"Making of Christmas Story" is the behind-the-scenes look at the 2007 film shot in Finland. It was made with interviews and film clips from the movie. One of the cast interviewed is Hannu-Pekka Björkman, who plays Nikolas. Other interviews are with the director, Juha Wuolijoki, producers, the cinematographer and the composer.
This 22-minute documentary is captivating just for watching the film clips of the work in such harsh conditions. The temperatures during the month of filming in Lapland hovered near minus 40 degrees. That is both Celsius and Fahrenheit. After searching for the right village for shooting most of the story, filmmakers said they settled on a site that just had church huts. The crew added buildings and trappings to give it the look of a small fishing village.
One of the major filming problems was the camera freezing. They overcame that by using a hairdryer. The building of the set for the workshop was interesting. Only hand tools are seen in use, and the lighting is provided by dozens and dozens of candles. So, the presence of some large cogwheels and gears turning in the workshop is puzzling.
A short scene of Nikolas and Iisakki selling furniture in the city market was filmed in the city of Turku, about 100 miles West of Helsinki. The crew set up a type of farmers market in front of a large church - most likely the cathedral of Turku.
This interesting documentary short shows what it takes to overcome the challenges of harsh weather to make a movie.
This 22-minute documentary is captivating just for watching the film clips of the work in such harsh conditions. The temperatures during the month of filming in Lapland hovered near minus 40 degrees. That is both Celsius and Fahrenheit. After searching for the right village for shooting most of the story, filmmakers said they settled on a site that just had church huts. The crew added buildings and trappings to give it the look of a small fishing village.
One of the major filming problems was the camera freezing. They overcame that by using a hairdryer. The building of the set for the workshop was interesting. Only hand tools are seen in use, and the lighting is provided by dozens and dozens of candles. So, the presence of some large cogwheels and gears turning in the workshop is puzzling.
A short scene of Nikolas and Iisakki selling furniture in the city market was filmed in the city of Turku, about 100 miles West of Helsinki. The crew set up a type of farmers market in front of a large church - most likely the cathedral of Turku.
This interesting documentary short shows what it takes to overcome the challenges of harsh weather to make a movie.