Two Pictures a Day in Siberia: fifth week

From 22 to 28 February 2015

by Gilles Porte AFC newsletter n°253

[ English ] [ français ]

This is the continuation of the daily photo journal that Gilles Porte, AFC, has been keeping while shooting Safy Nebbou’s film The Consolations of the Forest in Siberia. Gilles has been asking other members of the team to give him one of the two photos sent to us every day, and writes the legends himself. Take a look at these images from their fifth week on location.
The Best soup - Christophe Rossignon, producer, shares a soup with us, Safy, Nicolas (center) and the crew on the lake Baïkal two days after we've had petit fours from the Fouquet's, after Nord-Ouest was rewarded with three Cesar for the movie <i>Les Combattants</i>: Best First Feature Film, Most Promising Actor and Best Actress… A big thought for Philip Boeffard, producer at Nord-Ouest, who won't be with us. Without him <i>The Consolations of the Forest</i> wouldn't be seen on the big screen. <i>(Gilles Porte, Sunday 22 February)</i>
The Best soup
Christophe Rossignon, producer, shares a soup with us, Safy, Nicolas (center) and the crew on the lake Baïkal two days after we’ve had petit fours from the Fouquet’s, after Nord-Ouest was rewarded with three Cesar for the movie Les Combattants: Best First Feature Film, Most Promising Actor and Best Actress… A big thought for Philip Boeffard, producer at Nord-Ouest, who won’t be with us. Without him The Consolations of the Forest wouldn’t be seen on the big screen. (Gilles Porte, Sunday 22 February)


Day off for Charlotte and the crew! - <i>(Photo by Charlotte Chauffour, production accountant, Sunday 22 February)</i>
Day off for Charlotte and the crew!
(Photo by Charlotte Chauffour, production accountant, Sunday 22 February)


Combo! - Christophe and Rachel are checking a take inside a rolling UAZ. Ergonomics and efficiency of the protections designed by Panavision for our monitors, embedded in Pelicase flight cases, work perfectly. <i>(Gilles Porte, Monday 23 February)</i>
Combo!
Christophe and Rachel are checking a take inside a rolling UAZ. Ergonomics and efficiency of the protections designed by Panavision for our monitors, embedded in Pelicase flight cases, work perfectly. (Gilles Porte, Monday 23 February)


Marie-Sophie, Benjamin, the quad, the action truck, and I... - The ice of the Baïkal allows perfect tracking shots. <i>(Photo by Christophe Rossignon, producer, Monday 23 February)</i>
Marie-Sophie, Benjamin, the quad, the action truck, and I...
The ice of the Baïkal allows perfect tracking shots. (Photo by Christophe Rossignon, producer, Monday 23 February)


Art & Essai - No doubt the Safy's movie will be classified "Art & Essai" by "the voting one hundred"… However, we're experimenting different things on this shoot. As not to scratch the ice and allow sound recording, we're putting carpet under the dolly's skates that Benjamin, our key grip, has cobbled together. The plan was praisewothy, but the tracking shot wouldn't work. We'll shoot on sticks, then, and keep on living without tracks for this first shooting part. <i>(Gilles Porte, Tuesday 24 February)</i>
Art & Essai
No doubt the Safy’s movie will be classified "Art & Essai" by "the voting one hundred"… However, we’re experimenting different things on this shoot. As not to scratch the ice and allow sound recording, we’re putting carpet under the dolly’s skates that Benjamin, our key grip, has cobbled together. The plan was praisewothy, but the tracking shot wouldn’t work. We’ll shoot on sticks, then, and keep on living without tracks for this first shooting part. (Gilles Porte, Tuesday 24 February)


Break down in the middle of the lake! - Today, three trucks broke down: the Gaz 66 (electric/grip truck) because of its cooling system, the UAZ (action truck double for interiors), which lost its oil in the middle of the lake, and the action UAZ (photo), which lost a pipe. As to shoot what was scheduled, Arnaud, helped by drivers and JC, have drawn the action truck as to have it in a few shots, stopped. We'll shoot the missing shots later. <i>(Photo by Frédéric Sauvagnac, production manager, Tuesday 23 February)</i>
Break down in the middle of the lake!
Today, three trucks broke down: the Gaz 66 (electric/grip truck) because of its cooling system, the UAZ (action truck double for interiors), which lost its oil in the middle of the lake, and the action UAZ (photo), which lost a pipe. As to shoot what was scheduled, Arnaud, helped by drivers and JC, have drawn the action truck as to have it in a few shots, stopped. We’ll shoot the missing shots later. (Photo by Frédéric Sauvagnac, production manager, Tuesday 23 February)


