Filmmaking is a journey, but it all starts with one question: Why? Why do we spend long hours battling unpredictable elements, unforeseen challenges, and grueling schedules? Every shot, every cut, every moment brings us closer to telling a story that matters. From Iceland’s raw, untamed landscapes to the bustling streets of New York, filmmaking is about more than just creating movies it’s about sharing fragments of our souls with the world.
Iceland is a filmmaker’s dream an unforgiving yet awe-inspiring landscape that demands respect and fuels creativity. The harshness of the environment parallels the intricacies of storytelling. The answer to why is often found in the most extreme challenges, which lead to the most breathtaking results. Each phase of the filmmaking process, from development to post-production, is driven by a shared passion to turn visions into reality.
Why Do We Make Films?
At its heart, filmmaking is about connection. Whether we’re shooting a blockbuster or an indie documentary, we all chase the same goal: to create stories that resonate. Yet, filmmaking is not just about the final product it’s about the unseen, the silent efforts of the crew, the meticulous preparation, and the countless hours spent perfecting every detail. This is where Iceland’s rugged elements come into play, amplifying the challenges and deepening the connection with the narrative.
Development and Pre-Production: Crafting the Vision
Think back to when you first had a spark of an idea. What drove you to see it through? What makes it worthy of being told?
Every film begins with a spark: an idea, a concept, a story crying to be told. At this point, all that needs to be done is develop the concept into something tangible. Why would filmmakers spend endless hours brainstorming, revising scripts, and casting? The reason is relatively simple: here is where the heartbeat of the story forms.
● The Concept:
It’s not just finding a good idea but distilling one that speaks to the audience. The why here relates to relevance. What is the worthiness of telling this story? Be it the frozen tundra of Iceland or the bustling streets of New York, the filmmaker has to be able to connect with the universality of human emotions.
● Writing and Storyboarding:
Translating an idea into a screenplay and visual roadmap is an art. Writers and directors focus on the why of each character, scene, and visual element. Storyboarding for a film shot in a place like Iceland puts location influences at the forefront, considering how natural landscapes will serve the narrative. It could be the desolate loneliness brought about by the size of Iceland’s glaciers or the ruggedness of its shoreline, or it could evoke a feeling of empowerment it depends on how the environment serves the why of the story.
● Casting and Crew:
The why behind casting goes beyond choosing the most talented actor; it’s about finding someone who embodies the story. The same goes for crew members. In Iceland, this could mean selecting a DP who can capitalize on the natural light or a production designer who understands the stark beauty of the landscapes. Everyone, from lighting to sound, brings their personal way to the table and adds to the larger shared vision.
Production: Bringing the Vision to Life
Imagine standing at the edge of a glacier, camera in hand, battling the elements as your team works tirelessly. What would keep you going?
Once pre-production is done, the challenging work of production starts. This is where the magic happens, but it’s also where the most daunting challenges arise, especially shooting on harsh terrains like Iceland. What can make a team get through 16-hour days at freezing temperatures? The why becomes clearer: they believe in the story they’re trying to create.
● Setting the Scene:
During production, everything must fall into place, including sets, costumes, props, and lighting. Filming in locations like Iceland, the natural environment often serves as the set, reducing the need for artificial constructs. Of course, with this comes unpredictability. Why brave the weather? Because it offers authenticity, a raw visual experience cannot be replicated in a studio.
● Camera Work:
Cinematographers’ art of visual storytelling involves determining shots, angles, and camera movements. But why do they choose certain shots? For example, a sweeping
shot over a glacier can evoke awe or loneliness. In Iceland, the interplay of light, landscape, and movement allows D.P.s to create emotional depth that enhances the narrative. The why behind each shot lies in its ability to support the story’s emotion.
