Motor! Camera! Natural Disaster!
Filming is a complex and painstaking process, where every little detail can play a decisive role and affect the final result. One of the most capricious and unpredictable factors directly influencing the production process is natural phenomena.
"Nothing spoils forecasts like the weather."
B.Yu. Krutier
There are countless examples of shoots being postponed due to weather, or sudden changes forcing schedule and location adjustments. For instance, during the filming of "The Revenant" in Calgary, the crew was expecting a blizzard, but it turned out to be unseasonably warm. Searching for cold weather, Alejandro González Iñárritu and his team moved from Canada to Argentina, where they were met with unexpectedly harsh cold and frost. Actors had to work outdoors at minus 30 degrees Celsius without hats or gloves, since the scene called for autumn.
Weather is always taken into account when preparing for outdoor shoots. Video production creators are among the top skeptics when it comes to meteorological forecasts. Regardless of the weather reports, the set is equipped with lighting for almost every situation. Any weather quirk — light cloudiness, sudden overcast skies, bright sun, or the "golden hour" — demands additional lighting, devices, and equipment. Their absence can simply ruin a shoot, resulting in extra costs, which are often substantial.
Variable cloudiness — foe or friend of the cinematographer?
Sometimes even having all the technical means does not guarantee a perfect result. A recent example comes from our shoot at an oil loading facility of one of Russia’s largest enterprises. Picturesque contrasting clouds on a blue sky might seem like the perfect backdrop for shooting a corporate film on location. However, such weather nearly ruined an entire shooting shift. We were filming close-ups with actors in front of pristine white oil barrels. Whenever the director called "Motor!", the sun would deliberately peek out from behind a cloud, drastically changing the lighting. The barrels would dominate the frame — their bright, dazzling white color overwhelmed the actors’ faces, turning them into equatorial inhabitants. It was almost impossible to adjust to such contrasts, and waiting for a suitable break in clouds or prolonged overcast was utterly unrealistic: the wind kept strengthening every minute and constantly shifted direction. Unfortunately, only a small portion of the footage was shot, and explaining the shortened shoot under such a beautiful sky to the client was quite challenging.
Still, such weather quirks are minor annoyances compared to the overall favorable climate in our region. It’s no wonder Krasnodar Krai is a favorite location for many TV series. Snowy winters are rare here, summers are long, so filming scenes set in warm seasons is almost always possible. This is especially convenient for film shoots that span several weeks. Professional lighting can transform even a gloomy November morning in Krasnodar into a warm, sunny day. Actors in light dresses look flushed with heat, though in reality, they are working in plus four degrees Celsius, barely breathing to avoid visible breath mist revealing the true temperature on camera. Good if it’s not raining — though rain deserves a separate discussion.
Rain without lighting and equipment is just a distraction on screen.
Rain is rightly considered one of the most unpredictable and demanded weather phenomena. Cases of natural rain falling exactly as the director needs are rare. Even then, the rain almost always requires enhancement: raindrops can be too sparse or too small. Today, artificial rain on set is created using special rain rigs — pipe systems with controllable spray heads that regulate droplet size and intensity. For the film "In the Line of Fire," filmmakers needed a wide shot of a gloomy Chicago, though shooting took place in sunny Los Angeles. The rain rig was lifted to the tenth floor level to cover 300 extras below. It poured nearly three cubic meters of water per minute! Water was delivered in huge tanks, and the extras got soaked through.
However, no state-of-the-art rig, no matter how advanced, can create rain on screen that looks beautiful and dramatic enough. Achieving the director’s vision depends heavily on professional lighting equipment. Lighting technicians, or "lighties," arrange the necessary devices, highlighting colors and contrasts, turning ordinary falling water drops into a dramatic, contrasting background for the main action. Light creates effects like the "mushroom rain," where sunlight shines through droplets, or the sensation of a real tropical downpour in the rainy season.
Snow on set.
Another weather phenomenon that never falls on demand is snow. Whether a light cozy snowfall, apocalyptic blizzard, fierce snowstorm, or huge wet snowflakes, snow in films is always artificial. Until the late 1920s, all Hollywood snow was made from tiny cotton pieces, creating terrible fire hazards since the filming equipment and lights heated up and the cotton could ignite at any moment. To prevent fires, snow was then made from fireproof asbestos, though no one realized how toxic and carcinogenic those delicate flakes were for actors. Since then, many types of movie snow have been used — from polystyrene beads that squeaked underfoot requiring entire scenes to be re-dubbed, to flour, sugar, feathers, and even fire-fighting foam flakes. Modern snow substitutes are safe, eco-friendly, and visually indistinguishable from real snow on screen. Yet, as with rain, lighting plays the primary role in creating the atmospheric space and perceived temperature on camera. Though there are a few interesting patterns: for example, the fewer objects in the frame, the colder it looks. Also, actors’ appearances matter — a thin, tense character is a "cold" acting type, whereas a plump, rosy, active figure can "melt the ice" in even the snowiest shot. Still, lighting is the true "magic wand of the Snow Queen," turning vague white flakes into fluffy snow and gray-white streaks into a dramatic blizzard. Scenes are illuminated using special filters, snowy landscapes gain blue accents, depth appears, and the viewer can almost feel the chill emanating from the screen.
Want to know the weather? Look at how many friends are online.
By the way, natural phenomena affect not only filming but also viewers. According to recent research by a video streaming service, the online cinema business heavily depends on the weather outside. Regardless of the day of the week, film sales increase significantly on rainy days compared to similar sunny days. Any precipitation or even just an overcast view outside creates a strong desire in people to lie down on the couch and watch a movie. Our region’s residents, however, are an exception! Our people watch films in any weather, completely unfazed by the scenes outside the window. This makes sense — after all, Kuban is considered one of the sunniest regions in Russia.