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LMGI COMPASS
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Winter 2025
lens cap on. They often say, 'What if it gets stolen?' But who's
going to take it? A penguin?" laughs Cassata.
SLM Kane adds: "We bring a lot of extra, heated-up batteries
and put hand warmers in seal skin mittens and hang them
on the camera so the cameramen can operate and keep their
hands warm.
"We also bring an extra camera in case one goes down. We can't
wait in a remote location for another one to come from LA."
Then there's all the other equipment to take, like sanitary
facilities with chemicals to break things down, tents and
catering (sometimes lunch is flown in), including the right type
of food.
"It needs to be energy-rich in terms of nutrients because in
that environment, you're burning so many calories just wading
through the snow," says SLM Ken Brooker.
Crew support
Maintaining crew welfare is tough but vital. Shooting in the
winter cold is extreme. There's usually only a small window of
sunlight. And yet productions can still turn up unprepared.
"I often have to talk to the HoDs about the crew they're
bringing. No one's got time to babysit anybody up there. If
they're not willing to bend, then they're going to be a liability,"
says Brooker.
SLM Dillin adds: "Many of them have filmed around the world
or been snowboarding (and bring that gear), but they can soon
run into trouble. Not only is it minus 40, but they don't realise
that filming in the snow is actually like filming in the desert
in that it gets dry and dehydrated, all the moisture comes out
of the air. They don't want to drink water because it seems
strange in the cold, but it's vital."
It's the same with food. "We have to remind crew to keep doing
everything they would normally. It's boring but if they don't,
hyperthermia can set in," adds Ensor. "They soon come around
and many wear the insulated bibs we provide with shiny space-
age metal inside to keep them warm."
"On the film The Revenant, they even had a separate Heat Team
whose sole job was to keep everyone warm," says Dillin.
Ken Brooker/LMGI, Filming Santa's Village at
Whistler Olympic Park, BC, Canada for Noelle
