The Filming Team
Boundary Films is run by Thomas Dove, with more than 30 years video experience, including on-location filming across the world during the last 15 years, in climates from temperate, to hot and humid, to extreme cold.
​
With experience of filming including London, New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Munich, Amsterdam, Beijing & rural China, Tokyo, Seoul and in the high Arctic Circle, Boundary Films has produced many TV programmes, documentaries, music videos, as well as videos for corporates.
​
However, filming in the extreme temperatures of the high Arctic gave their own challenges. There were obvious things, such as turning on all equipment for a while before going outside, to make sure it was warm [and the batteries were getting warm], making little 'jackets' for everything to keep the freezing wind off and keeping spare batteries in an inner layer of clothing so that body heat kept them warm.
​
There were of course unexpected things: such as the focus ring on a few lenses locking solid. The cold made the focus ring shrink and grip the lens body, making it impossible to turn. Fortunately Thomas had prepared with small hand-warmers of the sort that you break and the chemical reaction starts, and used a number of these around the lens ring to free it up.
​
On the trip Thomas was accompanied by his daughter Laura, responsible for sound recording and organisation while on the trip [and in Belgium before the Arctic trip].
​
“When we were there Laura said that the Arctic was 'like Narnia', and she was right. It is a magical place, the most beautiful and surreal place I have ever been.Ë®
Thomas Dove, Producer/Director
Cold Weather Clothing - Gloves with Kiddie Strings
Having previously climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Laura had experience of extreme cold and selected the cold weather gear. Thomas was away filming in the US at the time and Laura offered a choice of cold weather boot: boots good down to minus 55 degrees centigrade or boots good down to minus 100 degrees !!
Thomas' reply on the phone was "don't be ridiculous: the minus 55 degree boots will be more than good enough". However, after 5 hours standing outside, filming in snow up to his thighs he changed his mind!
The coats were hired for the Arctic, at a cost of £300 (~ US $400) per week. After putting them on Thomas and Laura were literally three times wider; but again these were needed.
And then there were the gloves: the size of giant over-sized boxing gloves, complete with 'kiddie strings', of the sort a child would have to stop them losing a 'glub'.
Once again Thomas knew better (not) and decided not to use them. That was, until the first day filming outside in Longyearbyen, when one came off and slid down an embankment. It was too steep for Thomas to get down and retrieve the glove: but if he didn't, in about 5 minutes he would have frost-bitten fingers. So Laura was 'encouraged' to scramble down and get it, which she did. Another lesson learned!
Taking a Break from Filming - Dog Sledding
During their time on Svalbard, Thomas and Laura had the chance of a break and went dog-sledding. As you can see in the picture, the dog-sled driver has a gun: he is legally required to carry one when away from the Longyearbyen settlement, due to the ever-present danger of polar bears.
