Coffee Break

MasterBlaster

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Have ya'll seen this? I saw it over at ArbTalk, interesting. I'd like to know how they got some of those camera angles.

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That guy is awesome.


Screw the camera angles, I wanna know how he got coffee up there!
 
Very cool video. Great camera angles.

I wish I could find coffee at the top of the tree. It would provide more incentive for getting there.
 
I'm pretty sure that film was originally called "Spar Tree," and it was made by some professional filmmaker. The climber, I believe, is Hap Johnson, a world champion high climber. I only saw Spar Tree 1x, and it seems like it was a little longer as well as much more high fidelity when you see it on CD instead of Youtube.

Yeah, some of the camera angles are crazy. I wonder if some were made on the ground at a different time, like those close ups of his face when he is cutting.

Is it just me or is it amazing how high he climbs above his buck strap before he flips it up higher? He looks strong as a freaking ox. It looks like he pulls himself same time he steps up. I would have loved to see how he takes up the slack in that old school rig.

That's an inspirational film.
 
I watched that video over twenty years ago and to this day it is still the finest representation of a true high climber that worked in the woods. That is the real deal. If ever a finer and more accurate one can be made,,, I seriously doubt it.

Those camera angles were achieved by a director and photographer that had pride in portraying true reality, and they got the camera men in the best vantage points to capture the essence of what a high climber was. It was a one take, get it the best that could be,,, and edit it,,, and make a story about it.

No cheap shot Axe Men or modern day reality shows about it.

That production of "Spar Tree" and Hap Johnson is truly amazingly accurate to detail. And I am qualified to tell you that.
 
Never knew him personally, Jay, but he was a legend in his time none the less.

"Spar Tree" was filmed when the Shelton Mill was closing down. Much earlier than when the film was released. Though I'm not sure of the exact dates. I was just a young punk when that was going on.
 
Ive seen it and yes its called Spar Tree.

Im wondering about the coffee though, I thought it was a cig break he took up there. In fact Im almost certain of it.
 
Yeah, they clearly altered the end of that. LOL- he holds up a china coffee cup. ANd at that point you cant see any real background either. From waht I remember in the original, he sits atop the spar, then hand rolls a cigarette and you can clearly hear him inhale and exhale and see the smoke all while he takes in the view.
Too bad they felt the need to alter it to make it PC.

I wonder if they had permission to use that and put their name on it?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #22
Hand rolled, you say?
spliff.gif
 
I was searching for Hap Johnson videos and came across this old newsreel with the 1957 World Championship of Logging on it. Hap is the champion and it has a great shot of some spar climbing. I don't know how those guys come down so fast, it's got to be hell on the knees. About 4 minutes in:

http://ahivfree.alexanderstreet.com/View/528105
 
I might try that lanyard thing with one of my heavy weed eater/brusher straps. Makes sense for a high climb. Man Hap musta been something to watch. The way he went right up that tree and such... WOW
 
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