How the Glacier Crevasse Fly-Through Shot Was Created (Behind the Scenes)

For this shot, the goal was clear: to create the impression that the camera is physically flying through a glacier — between two massive ice walls, through narrow cracks and crevasses, while small pieces of ice fall from above and pass close to the lens. We didn’t want to simply film ice as a material, but to build a scene that functions like a real environment, with depth, perspective, and clearly readable movement through space.

The foundation of the scene was a huge block of frozen water, which was cut and split to form two large ice walls resembling glacier slabs. This created a natural “corridor” for the lens to fly through, along with irregular edges that make the shot visually believable. Once the shape of the scene was ready, one of the most challenging parts followed: lighting.

Ice is extremely sensitive to the angle and quality of light, so in order to reveal layers, cracks, and internal structure, the lighting had to shape the material without blowing out highlights. Blue gel filters and black flagging panels were used to increase contrast within the ice, whileadditional backlighting ensured that flying ice fragments remained clearly separated from the background, even when passing very close to the camera.

The key element of the entire shot was the fly-through itself. In such a tight space, there is no room for handheld stabilization or improvisation — the camera must travel along a precise path, without vibration and without micro changes in speed. To achieve this, we used the MRMC Bolt high speed robotic arm, which allowed us to program a smooth trajectory, maintain consistent timing, and repeat the shot with absolute precision until the movement was perfect.

The shot was captured on a Phantom VEO 4K at 1000 frames per second, giving the falling ice fragments maximum detail, weight, and a floating slow-motion
character. For optics, we chose the Venus Optics Laowa Pro2be 24mm, which allowed us to move inside the structure while still preserving a wide, cinematic sense of space and a strong fly-through feeling.

The result is a practical effect that may look like CGI, but was created entirely physically — ice, light, gravity, and precise motion control. It’s exactly the kind of shot where a simple concept relies on proper scene preparation, meticulous lighting, and technology that allows every detail to be pushed to a cinematic level.