TENT BOUND IN DEVIL’S BAY (2012) Q&A with Matt Irving

If there is anything universal in the film world it’s the idea that no project is a one-man production. Collaboration, teamwork, and a few pats on the rear for good measure are the soul that shapes any good crew – that’s what Camp 4 Collective is all about. So in that vein of teamwork, we wanted to shed a bit more light on one of our crew members that worked countless hours both on location and in the studio to make ‘Tent Bound’ (our most recent film release) happen.

 

Matt Irving

film maker, gun owner, and all around good guy

[note: never make the mistake of taking matt too seriously… his sarcasm is legendary]

 

How long was the trip?

Not long enough.  At least that’s what my initial reaction was when we started out, however after 10 days of sitting in a tent getting rained on, I changed my opinion to “too long”.  But seriously, including travel and a little stop in Maine, it was 22 days.

 

What was involved getting to Devil’s Bay, Newfoundland?

It was a lot of driving, a couple of days of boat riding, and a flight across the country.  The driving wasn’t too bad, because I have a tendency to fall asleep at the wheel, so Tim Kemple took care of that. It was cool because it’s something any group of friends could do. It’s not like you’re flying halfway around the world and trekking thru the jungle.  It’s more like a road trip, plus a couple boats.

 

What kind of cameras did you shoot on?

We shot mostly on the Canon 5d MKII, and a little bit on the Panasonic TM900.  It’s important to figure out what camera is going to be optimal for these trips.  The best camera doesn’t always mean the biggest, most expensive camera that shoots the best quality and the highest frame rate.  A lot of it boils down weight, and being able to use it in a backcountry, vertical environment.  Yes, we could have brought the RED MX 1, but it didn’t make sense.  Also, I would have killed myself.

 

How did you keep things dry?

Trash bags. Just kidding. I mean, tents are essentially giant trash bags, so that’s really not far off.  When we were out and about, I would just stash gear in my handy F-Stop bag.  Luckily, the cameras we brought were pretty resilient in wet weather, so despite personally absorbing massive amounts of water, the gear stayed dry.

 

How did you power your gear?

We initially brought Goal-0 lithium batteries, as well as solar panels, but we decided to bring a small generator at the last minute. This turned out to be a lifesaver.  Having cameras that don’t use too much power helped as well.  We should have tried to build a wind farm because it was really, really windy.

 

Were there any crazy moments?

When they said we were going to “Blow Me Down”, I was thinking something different. One night we were attacked by a giant windstorm, and it turns out the name refers to the fact that it’s insanely windy and not what I originally thought.

I was sleeping on the side of the tent that was getting pounded by the wind, so I’d wake up with fabric against my face.  Thinking I was being smothered, I freaked out. I can’t remember, but I might have tried to kill Tim in the midst of my terror.  I’m sure glad I didn’t. 

 Anyway, I propped up the tent with my legs and arms until about 4am, until Tim “The Genius” Kemple, suggested that we use the tripods, which seems like the logical thing to do. It worked out really well, and I got about an hour of sleep. 

Another crazy moment was when Alex Honnold slipped and fell down some boulders.  He might be mad that I’m sharing this, but it was pretty funny and/or scary.  Well, it’s only funny because he miraculously didn’t get hurt, but the look on his face as he was tumbling down was priceless.  He ended up on a ledge, upside-down in this bush.  I think if he would have kept going, he would have been pretty messed up.

 

What is it like undertaking the editing on a project like this?

I’m not sure.  It was a long editing process, but having some really awesome editors to provide really good feedback along the way made it way easier.  Having Tim tell me what to do the whole time was nice. It was really great to have him in the studio so we could sit down and discuss how we could shape the piece.

 

What would you have done differently?

Looking back on the edit, there are little things I’d change, but I think for the luck we were handed, we did a banger job.  Going in to the trip, we had a really solid idea on how we wanted the piece to turn out, but when that went to shit, we sat down and reworked our plan.  Our plan being rain…everyday… not climbing.  As for the trip, I probably would have packed more rain gear, and appropriate shoes.  For some reason, I packed really crappy shoes.  I ended up skating all over the slabby granite approach.  It sucked and was kind of sketchy.

 

Aside from your camera gear, what’s the most important thing you always pack for a trip like this?

My wits.  It’s good to have them at all times.  Also, socks. Nice socks.

 

What was your proudest moment during the project?

I’m still waiting for that.  But, honestly, anytime my coworkers tell me I did a good job is pretty awesome.  They’re all really talented and really honest (as far as feedback goes) so when I get their approval, I feel like I did a good job.

 

What was the biggest lesson you learned during the project?

Patience, and that it’s ok to let certain things go.  I had ideas that I really liked and I became attached to them.  When it became apparent that we needed to change our plan, it was hard to let go, but in the end I think it’s a better piece because of it.  I think there is definitely a balance between staying emotionally invested in a project and staying objective.