Capturing a Milestone in Hydrogen Aviation
When you’re documenting technology that could change the future of aviation, there’s no second take.
Fabrum approached Itch to capture one of the most significant milestones in the company’s history: successfully producing, storing and dispensing liquid hydrogen into aviation fuel tanks at Christchurch Airport. The testing marked a major step towards hydrogen-powered flight in Australasia and brought together industry leaders including AMSL Aero, Stralis Aircraft and Christchurch Airport to witness the achievement firsthand.
Our role wasn’t simply to film the day. It was to tell the story behind it.
Building the narrative
Before cameras rolled, we spent time with Fabrum’s team understanding the technology, the significance of the test, and the broader vision behind the project. Working closely with multiple stakeholders across New Zealand and Australia, we developed the narrative structure, interview approach and key messaging that would communicate a highly technical achievement in a way that felt engaging and accessible.
Rather than scripting interviews, we crafted thoughtful, conversational questions designed to draw out authentic responses and let the story unfold naturally.
Working inside a high risk environment
Filming at an operational liquid hydrogen testing facility inside Christchurch Airport presented challenges unlike a typical commercial shoot.
Strict health and safety protocols meant cameras and other electronic equipment couldn’t be used in certain areas while testing was underway, requiring sections of the production to be carefully recreated once testing had concluded. Weather conditions changed constantly throughout the day, with rain, wind and sunshine forcing us to adapt our shooting schedule around the live testing programme.
Even capturing the opening aerial sequence required a different approach. With drone operations prohibited on airport grounds, we coordinated a helicopter flight and timed it with an Air New Zealand aircraft departing in the background, creating an opening sequence that immediately established the scale and significance of the project.
A story that reached beyond the event
The finished film became much more than a record of the day’s testing.
Fabrum featured the video across its website and communications, while the project generated strong engagement across LinkedIn and other social platforms, helping showcase both the technological breakthrough and the collaboration between leading hydrogen innovators from New Zealand and Australia.
For Itch, this project demonstrated the value of combining strategic storytelling with technical production expertise. When the subject matter is complex and the moment can’t be repeated, success comes from understanding the story first, planning every detail, and delivering content that people genuinely want to watch.
Because sometimes the biggest innovations deserve more than documentation. They deserve a story that helps people understand why they matter.
“Itch are a team who are professional, creative and genuinely passionate about capturing your brand/event/milestone. After spending a good few days together working on a huge project at Fabrum, I could not advocate for them enough! From concept to execution and output was beyond our expectations. James, Stu and Seth, thank you!”