There is nothing easy about pulling off a quality production outdoors, especially in the extreme cold. Sherpas Cinema, a boutique production house based in Whistler, is known for achieving some of the most logistically difficult shoots in the outdoor/ski industry.
Batteries drain, ridgetop winds bite hard into any exposed skin and hands feel like they are made of wood while gripping a camera in -30 degree temps. There is nothing easy about pulling off a quality production outdoors, especially in the extreme cold. Sherpas Cinema, a boutique production house based in Whistler, is known for achieving some of the most logistically difficult shoots in the outdoor/ski industry.
Their focus on cutting edge filmmaking techniques, inventive animations, graphic design, character development, and detailed audio design have pushed their films to be the best in the industry. Their latest film, “Into The Mind” won the IF3 Movie Awards “Film of the Year”.
The Yeti 400 Solar Power Generator keeping camera gear charged
Shooting in the high mountain ranges of Alaska, Canada, Himalaya, and Bolivia can present a myriad of logistical challenges. When we asked Sherpas Cinema Producer Malcolm Sangster about their most logistically difficult filming expedition he replied, “I’m sure various folks in the company may have differing answers for this. But the one that sticks out is Denali National Park in Alaska. The pre-production was filled with governmental challenges of permitting, red tape, and roadblocks - filming something fringe like freeskiing in a climbing oriented park was foreign for the Rangers. Once we finally got there, -30 degree temps and winds every night kept things interesting in terms of running electronic gear, finding quality skiing and keeping morale high.” The Sherpa team’s arsenal of equipment requires an immense amount of power. Leo Hoorn, one of the Sherpas’ Senior Cameramen/Editors, mentioned, “On the Mount Hunter trip the Yeti 400 coupled with multiple solar panels played a vital role in keep our camera batteries charged. Each day we would use 5-6 big red batteries with our two main cameras, 2-3 small SLR batteries, 2- bigger overnight time-lapse batteries, as well as 3-5 GoPro batteries. You could say the success of the shoot relied on these batteries being charged every day.” We, here at GOAL ZERO, are proud that the Sherpas Cinema team has relied on our gear during these expeditions. We are happy that we could supply the tools they need to reach their creative goals and live without boundaries. If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out their films make sure you check out their website and buy or download a copy.