Intro
Welcome to another edition of the ScoreG blog where we chronicle our adventures (and occasional misadventures) throughout our documentary filmmaking!
We had back-to-back production trips this month and the extreme locations had us feeling like we were running through a season of Game of Thrones – from North Beyond the Wall straight into the deserts of the Red Waste.
Roundup
Tootoo
Up first this month was a trip to Jordin Tootoo’s hometown of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut for the annual fishing derby. Rankin is a remote part of Canada most people never get to. We consider ourselves fortunate that Jordin, his family, and really the entire town welcomed us with open arms and showed us their way of life.
First, a few fun facts about Rankin:
Rankin Inlet is far enough north that it is considered “tundra” meaning no trees grow there and it is snow-covered for most of the year (see blue dot on map).
Most things are more expensive in Rankin. A flat of water at the grocery store costs $100.
Some things are cheaper. While gas was flirting with $2/litre back home, up in Rankin it was sitting at a comfortable $1.17/litre.
Snowmobiles (called machines) are the primary mode of transport in the winter.
A sled pulled behind a machine is an Inuk limousine.
ATVs (called Hondas) are the primary mode of transport in the summer.
If you do have a car, you leave it unlocked at all times so anyone can escape the polar bears and wolves that occasionally roam town.
We were headed to a couple of the Tootoo family cabins alongside a frozen lake to ice fish for lake trout. The convoy packed up the Inuk limousines, lined with Musk Ox and Caribou fur for warmth, and the convoy of 5 machines headed out on the 4-5 hour trek across sea ice, tundra, and frozen lakes.
We arrived at the spot around 6pm. The wind was relentless and, with no place to hide on the snow-covered lake, we went right to setting up our crew’s tent. The rest of the day’s 6 remaining hours of sunlight was spent locating the pre-drilled ice fishing holes (found by lining up Inukshuks on the land in your sights) and digging out comfortable little nooks to shield those fishing from the wind.
Over the next few days we captured the action of fishing, hunting, cooking, and keeping warm.
There was something profound about the experience that is difficult to put into words.
Out on the land there is no room for selfishness – everyone pitches in however they can.
No chances are taken – getting injured or lost can be a death sentence.
There is zero connection to the outside world – you have no choice but to live in the moment.
Hopefully some semblance of it will come across in the film for the audience!
After two nights, three days, a handful of new friends, and countless memories, we made the journey back to town to wrap up a few more interviews and conclude the northern trip.
Dolph
The second leg of the production trip brought us to what I can confidently say is Rankin’s exact opposite…the sweltering desert of Las Cruces, New Mexico. This town played host to the set of Dolph Lundgren’s newest movie, which he was both directing and starring in. As mentioned before, Dolph possesses the traits and characteristics that make him a natural fit for the responsibility of directing a feature film.
One thing I learned, and this may not be surprising to anyone who has operated cameras before, is that our gear holds up far better in cold temperatures than it does in the heat. I never would have guessed that our cameras needed as much shade as a spoiled producer.
This trip was special for a couple reasons. Not only was it the first time we have had the chance to be behind the scenes with Dolph on one of his movies, but this was also the first time we have gotten the chance to bring a member of the Creative Hustler Key community along to be a producer for a day.
Behind the Scenes
ScoreG Filmmaking Experience Giveaway #1 - Day with Dolph
Our lucky winner of the first ScoreG Filmmaking Experience Giveaway was Michael from San Diego. Michael was given the opportunity to join us as an Associate Producer on set for a Day with Dolph in Las Cruces, New Mexico; all expenses paid.
We had such a great time with Michael talking about Dolph, filmmaking in general, and getting to share this special day with him. While I can’t give away anything from the plot of Dolph’s movie, let’s just say we got a chance to see some prominent actors get shot to high hell!
Michael was an absolute pleasure to have with us on set. He was polite, curious, helpful, and flexible when things did not go according to plan – a real team player. The American even humoured us while we found a sports bar to watch the Oilers knock the Flames out of the playoffs. Thanks Michael!
Creative Hustler Key
As a Creative Hustler Key owner, you’ll have tons of chances to win experiences like these and others with us. We have some great production trips coming up to Kelowna, LA and Nashville, as well as a few big projects in post production that we’ll be giving away red carpet premiere experiences for once they release.
Make sure to visit creativehustlerkey.com to learn more. Not to mention, with the crypto markets down over the past month, it’s a great time to pick up a Creative Hustler Key on discount if purchasing with a credit card!
In the News
ScoreG Productions to Produce Punk Rock Icon Bif Naked's Documentary
Much Love,
ScoreG Productions