How did he use his camera without electricty...
and didn't he ever run out of film? How much extra help did he receive?
shareIt looks like he's using a 16mm camera. They were spring driven. All he had to do was wind it up. Wish modern cameras were like that.
As for film I imagine his friend Babe flew in fresh film when Dick requested it. I also wonder if he had extra help with some of the shots. Perhaps Babe stuck around for some time to visit with Dick? I haven't read the book.
Ah, that makes sense. I never knew that about the camera. I figured he was flown in film when he had other things dropped off. I read in a review that someone else did some filming because there is obvious camera movement. I wonder if that someone also helped a little bit with the cabin.
shareI think he probably had more than one camera. The fact that the camera moves might be because of wind or even the snow shifting.
Dick did the cabin by himself. I was amazed watching him make the hinges for the door. I was thinking a little hinge and then he comes out with this 30 inch or so hinge. He comments in the film that he felt a little guilty using the tarp and stuff on the roof since it wasn't "natural". It took 2 acres of moss to fill the roof.
I was entranced with the film the scenery alone is breath taking.
Hehe its mindboggling that people dont realise things were done before electricity. Even before digital gadgets.
The hinge and lock things really got me as well. Especially the doorlock. I honestly think he sorta messed up though. Animals like raccoons and even bears could figure that lock out. And the hinges could have been tiny if he used hardwood but i dont think he wanted to put that much effort in.
I actually found it disappointing that he was so reliant on civilisation even though i think its obvious he didnt have to be. He must have flown in 500 pounds of tools. It showed him using a drawkife amongst other things and thats #500 on the list of heavy steel tools you take with you. You can tell in his way of thinking quality is the #1 factor as he could have built a much bigger cabin if he hadnt insisted on it appearing so incredibly well crafted.
I know it's been a while since your post but I felt compelled to comment.
His cabin has withstood 40 years of exposure and hard use in that unforgiving land. As far as 2003 when I last visited the cabin after Dick's passing, NO bears have broken in. Ever. Nor raccoons, squirrels or wittle bunny wabbits. The cabin is in exquisite condition. The hinges are all perfect and unmarked. He used tree stumps because of the extra strength of the wood, and the built-in curves. Everything had a purpose, and of course it would have been idiotic to use anything smaller. Strength and durability required precisely everything he did. After all his LIFE depended on it for over 30 years. And he did quite well!
And also the tools he used were perfect for the job. Perhaps you wouldn't need a drawknife, but he did. It was critical for the vast majority of woodwork he did. Perhaps you need to watch the film a bit more carefully before you expose your utter and complete ignorance.
You are HARDLY in any position to question the proven merit in anything Dick Proenneke had done.
PS: He was alone. Why would he have needed anything bigger? A media room perhaps? A home office? Anything larger would have been that much more of a challenge to heat. Efficiency was one of his bywords. And avoiding waste.
NO bears have broken in. Ever.
If I recall correctly, Dick said he had to fend off a bear from his cabin. I don't know if the bear actually got in or not. I also recently watched a video featuring a NPS (Lake Clark) employee, who has kept watch over Dick's cabin. He indicated that a bear had entered the cabin through a window and did some minor damage. He also indicated that the bottom logs of the cabin started to rot and were replaced. That video appeared to be made rather recently - quite possibly after your post. If I come across that video again, then I'll come back and post the link. share
i think a draw knife is what i'd want most stripping all those logs
shareDidn't want to put that much effort in, hilarious.
shareI actually found it disappointing that he was so reliant on civilisation even though i think its obvious he didnt have to be.
You think he was really reliant on "civilisation"? Really? Did you expect him to make his own glass for the windows? He didn't see other people for several weeks, if not months, at a time. He acquired just about all of his own food. The fact that someone occasionally provided Tabasco sauce and sugar certainly doesn't defeat his goals/accomplishments.
He must have flown in 500 pounds of tools. It showed him using a drawkife amongst other things and thats #500 on the list of heavy steel tools you take with you.
He was a master carpenter. Did you expect him to throw those tools away, before building his cabin?
You can tell in his way of thinking quality is the #1 factor as he could have built a much bigger cabin if he hadnt insisted on it appearing so incredibly well crafted.
I really don't understand this comment, either. Why would he need a bigger cabin? Regardless of the size of the cabin, he most certainly could have built a top-notch cabin. If he truly needed a bigger cabin, then he could have built another one, right?
share
Just got through watching it on PBS. At some point there was someone filming with him. It wasn't just small camera movements, but pans following him as he walked along. But watching his woodworking skills, amazing,
This will be the high point of my day; it's all downhill from here.
he did have visitors from time to time
mainly his brother.......but i think some guy & his wife visited once or twice
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have a zIpPiTy doo dah day!............
I can recommend also watching part 2: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2708794/reference
You get to see that his brother would visit him for up to a month at a time. I guess that is when most of the panning shots of him were taken.
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