Snow and Ice
THE BEAUTY OF 'COLD'
by Julie Mynatt

Some of the photos shown are courtesy of Colin MacKenzie

The concept is solid.  The script is tight.  The director is A-list.  Now we need a unique location that is easy to get to … and covered in a thick layer of snow and ice.

When the script calls for cold, windswept plains, enormous, mountainous vistas or a blanket of crisp powder, look no further than Canada, Iceland, Greenland or Finland.  Year round, each country has sub-arctic and arctic areas and experienced, talented film professionals.  And they’re easy locations to get to; even the most remote, icy plateaus are but a short flight from all major U.S. and European metropolitan centers.

Before you choose your location, make sure to take into account the environment you are about to explore....

ICELAND
Iceland has been aggressive in courting work to its amazing landscape.  It’s recent increase in production incentives, from a 12% refund to a 14% refund, makes it’s already stellar resources even more enticing.

GREENLAND
Greenland is a unique country in many ways.  It is the largest island in the world that is not a continent, containing a quarter of the earth’s surface ice.  The Greenland ice sheet itself is so massive it has mashed the central land mass of Greenland into a basin that dips to 1,000 feet below sea level.

CANADA
O, Canada!  The world's second largest country (Russia is number one) sports a variety of climates and geographic features -- often within a few hours drive of each other within the same province or territory.... 

FINLAND
Finland's unique features come largely from its status as the northernmost country in Europe.  Lapland, Finland's northernmost province, reaches into the Arctic Circle.  During the northern hemisphere's summer, this region experiences "white nights" where the sun doesn't set for a little over two months....

Pegasus-Panarctica is a production services company in Reyjavik, Iceland.  For more than 30 years, the company has worked with local and international production companies for advertising, feature film, corporate, independent and music video shoots.  Pegasus-PanArctica provides its services in both Iceland and Greenland, and maintains a massive database of location photos for each country.  Its commercial portfolio includes work for Jeep, Goodyear, Guinness, New Balance and General Electric.  Pegasus has handled long-form productions for CBS-TV's "The Amazing Race" and HBO's "The Girl in the Café”...

Ice axe… and crampons… and snowshoes…oh my! 

Unlike Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and her concern over lions and tigers and bears – shooting in countries known for their snow and ice can be exhilarating.  From cars and tires to beer, banks, and music videos, the use of the extreme cold can produce some of the most eye-catching and dramatic visuals.  With newfound respect for the elements, cast and crew alike can excel in producing some of the best results from these locations...