A wolf in the area - On the ice of the lake Baïkal, nearby Teddy's cabin, the tracks of our studs mix to those of a wolf, which seems to walk on velvet. According to the fishermen who serve us as guide, the beast is very big. <i>(Gilles Porte, Wednesday 25 February)</i>
A wolf in the area
On the ice of the lake Baïkal, nearby Teddy’s cabin, the tracks of our studs mix to those of a wolf, which seems to walk on velvet. According to the fishermen who serve us as guide, the beast is very big. (Gilles Porte, Wednesday 25 February)


Wooden toilets! - Toilets on a set are a recurring theme on this shooting, as on many ones. Here, Corinne (costume supervisor), locked in the action toilets of the Teddy's cabin that the location management made usable as to let our little green tent in a UAZ sometimes. <i>(Photo by Rachel Corlet, script supervisor, Wednesday 25 February)</i>
Wooden toilets!
Toilets on a set are a recurring theme on this shooting, as on many ones. Here, Corinne (costume supervisor), locked in the action toilets of the Teddy’s cabin that the location management made usable as to let our little green tent in a UAZ sometimes. (Photo by Rachel Corlet, script supervisor, Wednesday 25 February)


Volodia, truck driver - Volodia, truck driver and owner of the GAZ 66, former military truck we now use as an electric/grip truck. <i>(Gilles Porte, Thursday 26 February)</i>
Volodia, truck driver
Volodia, truck driver and owner of the GAZ 66, former military truck we now use as an electric/grip truck. (Gilles Porte, Thursday 26 February)


Gaz 66: electric/grip truck - It's fun to see how vehicles may look alike the ones who drive them, sometimes (see above picture, same day). <i>(Photo by Cyril Girard, gaffer, Thursday 26 February)</i>
Gaz 66: electric/grip truck
It’s fun to see how vehicles may look alike the ones who drive them, sometimes (see above picture, same day). (Photo by Cyril Girard, gaffer, Thursday 26 February)


Ubiquitous - Christophe Rossignon may go back to Paris with peace of mind. His likeness to Dima, siberian driver and location manager, will remind us that, even from very far, Nord-Ouest remains by our side. <i>(Gilles Porte, Friday 27 February)</i>
Ubiquitous
Christophe Rossignon may go back to Paris with peace of mind. His likeness to Dima, siberian driver and location manager, will remind us that, even from very far, Nord-Ouest remains by our side. (Gilles Porte, Friday 27 February)


Winter collection - With Safy, we often feel surrounded by firemen while we shoot. Could you recognize Corinne - costume supervisor, Rachelle – script supervisor, Anne-Angèle – data wrangler and Marie-Sophie – 1<sup class="typo_exposants">st</sup> AC? <i>(Photo by Rachel Corlet, script supervisor, Friday 27 February)</i>
Winter collection
With Safy, we often feel surrounded by firemen while we shoot. Could you recognize Corinne - costume supervisor, Rachelle – script supervisor, Anne-Angèle – data wrangler and Marie-Sophie – 1st AC? (Photo by Rachel Corlet, script supervisor, Friday 27 February)


Saturday night fever - Saturday night. Anne-Angèle, data wrangler, and Charlotte, production accountant, take up other duties. <i>(Gilles Porte, Saturday 28 February)</i>
Saturday night fever
Saturday night. Anne-Angèle, data wrangler, and Charlotte, production accountant, take up other duties. (Gilles Porte, Saturday 28 February)


Int. Teddy's cabin, day in - 15<sup class="typo_exposants">th</sup> day of shooting on a schedule that knows 51. It's exactly one month I am in Russia, on the banks of the lake Baïkal. It would be wrong to say it's very cold everyday, in winter in Siberia! <i>(Photo by Cyril Girard, gaffer, Saturday 28 February)</i>
Int. Teddy’s cabin, day in
15th day of shooting on a schedule that knows 51. It’s exactly one month I am in Russia, on the banks of the lake Baïkal. It would be wrong to say it’s very cold everyday, in winter in Siberia! (Photo by Cyril Girard, gaffer, Saturday 28 February)

(Translated from French by Laurent Andrieux)


  • Click here to see the previous series of images (4th week).
  • Click here to see the series of images from the 3rd week.
  • Click here to see the series of images from the 2nd week.
  • Click here to see the series of images from the 1st week.
  • Click here to find out more about Gilles Porte’s project, read a plot summary of the movie, learn about the members of the camera crew and some technical specifications.