Yellowstone InDepth

This video series explores some of Yellowstone's most popular questions and important issues.

Discover more about America's first national park. Experience Yellowstone InDepth.

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Episode 1: Yellowstone's Restless Giant

Episode 2: Troubled Waters

Episode 3: Bears, A Yellowstone Love Story

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Behind the Lens - Transcript

Shooting a film on the Yellowstone supervolcano was, in a word, hot. And that’s for a couple of reasons.

We try to shoot in the summertime on the hottest, sunniest days because there’s less steam when it’s that hot so you can see into the hot springs better. And also the sunlight comes in and bounces around the pools and it just makes the colors pop so beautifully.

But the other reason why it’s so hot in the geyser basins in the summertime is because of the Yellowstone supervolcano itself. In some areas of Yellowstone that magma chamber – that molten rock – is only three to eight miles beneath the surface. So it’s right there. And all that heat comes up in the geysers and hot springs, the ground itself is very warm. So it’s just hot to be in Yellowstone in the geyser basins in the summertime.

So in addition to being able to spend an entire summer amid the geysers and hot springs in Yellowstone, I think the best thing about making this film was all just the great park visitors I got to meet out there. I’d be out in the geyser basins chatting with people who had never seen a geyser erupt before or who had never seen the colors of the hot springs before. And so I really got the see the park again through new eyes, which was great for me because I’ve lived in Yellowstone for awhile now so it was like having a brand new experience – seeing Yellowstone for the first time all over again.

And then the other really good thing about making this film is I have a chance to bring what I’ve learned about the park to people who might never have a chance to actually come to Yellowstone and see it for themselves but still want to learn all about what’s here. So it’s just a really great opportunity to make this film and it’s been a lot of fun.