Scenes for the national carrier’s newest safety video were filmed in Dunedin, Balclutha and the small Maniototo town of Naseby at the weekend.
A Naseby resident, who asked not to be named, said the main street was closed for part of the day and hundreds of people were brought in for the filming, tripling the small town’s population.
Residents had known about the planned shoot for weeks but had been sworn to secrecy, the man said.
Curlers from Dunedin and Naseby, and the Mosgiel Brass Band will star alongside Hunt for the Wilderpeople actor Julian Dennison and New Zealand musicians Kings, Theia and Randa.
Clutha District Mayor Bryan Cadogan said he was not aware of any filming in the South Otago town but understood why Air New Zealand would pick Balclutha as a location.
"It’s obvious they chose one of the most progressive and beautiful spots in the country to star in their new video."
The Otago Daily Times understands members of Dunedin’s surf life-saving clubs were also involved in the shoot but people involved were keeping their cards close to their chest when contacted yesterday.
Air New Zealand global brand and content marketing general manager Jodi Williams said usually plans for the safety video were kept secret but the airline wanted to give people a chance to see the "magic unfold".
Alongside the Otago locations, scenes for the video were also being shot in Wellington, Hokitika and South Auckland.
This safety video would celebrate "Kiwi" culture while recognising the diverse community groups which made up New Zealand and would be released later this year.
The airline’s safety videos have attracted more than 157 million views online.
