Great Basin national park

The Great Basin is a vast and sparsely populated region of the interior West - it is the black hole in any night-time rendering of the lower 48. Great Basin National Park sits on the Nevada-Utah border in the very center of the region. Our film for the Park, Under a Desert Sky: Life in the Great Basin, tells the stories of the Park and of the broader region, through the eyes of visitors and residents, including a rancher, a cave scientist, and a Duckwater Shoshone tribal leader.

The film features extraordinary night sky time-lapse and aerial photography, that highlights the beauty, diverse wildlife and dramatic weather of this place. The film also communicates a little of what life is like in a town of seventy people, in one of the most isolated communities on the American mainland. 

“...(our visitors) praise the stunning aerials, the mesmerizing night sky time lapses, and the unique approach the film takes to interpreting the Great Basin through the eyes of people with a deep connection to this land. The success of this project stems from North Shore's ability to listen to and build relationships with the many individuals - from park staff and researchers to ranchers and tribal members - who were critical to the development of the story.”
— Brandi E. Roberts, Supervisory Park Ranger, Great Basin National Park

Project Details: 

• A twenty-four minute theater film
• Filmed over three seasons; winter scenics filmed at elevation during the Park’s annual Memorial Day snowstorm.
• Elevation of production basecamp: 11,000 ft.
• Typical age of bristlecone pines filmed in Park - 2000 years.

Awards & Festivals:

• Special Jury Award, WorldFest International Film Festival
• Official Selection, American Conservation Film Festival
• Telly Award
• Communicator Award of Excellence