nap during the gruelling worldwide filming schedule. The floor works just fine…

Jayce Ong shielding a camera from sand using a dustpan during beach filming — Creative solutions are sometimes needed in a pinch, when shielding camera from sand on a remote beach…

Peter Majtan with a parrot perched on his head during filming in Austria — A modern dinosaur descendant getting revenge. He’s shouting: “I am a dinosaur too, dumba**!”

Peter Majtan, Shuko Kitazawa, and Yusuke Matsufune carrying an 8K camera rig after a long day filming on a cold beach — And that’s a wrap! One of the best projects of my career. It will be very hard to beat… Thank you NHK & the crew!

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