It's not done like this anymore...

Surprisingly, we were contacted in May 2022 by a NW film and TV Location Scout who expressed an interest in the Valhalla Property.

Checking a location they liked at the edge of the large pond.
Assistant Director, Director, Director of Photography and another producer.
 

Here's the same group checking a few trees on the east side of huckleberry hill. They liked this one and we sold it to them. It will be felled downhill in a most dramatic manner. It was hinted that a helicopter is supposed to be involved in a protest  with the character in a  tree house

Another meeting
Director Mel Eslin (Center)
We got just a little listen to the discussions and the pointing and all the ideas bouncing around.
We negotiate a contract for two weeks of shooting beginning mid-September!

 

Another meeting
We  get really interested in the creative side of movie making and the sheer amount of vision and collaboration needed to fill the role of a Director.

August 2022
Here's Drummond play-acting scary aggressive with a pair of machete's.
To his right is the Cattail Cove trail where the primitive campsite and campfire will be located
Some minimal clearing was done on the  trail leading down to the shoreline. We hauled out four loads of ferns and salmonberries

 

The first day of shooting
The number of participants and the equipment to pull this thing off was staggering.
 

Here's the the south pasture of the Lundberg Farm next door. Acquiring permission to use this area was key to the success of using Valhalla for the film.
They called this the "base camp".

Here's Drummond (L) having a quick conversation with the Sound Mixer Kelsey.
Guy in dark blue shirt (C) is the Stunt Coordinator Alex Terzieff who is a fellow
Norwegian. We hit it off due to he and I are both from the same Scandinavian Neighborhood  in North Seattle.

A view inside the Director's Tent about 100 ft up the trail from the set.
Chairs for the Director, Producer, Script people, makeup and lighting types. That's Mel's Mom in the middle. Everyone is facing two HD monitors. The whole vibe was upbeat, friendly and all business

Following Drummond down to the scene of the campsite set

Diversity antennas
These things go up on high tripods to ensure the cine' video from the two cameras is top notch.

A couple of high-gain antennas on a stand to pick up the wireless mikes.
Drummond pointing toward the area of the campsite set - film action.
 

Arri Alexa Mini
Everything is remote controlled over a secure WiFi link
arri alexa website

Sound mixing workstation
 

One of the camera operators
Now it takes two guys, one to hold the camera and one to run all the focus and exposure settings.

Close-up of the front of the Arri. Binocular looking objects measure the camera-lens distance to the subject using sonar. View a photo of a camera guy balancing a big lens.

The camera equipment was all rented locally and it appeared all of the support people were local independent contractor gig workers. Everyone appeared to have local roots. The COVID Test Nurse was from Cleveland. At the base camp, everyone had to be swabbed (and pass) before starting work for the day. They had a 30 minute instant tester.

Key grip, Assistant Director and Focus Puller
Note the actress stand-in center background
All the focus, exposure and other camera parameters were remote controlled over a secure WiFi link.
The focus puller has a cool job. Those readouts and hand controls on the tripod tell him exactly how far the lens is from the subject and used to zoom in or pull out. This guy was telling me that its one of the most pressure filled ridiculously tough tasks that you can shoulder on the set and the consequences are as simple as they are brutal: miss the focus, ruin the take.
 

Shot of one of the HD monitors in the Directors tent.
Actress Megan Stott preparing for the next shot.
Looks like they ran two cameras.

Working out the exact instructions for this shot at the campsite
 

Production Designer John Lavin and one of the prop guys and his wagon of props.
They must be looking for a lost half dollar.
 

Shooting a scene at one of the big firs on Huckleberry Hill

The production company hired a local air taxi to make some circles for one of the shots
 

Here's the Flight Aware plot for N350WW

Game Camera shot from Lower Pond Loop Trail
 Director Mel Eslin is checking this trail where we had positioned a game camera for our usual surveillance looking for good animal shots

Others walking the trail.. Penelope Character (C) and one of the Grips (R)
What does a Grip do?

Two Camera Operators walking back for a random trail shot
 

Two Coyotes also using the trail and realizing there's people around!

Part of the script called for Penelope to have encounters with a Bear and with a Cougar
Bear cub Cinder on the bench next to the Popcorn Pond Loop Trail. Humane CSAR people there to make sure Cinder was not being mishandled. There were other rules for when around the bear, not to make eye contact. Peanut Butter and Jelly apparently used for attraction as Cinder was to walk down the trail towards the camp.
The Cougar encounter was near the back of the creekside camp and used a puppet.

 

Cinder by the fire circle at the Hytte Cabin Campsite
Animal handler Roland and wife Lauren stayed at the Hytte cabin during animal parts of the filming. Here's the bio on Roland Sonnenburg.
Looks like he has the animal training gift!

Nice Hemlock growing out of a stump
The film has a scene with a protester's tree house in the top of a tree and they used this tree on the east side of Huckleberry Hill.
View photo of this unique tree/stump in 2018 before the thinning.
 

A ladder "prop" up the tree to the tree house.
The "tree house" was constructed about ten ft off the ground and camera angles made it look like it was very high up. Those straps held it and no damage was done to the tree.

Fast Forward two weeks and two miles down the road at River Meadows Park
This is Penelope's permanent camp set. Fire was fed from propane tank off to the left.
 

Here's Drummond looking inside.
We did a quick walkthrough while everyone was eating lunch.
View a shot of Valhalla Dave and Dave Drummond enjoying the catered lunch.
 

Wider view of the camp shelter set
Camera operator position under umbrella right background
Note the simulated snow. View another shot of simulated snow. It was biodegradable

Department tents clustered along the roadway edge.
Electrical, Camera, Audio, Director, Lighting, Hair and Makeup.
The trail to the set was past the last tent. This is a wild part of the park.

It was getting wet and muddy.
Group of people ready for the next scene

Audio Tent
Met Kelsey the sound mixer again. He has a website where users can stream live audio from productions for collaboration.

Directors Tent
Note the glowing propane heaters

Trail to the campsite set.
It had begun to rain, all the lights were covered with plastic bags.
Straw spread on the trail to prevent mud

Another shot of  the trail to the campsite set
Camera tripods and lighting. Everything was protected.
Note the mike cords center right.