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What camera was this? GoPro HERO3-era cams — see the 2026 gear list that films that look today.
mapproductions.co.nz · film-location archive

Where the GoPro HERO3+ launch film was shot — every location, and the gear they used

An independent, original editorial guide. Not affiliated with GoPro or MAP Productions Ltd. Updated October 2026.

In 2013 GoPro published "GoPro HERO3: Almost as Epic as the HERO3+" — the launch film for the HERO3+ Black Edition. It is one of the most-watched camera videos ever posted, and more than a decade later people are still finding it, watching it, and asking the same two questions: where was that shot? and what would I need to film something like it today?

This site answers both — from the film's own published credits — and keeps the memory of the small New Zealand production company whose name in those credits is why this domain exists.

Start here
→ Every filming location, segment by segment (with maps)
→ The modern gear list: what to buy in 2026 for each shot type
→ About this domain — the MAP Productions story

The locations at a glance

SegmentLocation(s)Named in the credits
SnowMt. Cook, New Zealand · Earnslaw Burn, New ZealandTom Wallisch, Eric Willett, Julia Mancuso · JT Holmes
SurfTahiti, French PolynesiaKelly Slater, Anthony Walsh, Manoa Drollet
DiveVava'u, TongaMandy Rae Krack, Erin Magee, Ashleigh Baird
Mountain bikeQueenstown, New Zealand · Squamish, BC, CanadaAaron Chase, Mike Montgomery, Kelly McGarry, Brett Tippie
KayakTurangi, Taupo, Aratiatia, Whangarei & Maruia, New ZealandBen Brown, Rush Sturges
MotoSan Francisco, CAJames Rispoli, Josh Herrin, Jake Ellington
AerobaticsQueenstown, New ZealandChuck Berry

Location facts and names come from the film's own YouTube description. Our write-ups are original.

Why this domain looks like a production company

Because it was one. MAP Productions Ltd, a New Zealand production company, was credited in the film's snow segment, and its old website lived here. The company's site is long gone; the credit — and the link — remained. Read the full story →