Michael Brown:
Mt. Everest in High Definition
For elite climbers, reaching the top of Mt. Everest is the singular goal of a lifetime. Mountain filmmaker Michael Brown had already achieved it, so the idea of another attempt didn’t immediately grab him. “When the production company called me to film Erik’s project, I had just climbed Everest,” says Brown offhandedly, “and I didn’t really want to do it again.”
But Brown is a born storyteller, and to him the dramatic and technical challenges proved irresistible. “Farther Than the Eye Can See,” the first high-definition account of an Everest climb, tells the story of Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to conquer the world’s tallest peak. Nominated for two Emmy awards, the documentary was edited with Final Cut Pro in the basement of Brown’s Boulder, CO, home.
As the film continues its tour of festivals worldwide, Brown remains awed by his climbing buddy’s feat. “Erik is the epitome of the blind person who made good, who met — and exceeded — the expectations of sighted life in so many ways,” he says. Brown has a pretty impressive roster of accomplishments himself. At 38, he has covered seven continents in the course of 29 expeditions and made dozens of award-winning adventure films for prestigious clients like Outside Television and “National Geographic.”
The Geeky Ironman
The project took some time to get off the ground, as it were. Initially reluctant to do the actual climb, Brown signed on as a consultant only. “I use a bunch of tricks to keep the cameras operating in extreme environments,” he says, “and I advised them on the ins and outs of making a film on Everest — what shots to go after, how to keep the batteries warm, and so on.”
Michael Brown with the same HD camera later taken to the summit. Photo by Brad Bull.
Brown earned his mountain filmmaking knowledge by testing himself against the most demanding feats a human can undertake. Still, he shrugs off the ironman image. “People who know me laugh,” he says, “because I don’t look like the rough, tough mountain dude.
I look more like the guy who sits at the computer all day. Which I do.” Between scaling peaks, that is. When the original producers (Brown later secured the rights himself) implored him to be their cinematographer too, he finally agreed.
The compelling appeal was the chance to tell Weihenmayer’s remarkable story. Too, Brown was eager to explore high definition. “Working in HD was a huge incentive for me,” he says. “I know it will be a really important format, and as a filmmaker it’s not that easy to get HD assignments. It’s more expensive and it’s kind of a closed society, so it’s hard to break in. This was a huge opportunity for me to learn HD.”
“Erik is the epitome of the blind person who made good, who met — and exceeded — the expectations of sighted life in so many ways,”
Brown wasn’t aware he’d be making the first HD film of the summit. “There was a Japanese team from NHK that went up with an HD camera,” he relates, “so we thought they’d done it. But we found out they didn’t make it all the way. So we were the first.”
Yak-2K Compliant
Brown joined a team of 13 climbers to prepare, though he shrugs off the notion of intense training. “Our team was fairly accomplished,” he says. “Three of us had climbed Everest before, and we’re all fit. So it’s not like we had to make some big lifestyle shift.”
Still, the mountaineers took on several Colorado peaks. “It was fun to go out and climb some 14-ers and get used to working together,” says Brown. Then there was the packing. “We spent a couple of months getting ready,” he continues. “We loaded these huge duffel bags with our down suits and crampons and ice tools and food…there’s so much stuff you need! Plus,” he adds, not incidentally, “I had to learn how to use an HD camera.”
Brown took special pains to guard the large, heavy and expensive HD camera. “We use these special cases to keep off moisture and dust,” he says. “We call them yak-2K compliant because they can be strapped to the back of a yak and hauled up rocky trails and bashed around while protecting the equipment inside.” For most of the trip, two Sherpas shared the load of the HD camera, while two other team members carried DVCAMs for backup and additional shots.
From Avid to Final Cut Pro
By the end of the two-month expedition, Erik Weihenmayer had achieved his amazing feat — and Michael Brown had collected 35 hours of HD footage for his film. When he sat down to craft it, technology advances offered some exciting new options.
“I first learned to edit flatbed 16mm film, then offline tape-to-tape, working with my dad,” he recounts. (Brown’s father and two brothers are also respected filmmakers.) “Tape-to-tape was a nightmare! Later I learned non-linear editing using Avid on a Mac platform, which was more like the old film editing system. I liked the creative, friendly feel of the Mac.” Brown was primed for Final Cut Pro.
