A large proportion of my work as a fully qualified IFMGA International Mountain Guide is in providing safety and logistical support to film and television production companies. This can involve project advice as to suitable locations for shooting, reconnaissance work, pre-shooting logistics and ‘on shoot’ support either as a coordinator or in the field, for example, providing technical rigging expertise and advice for Crew and Cast or specific secondment with SFX and Stunt Units. I understand the special constraints that face different types of filmmaking in adverse conditions, whether it is video, high definition, 16mm, Super 16mm, 35mm or large-format (IMAX®) films.
I have worked professionally in the high mountains and polar regions of the world for over 20 years, so you can be assured that my involvement with your next project is based on extensive experience, both with your requirements as a production company but also in the environment in which you wish to operate in. Please contact me to discuss how I can assist you in your forthcoming project.
Some of this work I carry out independently, but I also work for Poles Apart, a specialist production support company, where I am one of their core staff. Poles Apart provides total support to film productions wanting to work in the most extreme environments of the world.
Selected Biography of Film Projects…
Warner Bros Productions Ltd - Batman Begins
Working for Poles Apart, we were specifically requested by Warner Bros to supervise field safety while filming in a variety of extreme locations near Skaftafell and the Vatnajökull ice cap in Iceland.
Responsibilities included:
Calculation of load-bearing strength, risk assessments and safety supervision while filming the fight scene between Bruce Wayne and Ducard on the frozen lake; Supervision and coordination of safety rigging to protect camera crews filming on the steep cliffs below the Vatnajökull; Working with the stunt crew on rigging and retrieval systems for the simulated cliff fall
EON Productions/MGM - James Bond “Die Another Day”
Working for Poles Apart, we provided the ice and mountain safety necessary to film the car chase and ice dragster sequences on the frozen lake of Jökulsárlon and on the Vatnajökull icecap in South-east Iceland.
Jökulsárlon provided us with several challenges. Nearly 1000 feet deep and covered with ice that was only an inch thick in places, we had to ensure the safety of up to 20 vehicles and 100 people filming two sports cars racing at speeds of up to 60 mph!
Responsibilities included:
Drilling, analysing, testing and monitoring of the lake ice to ensure that crew and vehicles did not break through; Day-to-day film crew management on the ice; technical rigging for SFX and Stunt Units. On the Vatnajökull, responsibility was mountain safety cover, including avalanche prediction and crevasse testing.
IMAX® - Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure
Working for Poles Apart, we were instrumental in the planning and execution of the two filming phases of the highly acclaimed IMAX® format film Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure, which included both documentary and recreation filming about Shackleton's Endurance expedition to the Antarctic. Locations: In the Weddell Sea, on Elephant Island and on South Georgia.
Responsibilities included:
Field safety whilst filming offshore in small boats, on sea ice and in the mountains of South Georgia.
Selected Biography of Television Projects…
Keo Films/BBC - Blizzard: Race to the Pole
Working for Poles Apart, we handled the complicated field safety required to safeguard nearly 20 people each spending 100 days on the Greenland icecap filming this recreation of the Scott and Amundsen journeys to the South Pole.
Responsibilities included:
Advising on the design of a route of 1500 miles, which stretched from the coastal mountains and glaciers up onto the icecap; Aerial reconnaissance of crevassed and high-risk areas; Advising on communications and emergency response plans; Organising the field support equipment for the film crews; Implementing the field training programme in Tasiilaq; Guiding of film crews accompanying the Amundsen recreation team; Advising on resupply strategy.
Firstsight Films/Channel 4 - Shackleton
This production is one of the biggest dramatic film shoots that has ever been conducted on sea-ice. Working for Poles Apart, we advised on locations, safety and logistics. The preparations for this groundbreaking production were extensive.
Responsibilities included:
Field safety to the film crew and actors whilst filming offshore in small boats, on sea ice and in the mountains of East Greenland.
Granada Television - Where The Heart Is
Working for Poles Apart, we were specifically requested by Granada to organise and supervise a rock-climbing scene with actors to be filmed in the English Peak District for this popular television drama.
Responsibilities included:
Advising on location choice; Training the actors in rock-climbing and abseiling; Organising the rigging system which allowed the actors and camera teams to work on ropes in a vertical environment.
WGBH Nova - Shackleton's Voyage of Endurance
Working for Poles Apart, we were instrumental in the planning and execution of the two filming phases of the Emmy Award winning television documentary Shackleton's Voyage of Endurance, which included both documentary and recreation filming about Shackleton's Endurance expedition to the Antarctic. Locations: In the Weddell Sea, on Elephant Island and on South Georgia.
Responsibilities included:
Field safety whilst filming offshore in small boats, on sea ice and in the mountains of South Georgia.