DAY 13

Stumbled out onto the slope around 9 this morning and bumped into the surveying team – which is handy because we were hoping to film with them. We even managed to catch them unloading their skidoos which is perfect for the program. Think we’re gonna cast them as a kind of cross between James Bond baddies and a scientific big brother, zipping around on Skidoos before passing judgement on the depth of the ice on the runway. They’ll provide a jeopardy point for the B story, in that Bobbie has to meet their requirements for the runway to be signed off so that it can land a Herc.
They looked the part too with their crazy masks and hoods on and uniform snow gear, back packs of mad GPS equipment with huge antennae strapped to their backs, roaring past on skidoos. Sometimes one skis on the back of the skidoo trailer while the other drives the skidoo. Very cool. Unfortunately, we followed them out to the ice lake and tried to follow them onto the uncleared runway, and within minutes had run aground on a huge, but almost invisible snow drift. Driving around on a frozen lake in a giant pick up by ourselves was frightening enough, but getting stuck and having to get the hydrologist (another boffin checking ice depths on the runway) in his personal juggernaut sized rolligon to pull us out of the deep snow was more than a bit embarrassing.

So the day proved a bit frustrating. We did manage to grab some shots of an arctic fox (not sure whether its rabid or not) which we could incorporate into a C or D Story about dangerous animals in this remote wilderness – if the idea of these super cute white little critters being at all savage (rabid or not) didn’t seem quite so fucking laughable. I think part of the extreme warnings we’ve got about the foxes is probably to do with the whole of the US living in thrall of the ubiquitious compensation culture.

Still, overall we seem to be cracking along program-wise, bound to have some down days. Really enjoying myself here either way.
Went running, before supper (although the treadmill is making horrendous noises.) Watched an episode of Vincent with Ray Winstone on DVD – not bad.

Sam beat me at chess.

DAY 11

Didn’t manage to get out of bed before 9 again which is a bit embarrassing when everyone else is up so early (and there have been a few wise cracks) but it’s tough when there’s no daylight and we’re still jet lagged – although technically that oughta help since UK is nine hours forward!!!

Spent the day logging our rushes (or checking out our footage) – the loading and the rolligon ride look absolutely amazing and should be OK to dramatise and edit – even the interviews with the knackered rolligon drivers came out OK, which was suprising.

Spent the rest of the day filming half of the 150 ft derrick being unloaded from a rolligon (JCB with tyres spinning on ice and two fork lifts lifting from the sides before the massive metal structure finally shot off the loading ramp on its pallet, like a giant out of control sledge nearly wiping out the JCB which was reversing down the ramp as fast as it could..)

Met the rest of the team who’ll be putting the rig together out here – and there’s a few good characters in there. We mic’d up the promising ones and filmed the whole crew piecing together the derrick, the two parts of which telescope together. They used a fork lift and two JCBs again – which looked great with a back ground of blue sky and gently falling snow flakes, massive tungsten lights making the whole dusky scene as bright and vivid as daylight. Took an hour of gentle manipulation with the massive machines, before it finally fell into place nearly taking one guys fingers clean off. (Metal expands in this temp so fitting the pieces is quite tricky and may continually prove problematic as the rig has never been assembled at this cold a temperature.)

Still can’t get over how sharp everything looks at these temperatures, its almost as if I’m used to watching a TV that’s been slightly detuned, and suddenly its all in perfect focus for the first time. Literally, crystal clear.

Had dinner in our own camp now the galley’s up and running, and spent the evening writing up my diary. And so to bed…..