Join the adventure. This time we’re off to the frigid, expansive and beautiful landscape of Iceland.
3 Days in Iceland is a new short film that Loni Stark and have been working on — and off — for about three years now and we’re pleased to share the final cut (see video embed above and below).
Iceland was an expedition I won’t soon forget. Cold temperatures. Freezing Rain. Non-stop winds. It certainly was memorable and reminded me often of experiencing the long, harsh winters of Canada where I grew up walking our little Cairn Terrier and listening to the Night Version re-mix of “My Own Way” by Duran Duran trying just about anything to pretend my eyelashes weren’t freezing over. Then again, I’m guessing this place is called Iceland for a reason.
No doubt Iceland was one of the best trips we’ve ever taken and chronicled here on Stark Insider. And I’m grateful that we did make it there, with the pandemic who knows when travel life will return to (close to?) normal.
The Icelandic people were extremely friendly and accommodating, proud to show off their country and share stories of its history and even some of its colorful mythology. Not to mention: they like their rules (like Canadians!).
Probably like you, I’ve seen plenty of YouTube videos of Iceland, Reykjavík (the capital), and the South Coast and the famed Ring Road which circles around the country. But to experience the massive waterfalls, stunning glacier lagoons and expansive landscape in person is quite something. It’s truly a breath-taking experience. ást.
In terms of the production for 3 Days in Iceland you can learn more on this web site which goes into more detail. Also: here is the entry for the Iceland film on IMDB.
We shot the Iceland footage during our trip January 2017 with a compact Sony Alpha s6500 4K camera. In 2018 we were fortunate enough to be able to shoot some scenes at an oceanfront home in Mendocino, California. For those we used a RED Dragon 5K camera. And we also used it to shoot the final scenes in the summer of 2020 at the Citadel Art Studios in San Jose, California.
Editing this project in 2020 was an interesting experience. If had edited the footage in 2019 or 2018 or 2017 the results, no question, would’ve taken on a different tone and direction. Video editing is one of those things that if you haven’t done it before at length is kind of hard to explain. Thinking about it while spending about 4 intense weeks in Premiere Pro and the best I can do to explain it to those who haven’t had to jump down the editing rabbit hole is that it’s sort of like being Jack Nicholson at the typewriter in The Shining and playing a game of Tetris. Temper, temper, temper. Nerves, nerves, nerves. When it’s all said and done and you’ve finally encoded the 4K master (about a 6 hour process in itself… when it doesn’t fail) champagne is always in order.
In any case, 3 Days in Iceland (2020) wraps our “3 Days” trilogy which includes 3 Days in Sonoma (2017) and 3 Days in Paris (2018). My thanks again to Loni Stark for contributing her time often late at night after a long day of work and also on the weekends when time is precious.