The team over at snowmaking just fired up the west coast’s largest snowmaking system today at Heavenly Mountain. Nice cold temps are expected the next few day and these guys are planning on pumping out the snow. For the opening sequence, I really wanted to create something different. The concept was to make a dramatic build up, like the count down of a spaceship launch.
By far one of the most challenging shoots I’ve been on. I give the snowmakers a lot of credit, because their job is tough and demanding. Dane Henry and I headed up the mountain with the swing crew at 7:00 pm. By snowmobile escort we captured the crew moving guns and setting up on Ridge Run. The winds picked up around 9:00, and it got cold. Despite all that Mother Nature was throwing at us, it was still a good time.
Heavenly’s earliest opening day in years, plus some of the best snow I’ve skied this early. With the hard work of Heavenly’s Snowmakers, Heavenly is the first Ski Resort open in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The video team was in full effect. Dane Henry headed up the hill with three models, and captured some amazing skiing. I stayed down in the village and shot around the gondola. Beautiful morning of filming, a blue bird day, complemented by a light blanket of snow left from overnight.
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We just wrapped production on the second episode of “The Snowmakers”, a web series for Heavenly Mountain Resort. Dane Henry and myself headed up the Mountain at 6am to capture the sunrise and start the day of filming with the day crew. After the some coffee and the usual truck ride up the mountain, we were greeted with 20-foot mounds of snow. Truly amazing how much snow they had produced in a couple short days. We were escorted around on snowmobiles to check out the progress on Orion’s run. Another exciting day filming and cruising around the mountain.
Dane Henry and myself just finished shooting the first episode of “The Snowmakers” for Heavenly Mountain Resort. What a treat to be up on the mountain at night, a unique experience. After a 25-minute truck ride up, the night of shooting began at Adventure Peak at the top of the gondola. This a cold spot on the mountain, and usually a starting point for the swing shift. Cold and wet night of shooting, the camera and me are still drying out. Captured on two Panasonic Hvx 200’s.
Here is Dane’s amazing edit.