Filming the Adirondacks
Hollywood cashes in on the Adirondack scene
Story by Alan Fanitzi
Photos provided by Dave Scranton and Mary Simmers
Great Camp Sagamore is a non-profit organization.
With high cliffs, dense woodlands, breathtaking waterfalls, and views unlike any other in New York State, the Adirondacks attract 7 to 10 million tourists a year. Tourism is not the only thing that the region attracts—occasionally, the timeless outdoor scenery of the Adirondacks serves as an attractive setting for Hollywood films and television shows.
One film in particular put the Adirondacks on the map in terms of popularity. “The most recent movie shot here that reached +ritical acclaim was Frozen River,” says Michele Powers, vice president of marketing for the North Country Chamber of Commerce.
“It won at Sundance Film Festival and received Oscar attention, as well. Most of the 'river' scenes were shot at Point au Roche State Park,” Powers adds. “Though the movie was shot here, it was actually set in St. Lawrence County.” Point au Roche State Park is located in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and according to the New York State Office of Parks and Recreation, it features year-round access, a beach area, a volleyball court, and nature activities such as walking and biking trails.
“First there was a scouting crew, including Director Robert DeNiro and his art directors."
Frozen River was released in 2008 and was directed and written by Courtney Hunt. The film features Academy-Award winner Melissa Leo as a desperate single mother who resorts to smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States in an attempt to make ends meet for herself and her family.
The Adirondacks have also hosted more popular mainstream films that can be found in video stores across the country. According to Rebecca Steffan, the PR manager and publicist for Adirondack Workshop, a marketing and advertising company located in Lake Placid, another film that was shot in the area and incorporated the landscape of the Adirondacks is The Good Shepherd.
The motion picture was directed by Robert DeNiro and stars Matt Damon as Edward Wilson. The film is about the early origin of the CIA through Wilson's point of view.
In September 2005, film crews shot scenes of The Good Shepherd at the Great Camp Sagamore on Raquette Lake in Long Lake, N.Y. According to Visual Hollywood, film crews spent two days filming at Great Camp Sagamore. The location was too small to continue filming, however, so the crew built a set that resembled the camp in New York City. Although the crew spent a short time filming, they made their presence known at the Great Camp.
“First there was a scouting crew, including director Robert DeNiro and his art directors (who stayed for three nights),” says Beverly Bridger, executive director ofGreat Camp Sagamore."Then DeNiro came back with crew bosses for carpentry, electrical, heavy equipment, etc. Then the stars came for a week to do the filming—DeNiro, Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, and William Hurt (among others) were on site at the Great Camp.”
"DeNiro, Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, and William Hurt (among others) were on site at the Great Camp.”
Great Camp Sagamore holds day-long nature programs for residents.
Bridger says the crew as a whole made an impact at the camp. "The film industry brought in several 18-wheelers and trailers, tents, and equipment, but they signed documents promising to protect our National Historic Landmark, and they were true to their word," Bridger says. "Even though they shot at four different buildings, used our front lawn, set a campfire at the lake, and put in a crane that was almost larger than our Main Lodge, they left without damaging anything. They even re-seeded their tire tracks.”
The most recent film to incorporate the Adirondacks into its scenes is still in pre-production. “Most recently, the Place Beyond the Pines filmed their final scene along Norman's Ridge in Vermontville, N.Y.,” says TJ Brearton, a film critic and member of the Lake Placid Film Forum. The scene involved a motorcycle racing down a road. Filmmakers used Normas Ridge because it had the necessary 'open space' and featured a breathtaking view of the mountains. Similar to The Good Sheppard, The Place Beyond the Pines also features a cast of well-known actors.
"Filmmakers used Normas Ridge because it had the necessary 'open space' and featured a breathtaking view of the mountains."
The Place Beyond the Pines is directed by Derek Cianfrance and stars Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, and Bradley Cooper. Not much has been released regarding the plot, but what is known is that the film will involve motorcycles, crime, and a game of cat-and-mouse. The film will be released in 2013.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a state park in Plattsburgh, an old camp on Raquette Lake, or even a lonely stretch of road in Vermontville—great filming can happen anywhere. But for those special scenes that require an 'Adirondack' look, the North Country offers filmmakers of all kinds the chance to shoot something unlike any other place on Earth.