● Sound Recording:
Audio picks up the unseen side of a film’s world, from the intimate rustling of a coat to the crashing of waves against the Icelandic coast the why behind sound design is to immerse the audience fully. Capturing the right sound on location, such as the wind in Iceland’s open spaces or the crack of a glacier, elevates the viewing experience, bringing the natural world into the film in ways visuals can’t achieve alone.
Post-Production: Shaping the Story
How does the story come together in the edit? What subtle changes bring the raw footage to life?
If production is about the birth of the film, post-production is coming of age. This is all about refining the story to its final form, shaping raw footage into a coherent and engaging narrative. Why would editors, sound mixers, and colorists spend months fine-tuning each and every frame? The story deserves to be told in the best possible manner.
● Editing:
An editor creates the final product, cutting scenes, pacing the story, and ensuring the audience is taken on a journey from start to finish. Icelandic productions might take their cue from the landscapes themselves: slow pans over fjords to evoke peace or quick cuts in an action scene atop a glacier. The why here is about rhythm. How does the film move? How does it breathe? These decisions can make all the difference between a good film and a great one.
● Color Grading:
Films have a distinct visual tone created with color grading. A colorist balances shots in a place like Iceland, where natural light carries unique blue tones while keeping the authenticity of the landscape intact. Why bother with such painstaking color correction? Because it enhances the film’s emotional tone and creates an atmosphere that sets the mood for the viewer.
● Sound Mixing:
This is the final step in creating an immersive soundscape. In films shot in Iceland, soundscapes like whistling winds or flowing water are essential elements of the atmosphere. The why behind every sound decision is immersion bringing the audience deeply into the world of the film so that they feel like they are living in it.
Distribution and Marketing: Getting the Film Out There
Once a film is ready, that is not the end of it. Now, the struggle is how to get it before the audience. Indie filmmakers, especially those who have shot in remote or less orthodox locations like Iceland, often find that alternative distribution models make more sense than traditional theatrical releases. Why should this be done?
● Distribution Models:
With streaming platforms and festivals such as the Reykjavik International Film Festival and Stockfish Film Festival, filmmakers have more options than ever. The why speaks to getting the story to as many eyes as possible in the best possible way. For films shot in places like Iceland, festivals often serve as a launchpad to global audiences.
● Marketing and Promotion:
Trailers, posters, and social media campaigns are crucial to building an audience before release. Why invest in this? No matter how great your movie might be, it needs an audience to have an impact. Take Icelandic films, for instance, most of them promote breathtaking locations, using the environment as a major selling point in trailers to capture the audience’s attention.
Filmmaking in Different Genres: Challenges and Opportunities
The genre of the film also dictates many production decisions, especially in relation to location. Why shoot an action movie in Iceland? Or a fantasy epic? It all depends on what the filming location can add to enhance the story.
● Adventure Films:
Shooting in rugged and challenging terrain requires logistical precision but also lends authenticity to the story. Iceland’s mountains and glaciers have formed backdrops for numerous adventure and action films, such as Game of Thrones or Oblivion. The why of using such landscapes is definitively about authenticity bringing the viewer as close to the action as possible.
● Sci-Fi & Fantasy:
Iceland’s otherworldly beauty often makes it stand in for alien planets and fantasy realms. Practical locations combined with CGI can create immersive, believable worlds. Using real locations grounds the audience in reality, even in the most fantastical stories.
● Documentaries:
For documentary filmmakers, places like Iceland offer not just beauty but true context. Films that tackle environmental issues, sustainability, or natural phenomena find the perfect backdrop here. Documentarians tie their way to a mission: to educate and inspire real change, using the landscape to illustrate their subject.
Filmmaking isn’t just about crafting a visual experience; it’s pursuing something deeper. It’s not about the budget, the gear, or the perfect conditions that fuel the process it’s the relentless drive to bring the story to life, no matter the odds. Every crew member, every shot, every decision carries the weight of this question: Why are we doing this? And maybe that’s the real magic, finding out why we’re willing to go through so much just to tell a story.