I, David Peacock, spent a few days tagging along on one of the shoots for the upcoming Life Cycles Film. The shoot was unique in many ways, but the idea of turning back time truly sets this one apart.
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Words and Photos by David Peacock
Our objective has been to spend time, not money. Ryan Gibb
Time and money are two things that naught but a fortunate few seem to have enough of at any one point. Managing available resources is a tricky, taxing task, especially when those resources are forcibly kept to a bare minimum. The new film project Life Cycles has been years in the making, partially because of the mantra stated above, but also because of a nonpareil commitment to their vision.
The eye of the Red ONE, as manned by Andre Nutini.
Mike Hopkins was the most heavily involved athlete of Life Cycles. His dedication and ability to always hike up for "one more" helped him get there.
With Gibb behind the lens and out of frame, Andre gets to take credit for this shot...Mike floating down from a canopy of green and into Green Turkey.
Stance Films has seen a never-ending inundation of deadlines, stress and the odd success this season. With Life Cycles slated for release this fall, everything hangs in the balance for the Rossland, BC filmmakers. From cover art to color correction and sound design, various elements of post-production have culminated into their busiest season to date. In the midst of dealing with the unremitting hassles of creating a film, Derek Frankowski and Ryan Gibb came to the somewhat unappealing but realistic conclusion that two segments of the film needed fortification in the form of fresh footage. Two years on from commencing these shoots, the crews needed to set back their clocks by a pair of annum; this meant literally piecing together the parts of the past that were relevant to the film. For instance, clothing, bikes, and weather all had to match exactly with the original shoots. These minor details proved difficult to accomplish, as trails change, clothes disappear and bikes are frequently replaced. Eventually the necessary garments and steeds were located and built, and the reshoot of 2010 began.
Gibb gets the shot while Mike prepares for the large gap jump just out of frame.
This zone is uncharacteristically green for the area, it's usually dusty and enveloped by an overgrowth of pine, spruce and cedar.
Mike digs while Derek and Ryan discuss angles and shot ideas.
The first of these revisited locations was Green Turkey with local rider Mike Hopkins. Given the close proximity of the trail to the Life Cycles studio, it was a case of waiting for the right conditions. Two years earlier everyone was in the same position: Mike was working hard tuning up the trails while the film crew waited for idyllic light. Two years earlier Stance was still working through the kinks of learning to use the RED. Two years earlier Hopkins was self-admittedly slower. This year they were collectively eager to infuse their respective improvements in skill level into the project. That said, the primary difference between the original shoot and this years was speed. With two full filming seasons between then and now, processes that were at first arduous have since become automatic. Three days on the trail proved to be enough to satisfy the perfectionists in Frankowski, Gibb and even the occasionally frustrated Hopkins.
Derek creates a makeshift cinema with his raincoat for Mike to review his last hit.
There's no guesswork with the crane here. Having a monitor allows the crew to see exactly what they're shooting 30 feet above the forest floor.
A blur of speed and green and Hopkins.
At the risk of sounding cliché, youll have to wait to see the film for a complete report of the shoot itself, but rest assured you wont be disappointed by three years of footage collated into 40 minutes of gold. The digital magic from two years ago still brings chills to everyone involved, and now the segment is nearly a minute longer and decidedly more diverse. And the real beauty of it? That lies in the fact that the two shoots will be entirely indistinguishable from each other.
Two years earlier, this shot would have looked exactly the same, which is pretty cool.
Andre is also responsible for editing the behind the scenes for the DVD, which will be exceedingly entertaining.
With Green Turkey completed, Nelson was in Stances sights, and the smell of the films completion was infinitely more pungent. 2010 has been a whirlwind ride for all involved in the project, mostly spent behind a computer desk or glued to the receiver of a cell phone; breaking from this and shooting again after a few months off afforded the boys behind the lens an escape from the editing cave. Now, with the distribution and premier dates brewing balefully behind a thin curtain of time, the crew is finally done shooting.
Shots are bagged, and the crew is as well. Time for a brew at the studio.
It may look messy, but to question an artist's quirks is a lost cause. Please pre-order the film here, so the crew can hire a maid to touch up the studio every so often.
