Breathtaking I AM ALIVE Documentary Footage
Early on in planning I Am Alive: Surviving the Andes Plane Crash, our production team knew at some point we needed to film the area in the Andes where the story took place. We knew this portion of the filming was going to be a critical part of our story and we needed to acquire the shots in one trip.
Those of you from the production community can appreciate the detailed planning it takes to execute such precise shots. As we began to work through Director Brad Osborne’s shot descriptions, we realized that filming in the Andes was going to be the most challenging footage to capture, and we needed to prepare. The obvious challenges were working at 15,000 feet in extreme weather conditions. The climate at the base of the Andes can be quite pleasant, while the climate at the peaks of the Andes can be extremely violent.
After Brad finalized the Andes Mountain shot list, we knew it was critical that we find a production partner with the right experience and gear to capture our desired shots. This is where Aerial Filmworks joined the I Am Alive production solution. After a few weeks of research and several calls with Ron Chapple of Aerial Filmworks, our team was confident that partnering with them was the only choice for AMS Pictures. Aerial Filmworks utilized the Cineflex V14 HD system to capture the breathtaking aerial footage, while maneuvering through the Andes at 15,000 feet. The Cineflex V14 was attached to the AS350-B3 helicopter, which had the horsepower to handle the wind shear coming off the Andes peaks with ease. Ron’s camerawork was simply magnificent. Without the Andes aerial footage, AMS Pictures’ I Am Alive story just wouldn’t have conveyed the same dramatic impact of the hopelessness that the Uruguayan Flight 571 survivors faced.
