490 Crew Works NHL Winter Classic Video

IATSE Local 490 crew worked under a union contract for the NHL Winter Classic music video in early December 2021. The video featured the LA band DIRTY HONEY. The four piece performed on a frozen lake in northern MN. The band covered the Prince song, “Lets Get Crazy”. The music video footage was then edited into a kick off video for the pregame celebration for the outdoor hockey game of the Minnesota Wild v. the St.Louis Blues game at Target field in Minneapolis, MN. The game was played on January 1st 2022, it was reported as the coldest game ever played by the National Hockey League.

The video was directed by Tyler Lassiter of Turner sports and Craig Murray of Synergy films. This was a very intense shoot. It featured freezing temps, pryo-technics, windchill, ice precautions, medics and drones. Through all this, 490 was up to the challenge.

Below are some production stills and a list of the union crew on the shoot;

Above: EFX- Smoke effects, Tom Kristjanson mans an Antari M-8, 1700 Watt water-based fog machine on the snowpack.

Above: Production Designer: Rob Walstead runs a second Antari M-8, 1700 Watt water-based fog machine.

Above; Propmaster: Mark Wojahn tests a ring light in front of microphone in his prop shop before the shoot.

Best Boy Electric: Severyn Pearman assembles an ARRI skypanel DoPchoice SNAPBAG Softbox on the frozen lake.

Other union crew; Gaffer: Nathan Lee, Key Grip: Darin Spring, Best Boy Grip: Jeff Villars filled out the G& E dept. Conduit Sound supplied gear for Playback & union member Nick Wright supervised the sound dept on the shoot.

HMU was Abigail Gellrich, Craft Service was Katie Driver, the Grip Truck was supplied by Local 490 Member owned-G&E: Tasty Lighting Supply.

Here is one of the ARRI Alexa cameras that was on set. Camera supply house and Local 600 Member owned-Camera Support: CineMechanics provided some support gear for day.

490 would like to thank the NHL, Turner Sports, the production company Synergy Films, local production supervisor Erin Acker Wynne for a safe shoot and for working under a union contract. This contract paid 490 members good wages, workers comp, unemployment insurance and health benefits. We believe when productions work under a union contract they are taking care of the workers, before, during and after the shoot. We hope to work with you again. Contact our business agent at this email, businessagent@iatse490.net, to find out more about shooting union.