NAB
Flashlights and wet wipes are just a few of the essential items
in the gear bag of award-winning photographer and cinematographer Philip Grossman, whose specialty is shooting
in extreme and off-limits locations.
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Grossman has
been engaged in a long-term project in Chernobyl that led to his involvement in
the award-winning HBO series Chernobyl. He also
produced and hosted a one-hour episode of the Discovery Science Channel’s Mysteries
of the Abandoned entitled “Chernobyl’s Deadly Secrets,” and is
working on a documentary about the Soviet Space Shuttle program in Baikonur,
Kazakhstan.
“One of the
things you need to do if you’re going to get into adventure cinematography, and
filming in unique places, is get accustomed to things not being like they are
at home and just accept them,” he says. “It’s the journey. And so that’s what
makes this all fun.”
Grossman
is both a still photographer and documentary camera operator, usually employing
a Canon for the former and RED cameras for video, but occasionally he will use
the lightweight RED Komodo and combine the two disciplines.
“I
found that by having a different body for doing stills versus motion, it causes
your brain to switch gears faster. But at the end of the day you’ve got to
figure out what you can carry and fit in your bag to achieve the goal of what
you’re trying to capture. I always have my iPhone with me and a GoPro because
they’re tiny.”
Grossman
has the distinction of being the first person to fly a multi-rotor drone in the
Chernobyl Zone of Exclusion as part of his work in documenting the aftermath of
the nuclear catastrophe: “The smaller drones the better. Drone footage for me
it’s like Tabasco, you just want to splash a little bit into your food. If you
just coat your food and everything with it, it loses its pop.”
Managing
power in remote locations in the field is a particular skill. One tip (possibly
illegal) involves swapping over the stickers on camera batteries so that they
look like lower wattage units in order to take several as carry on an airplane.
Another
tip is to turn the camera off rather than have it in “sleep” mode for power
management. He also carries a USB-C charger for charging using the USB port in
cars traveling between destinations.
“You
just have to realize that eventually you’re going to run out of power,” he
explains. “I have some friends who will go longer than a week and take solar
with them but sometimes solar isn’t an option.”
There’s
no substitute for preparation, however, when filming in places like off the
radar NATO bases.
“Google
Maps is your friend. Do not be afraid to call or contact the [US] embassy or
the foreign embassy. It is government bureaucracy and will cause you to pull
your hair out sometimes but they’re a great resource, and they’re really there
to help you.
(Grossman
has found in foreign countries that most of them are excited to have Westerners
visit, especially in the former Soviet Socialist Republics.)
Do
a lot of research, read lots of books, and find obscure books.
“If
you’re not familiar with Wikimapia, become familiar with it. Again, great
resource. It’s like Wikipedia, but it’s crowd-sourced map information,” he
advises. “So if you actually go to Chernobyl, to the city of Pripyat, just
about every building has been documented there. Just like Wikipedia, Wikimapia
is not 100% accurate, but does give you a good sense of what’s there.”
He
also pays for real-time satellite images: “It’s definitely a value.”
Often
in tight or blackout situations, Grossman has learned the importance of taking
multiple flashlights, which he also supplements with inch-and-a-half glow
sticks, “party sticks for raves and necklaces… I got a pack of 100 for about $9
on Amazon. I always keep 10 of those in my bag at all times now because you can
crack those, throw them on the ground and they become breadcrumb trails for
you.”
He
even has thermal scopes for some work and a satellite phone, you know, just in
case.
He’ll
take tripods provided they are small, compact carbon fiber built with
quick-release heads that can fit into a small bag when collapsed.
Insurance
is a must, but he always carries cameras with him, and will not check them into
a baggage hold.
“A
couple of things that I’ve found that helps. One, believe it or not, is I have
a Department of Defense sticker that is on my Pelican case and ever since I put
that on they have never opened it. I don’t use the TSA locks anymore. I
literally just put a zip tie on it,” he says.
“But
by all means check with your insurance company. There are different policies
that will cover different things. Always have serial numbers for electronic
items. If you have the original receipt, that’s great.”
When
working with locals, or perhaps as a “gift” to officials, he recommends liquor:
“Small little airplane bottles of bourbon is the greatest thing in the world.
“The
other fun thing is breaking bread with the locals. We always make a point when
we go. Fortunately for me, my filming partner is Polish and so his Russian is
far better than mine but we always try to find locals prior to going or when we
get there who can help us.”
The
key here is respect, even when you have permissions to film: “Always be
polite.”
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