麻豆影院

Filmmaker Michael Brown, a three-time Emmy winner, is putting the final touches on his latest film about Erik Weihenmayer

Michael Brown (Geog鈥�90) was in Skywalker Ranch in early April, putting the final touches on the audio track of his new adventure film, 鈥淭he Weight of Water鈥濃�攁nd he wasn鈥檛 taking the trip to the legendary Marin County, California, recording center lightly.

鈥淭he Weight of Water鈥� follows the blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer as he kayaks the Grand Canyon. And, for Brown, the sound is a vital element of that experience.

The roar of upcoming wild water is often reflected in the anxiety on Weihenmayer鈥檚 face as he prepares to tackle the rapids, Brown said. However, even before the filming began, the blind adventurer鈥檚 intensity, commitment and response to challenges were already well known to Brown, who also filmed Weihenmayer summiting Mount Everest in 2001 for the film 鈥�.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 the lead up that鈥檚 really intense; when you come on the horizon, and it goes from smooth and glassy to the rapids. That鈥檚 when you can hear the roar from the rapids, especially in the Grand Canyon where it鈥檚 echoing off the canyon walls. That鈥檚 where it really gets you in the guts and all your instincts say, 鈥榮top,鈥欌�� said Brown.

The soundtrack will also incorporate the radio instructions to Weihenmayer telling him how to tackle the rapids, so with an original score and dialogue to fit in, that鈥檚 no small order for the audio editing. However, Brown, the University of Colorado鈥檚 2012 George Norlin Award winner for his extensive contributions to adventure filmmaking, said film鈥檚 visual appeal is every bit as captivating.

Beyond that, of course, there鈥檚 the canyon itself, an environment that rapidly changes human perception during the 277-mile voyage from Lee鈥檚 Ferry to Pearce Ferry. 鈥淎fter you鈥檝e been in the canyon for four or five days, your short-term memory changes,鈥� Brown said.

You are no longer processing information about your telephone or cars. Beyond that, there鈥檚 this incredible sense of space.鈥�

Brown is acquainted with all types of wilderness expeditions, having summited Everest five times and made more than 50 expeditions to all seven continents, capturing film ranging from the Arctic and Antarctic to the world鈥檚 most dense jungles and even some of the world鈥檚 deepest caves. His work has appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, the Discovery Channel, National Geographic Television, ESPN, IMAX theaters and the BBC.

Still, he admits that with a growing family, this picture almost didn鈥檛 make it past the filming. While the filming was completed in September 2016, the unedited film sat for some time until David Holbrooke, the former director of Telluride Mountainfilm, talked Brown into finishing the project.

The film may be released soon, though Brown isn鈥檛 planning any big adventure films in the near future.

鈥淚鈥檝e been shifting my focus from this to being a dad for a while鈥攎aking sure that my kids have a chance to do the things in life I鈥檝e loved,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檇 like them to see Everest, though not climb it, and I鈥檇 especially like them to experience other cultures.鈥�

While Brown has no immediate plans to complete another film with Weihenmayer, he said they share far more than a sense of adventure.

鈥淚 like to get shots when he鈥檚 just sitting there,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚 quickly forget that he鈥檚 blind, and that鈥檚 not the first thing that his friends think about either. He鈥檚 got brothers. He likes giving people a hard time and being a bit ornery.鈥�

Learn more about Serac Adventure Films, which Brown founded,听at its .听

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