Ben Wallbank

Award-winning DP, Camera Operator and Director working across documentary, commercial film and international TV.

Documentary and commercial specialist.
Shooter-Producer (remote & multi-week field productions)
Helicopter aerial operations specialist - extensive background as helicopter crewman, now applying that experience to aerial gimbal cinematography
CAA Part 102 certified drone pilot
Expedition and high-alpine capable
Experienced with ARRI, RED, Sony systems
Gimbal / EasyRig / remote-location workflow
Own camera and drone package, fully insured. Wānaka based, available worldwide.

Showreel: https://youtu.be/Tpnp8RPW0x0

Industry Experience

Noted work:

International Television
Camera Operator & field shooter-producer on Race to Survive (USA Network), filming multi-week expeditions in remote environments.

International Feature Film
Documentary shooter for Tashi (Apple TV).

Commercials
DP / Camera Operator for brands including Olympics NZ, Lotto NZ and Sky Sport.

Outdoor/Expedition
Projects/Clients: The North Face (international & NZ), Altra Running USA, Rab, Red Bull. Work spanning commercial brand content, athlete films and expedition documentary across NZ and international locations.

Documentary Film (Broadcast)
Director / DP / Editor - The Adventure of Racing, Winner - Best Documentary Award, Best Film and Outstanding Excellence awards, 2024. Broadcast on Sky TV New Zealand.

Documentary Film (Festival)
Director / DP / Editor - Basa Rising, selected for the NZ Mountain Film Festival 2026.

Aerial
CAA Part 102 certified drone pilot, with an extensive background as a helicopter crewman - several hundred hours operating camera in flight, often in poor conditions with a single take available. That grounding now shapes my aerial gimbal and drone work.

I specialise in documentary and commercial filmmaking, and I'm as comfortable on a controlled set as I am running a multi-week shoot in remote terrain. Avalanche qualified and a field member of Wānaka Search and Rescue's sub-alpine team, so high-altitude and back-country productions are well within reach.

My experience directing award-recognised documentaries shapes the way I approach commercial and broadcast work - blending documentary authenticity with strong visual craft to create narrative-driven content.