INTO THE WHITE

A morning stroll

Day 22 - #MovieComrade

Florian Lukas, David Kross, Lachlan Nieboer & Rupert Grint posing for the press. Stig Henrik Hoff is unfortunately somewhere out of frame. Photo by Film i Väst

After a weekend that contained both a full shooting day and a wonderwall night out in Trollhättan we started our fifth week with a press conference. While the cast was driven over to Trollywood Studios our beloved director Petter Næss thought he’d fancy a morning stroll. What, according to Production Assistant Vincent Gry, was supposed to be a five minute walk turned out to be a 15 minute run when Petter after a bit realized he had to run full speed, overtaking two joggers in the process, to get there in time. It is fortunate for both Vincent and Petter that he’s got a great stride and a forgiving soul.

Once it begun the press conference went really well. Producers, Director and Cast were all in a great mood and there were not to many strange questions. Outside there was a horde of screaming fans who got both autographs and some pictures before we headed back to The Fridge. All in all a pretty good way to start the day, and for those fluent in Swedish you’ll find the resulting articles here:
Comrade lockar filmstjärnor till Trollhättan
Ruperthysteri i Trollhättan

Grip Bob Aas Carho preparing yet another tracking shot.

Once back on set it’s been a pretty hectic day that has involved doing dishes, feeding the fire, smashing furnitures and a bit of undressing. And let me tell you, they sure had some funky underwear back in the days.

In your face

Day 20 - #MovieComrade

I guess it is more common than not to find your self doing weird stuff in this industry. Like shoveling snow ONTO a roof, building a huge plane just to burn it, or, like I did today; taking a big fan and blowing paper snow right in the face of Stig Henrik Hoff. Considering that he is much stronger than me I am glad he took it like a man.

The Cast is working so hard they almost never have time to sit down.

The man of the day has nothing to do with this film though. Prince William married Kate Middleton today and the royal wedding did NOT go unnoticed on set. The art department computer showing the live webcast from the event drew considerable attention during lunch, and Lachlan Nieboer was not happy that some pick ups made him miss the first part. Sad to say even more of us had to work through the “kiss on the balcony”. None the less we want to send a cyber congratulation to the Happy Royal Couple!

Days like these even a parking lot can be a beautiful place.

It is our first Friday Night in Trollhättan and it’s not just any night. It’s been complete with screaming fans, a waterside café blessing us with loud ompfh, ompfh music and a nice spring breeze that makes life a little brighter. We can’t however, enjoy it too much. Because tomorrow is yet another day in The Can.

Just a man

Day 19 - #MovieComrade

The sunrise in Trollhättan might not be as majestic as the one in Grotli. But for us lucky enough to get an extra early Crew Call it was still a pretty scene. My morning passengers even thought it looked a bit like Florida. Trollywood or Florida, one thing is certain, this town is busy right now. Depending on whom I ask there is everything from 3 to 5 feature films being shot right now. (If any of you readers have a more correct “feature count” please comment or tweet!) This in a town with only 46.000* inhabitants! So when 10 Policemen enter your hotel it is more likely that they have Call Sheets than guns in their hands.

First AD Yvonne Lundin making sure everyone is ready for another take.

In the fridge, or I mean on set, we continued where we left of yesterday with our “intense dialogue driven scenes”. All five actors are active almost the entire time and every setup counts. Even if we already have some amazing footage In The Can the scenes we are doing now will make or brake this movie, and I think everybody feels a pressure born from the desire to do their very best. This makes everybody work a little bit harder even if it at moments can be too much. Or as one stressed out crew member put it. “I simply can not do everything at once, I’m just a man!” 

Part of the camera crew enjoying a well deserved lunch break in the sun.

___________________

*According to Wikipedia

Dreaming of a Little Cabin

Day 18 - #MovieComrade

27th of April 1940, high above the harsh Norwegian wilderness, English and German pilots shoot each other to the ground after a violent chance encounter. 27th of April 2011, 71 years later, a Norwegian/Swedish/German/British/Danish film crew goes to work outside Trollhättan. Isolated, they must fight to survive the cold studio. Through mutual need, friendships bloom. They become Comrades. Just like the five brave soldiers did 71 years ago.

The real Heinkel in Grotli

The first day at a new location is always exciting. There is new stuff to be seen, learned and filmed. In the studio outside Trollhättan we are filming our  cabin in a refrigerated room. Somehow I get the feeling that we’ve got a cabin in a can. A cold can. All to get these interior shots from Trollhättan to match the exterior shoots from Grotli, some 645 km away, as well as possible. 

Our Cabin in a Can

The comforts of a studio shoot makes life a lot easier for the crew. No more walking in the snow, digging up scooters or waiting for clouds to quietly pass us by. For the cast however this is when the hard work starts. No more walking and looking. Only intense dialogue driven scenes. This morning you could feel the tension in the air as they all prepared for the day in their own way. However, I think they have all been looking forward to it, and I know that they are up for the challenge!