Focus Of The Week: <i>Quantum Of Solace</i> Boat Chase
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Focus Of The Week: Quantum Of Solace Boat Chase

Behind the stunt sequence

The Quantum Of Solace boat chase was shot at the harbour area in Colón, Panama standing in for Kings Quay, Haiti over a four-week period starting 25 February 2008.

Simon Crane was Second-Unit director for the sequence in Panama. For the first part of the shoot, Crane worked with stunt performers — Wade Eastwood, Lee Morrison and Ben Cooke doubling for Bond, Nikki Berwick and Teresa Arteaga doubling for Camille.

“This was a complex shoot,” recalled Crane. “It was like a car chase but on water but there were so many variables.”

Crane utilised the Ultimate Arm, a gyro-stabilised remote-controlled camera crane that facilitated incredible close up footage of the chase. This became invaluable to realise director Marc Forster’s desire to make the action look as believable as possible.

“The entire boat sequence was all shot for real,” recalled Forster. “There was no green screen work. When I was working with Daniel and Olga, I had to make sure they were secure with the stunt work, and at the same time we got what we needed action-wise.”

Forster and the principal cast arrived on March 19 for three days of filming. Daniel Craig recalled the logistical challenges of shooting the sequence in a busy working harbour.

“We cornered off an area of the marina and out into the ocean,” he said. “There were huge container ships going through and we were dancing around them while we were filming.”

For Olga Kurylenko playing Camille, there was a sharp contrast between rehearsing the scene and shooting the stunts for real.

“We were going really fast,” she said. “I thought they would fake the speed but they didn’t. When I practiced, I was attached and had a helmet, and lots of protection. I didn’t have any of that while filming. Suddenly I had to keep my stability while fighting and acting.”

 

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