Kiwis nab technical Academy Award a month before Oscars

Brad Hundell, John Coyle, Vikas Sathaye and Shane Buckham created the Shotover K1 Camera System, used for aerial shots on Dunkirk. Photo / supplied

A group of New Zealand tech wizards have scored a jump on Margot Robbie, Daniel Day-Lewis and Meryl Streep a month before the Oscars.

Brad Hundell, John Coyle, Vikas Sathaye and Shane Buckham will be honoured with 30 other leaders in movie production technology at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Scientific and Technical Awards on Saturday (Sunday 1.30pm AEDT) in Beverly Hills.

The four created the Shotover K1 Camera System which has given Hollywood's top directors and cinematographers stunning new aerial shots for major films including Dunkirk, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Kong: Skull Island and the upcoming Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

"It's the latest and greatest camera system for aerial photography for the movies," Shotover founder and main gimbal designer John Coyle told AAP.

The Shotover K1 Camera System was used on last year's Kong: Skull Island. Photo / supplied

The Queenstown-based Shotover's gyro-stabilised camera platforms can be attached to helicopters and configured for Hollywood's most advanced cameras.

The Scientific and Technical Awards are held at the Beverly-Wilshire Hotel with other winners including tech wizards from film industry giants Pixar and Industrial Light & Magic.

The ceremony comes ahead of the March 4 Academy Awards in Hollywood where Robbie, Day-Lewis, Streep and Hollywood's A-List compete for acting Oscars.