Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546075
Fall 2026 – LOCAL695.COM 27 was not on that list. We explained that he's the one who puts all the radio mics on the actors and he has to get ready, so, then they decided, well, okay. But Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas, his wife, and Producer of the movie, they walked up. One thing about Chris is he doesn't subject you to stuff that he is not willing to do himself. If we are on a boat and it is raining and storming, he is out there. He's got a rain jacket, he doesn't even put his hat on, his hair is drenched and wind is blowing in his face. He really does it. What can you say when the director of the film is standing there and he's in a torrential downpour? "By the way, the helicopter rides up were only in the mornings. At night, I don't care who you were on the movie, from the star of the show to the caterers, everyone had to walk down because at night, the helicopters could not fly. The walk down was a little easier, but steep." They did a lot of boat work off Lipari Island in Sicily, aboard the Homeric ships, Greek wooden galleys propelled by sails and oars, that were designed with low hulls to enable easy beaching at night, as crews could not sleep onboard. Willie explains, "In my early career, I worked for the Navy for about three or four years, so I'm very familiar with ships and boats. Chris says to me, 'Where are you going to be? We're going to be filming everywhere.' One day, I tried to be in a little corner on the main deck, but I was always in the way. Finally, I decided I have to work below deck." Doug continues, "We had to put Willie down there, and we ran cables under the boards that would lift up where the guys rowed the boat. We discovered that this is the only way to do this and thank God, Willie is among the few people who can be below deck while a ship is tossing and turning in the ocean. He did a great job of not getting seasick because there were a lot of people who were on deck and they were getting seasick. Willie wasn't one of them." "So, I set up a little place for myself," adds Willie. "It's all good, right? We go out to sea, we're rocking and rolling and everything, and I'm okay. One day, a storm is scripted and the effects guys on another boat are dumping lots of water, everybody was getting drenched. I thought, well, I'll be pretty safe down here. However, the water poured down where I was, water was everywhere. I had to put up Visqueen to cover me and the equipment. We shot for three and a half weeks on the ship. "There was limited video assist, except for Chris Nolan and our Script Supervisor who have 7 inch monitors. I couldn't use one because of the distance from the camera. It's more of a challenge because I'm working blind. Doug and I, always watched rehearsals, then I knew where the action was going, where are they going to say that dialogue. Who says this? Who says that? Are they overlapping?" Doug continues, "I have to be Willie's eyes and to explain to him, what is going on. If Chris makes a slight adjustment, Willie really has to rely on my description, which is kind of old school. That's the way Willie worked in the beginning of his career, he's able to mix by memory. Nolan is never at a monitor, there is no video village with Chris, and there are no video assist people on set. So you're definitely reliant upon what you can gather." After finishing the boat and water work, the crew learns they are going to have a month off and then a week of prep before shooting at Sony Studios. "The whole crew was just so excited," says Doug. "Oh, God, I'm going to be home, sleeping in my own bed. That was the best gift of all. We got to knock out all the dirt of Morocco and just all the elements that we were faced with. We got to refurbish the machines and clean the cables and get the dust and dirt out of everything. It was a blessing to have those days to gather ourselves so that we could do the second leg of this movie." Willie continues, "Our next location was Iceland. The weather was cold and we filmed at night and on top of Adam Mohundro, Willie Burton CAS & Doug Shamburger