A Behind the Scenes Look at Filming a Movie 3,000 Feet Above the Ground

Have you ever thought it was hard to film a movie on the ground? Now, imagine filming a movie 3,000 above the ground attached to nothing but a rope.

In this video that was released by Red Bull, it takes you behind the scenes of how the crew filmed one of my favorite rock climbing movies, "The Dawn Wall." The film documents climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson as they ascend one of the most challenging peaks of our time. The movie would not be possible without the unbelievable and dedicated camera crew. From hauling up 300 pounds of supplies and gear up a 3,000-foot vertical sea of rock, to staying in crazy positions for close to six hours straight, the video was incredibly engaging to watch.

When filming a movie on a vertical wall, it inevitably comes with a host of challenges that must be overcome. When filming in Yosemite, you are confined to the wall. You can't fly drones or helicopters, so the angles you're able to capture become quite limiting. In an effort to capture never before seen angles, the crew gets innovative. They devised a mechanism that allowed the camera to essentially float in mid-air above El Capitan and convey to the audience what it really felt like to be up there. This enabled them to create intimate feeling shots or to show the magnitude of the climb.

By the end of watching this film, I was amazed and inspired by the amount of patience and dedication the crew put in to making this film possible. They truly elevated the experience to new heights and brought the audience along on the journey with them.