Camera gear used to film "Highline"

[chris smead]

Hi guys, thought you might find this interesting/crazy.  Here’s a list of all the gear we took on the trail to film “Highline”  https://kit.com/Outmersive/the-gear-we-used-to-make-the-film-highline  (No affiliate links…yet…not entirely sure how to make that work with kit….looking into it so that might change)

This list was certainly not ultralight, but luckily we were able to distribute the load among 7 UL hikers.  So the heaviest pack (mine) was just over 40lbs.    Not bad considering we carried 11 lenses, 2 gimbals, 75 batteries, multiple cameras, a dolly, almost a pound in ND filters alone, an audio kit, and a ton more.  We came back with almost 3.5Tb of footage.  All shot in slog2 so the colorist can get the most out of it.

[Mike B]

Wow, can’t wait until you get it done!

[Gumbo]

Amazing. This being BPL, the big thing missing from your gear list is weights…

[chris smead]

Yeah I typically weigh all my backpacking gear, but when it came to camera gear I just focused on overall weight.

I carried about 11 lbs of camera gear, The other cameraman carried about 9lbs, and the rest of the guys carried 4-7lbs each.

This isn’t up to date, but here’s an example of stuff I’ve carried in the past:  https://lighterpack.com/r/6p6i2h

[Rex Sanders]

Drones are a pain for many reasons, so I came up with a solution similar to yours – basically GoPro on a gimbal on a stick. Except for one shoot I forgot the gimbal – and the footage came out OK because the GoPro is so wide angle.

Some people cobble together systems with painter poles (all the parts are available) for long reach and low cost. I use a lightweight collapsible boom pole that can be used for microphones, etc. Never thought to take it backpacking … Maybe a Zpacks Carbon Fiber Staff and some kind of tripod adapter?

I’m still shocked and impressed that you carried so much video gear and batteries!

10 or 15 days of shooting, 150 days of editing?

— Rex

 

[chris smead]

Yeah we did the same thing.  A GoPro on an Evo SS gimbal.  Worked great!

We shot for 10 days on the trail, then another 8 days off trail shooting interviews with an archeologist, ranger, the five hikers, and lots of B-roll.

I’m looking at probably 500-600 hours of editing given the 3 complicated dimensions that need to tie together seamlessly into a cohesive story. The modern experience, the history of the trail, and the history of the hikers.   I’m also animating a bunch of old photos which adds time, but I think those are fun.  :)

The colorist who did Mile, Mile and a Half is signed up to color the film, and the guys from Mr Robot and Fast and Furious are doing the audio finishing in 5.1 surround, so at least I don’t have to do that part.

Its not cheap though, hence the Kickstarter.  www.highlinefilm.com has a link to the Kickstarter if you’re interested.

[Trevor Wilson]

Chris, do you by chance have any pictures of how you mounted your gimbal onto your trekking pole? Looking forward to seeing the film! Thanks!

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