THE BRIEF

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Keo Films had this thought-provoking documentary in the making for almost 3 years,

which was commissioned by Channel 4. The team at Keo developed the idea of filming a

polygamous Mormon family and their community in a very remote part of Utah, USA and

The Complete Camera Company were delighted to be asked to film the series

following an initial recce at the start of 2016.

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THE CHALLENGES

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The Mormon community at Rockland Ranch wanted to build homes that were isolated, but not completely cut-off.

An off-road drive into the desert eventually revealed a huge natural stone edifice where the community have

blasted  holes out of the rock-face and built homes within them.

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We knew we would need to consider the very extreme exterior desert conditions when rigging kit outside and

creating a gallery for the production team and camera crew. Our initial recce took place in January when

Moab, (the small town about 40 minutes away) was covered in snow. 1.5 tonnes of technical equipment was prepped

and packed at The CCC warehouse before being transported to the USA, requiring a detailed carnet.

 

Despite the snowy recce, we rigged the Rockland Ranch in temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees. It was vital that all of the technical equipment was protected from heat, so we rigged outdoor cameras in cool-domes

to minimise fried tech. Vehicles got stuck in the desert sand regularly with little /no phone reception,

so it was important that everyone was well prepared, flexible and willing to adapt to the conditions,

and shifting time constraints.

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The gallery was built in a wooden structure nearby and equipped with air-conditioning units and fans to keep the production team and camera-operators as cool as possible. We ran the entire fixed-rig off solar panels during the day, simultaneously charging a huge bank of batteries. When the battery power got low,

the generator automatically kicked in to supply the rig with enough power to finish the day.

To connect our cameras to the gallery we fed our cables underground in a 12-foot hole

dug into the desert in front of the house, which kept the feeds cool and protected.

 

​The Mormon family itself was made up of a husband, his 3 wives and their 12 children, across 3 apartments with 3 separate front doors, all conjoined to make 1 “complete” house. The rig included cameras over 18 different camera positions, using Panasonic AW-HE60 remote heads. We were greatly helped by the fact

that the living areas were mostly open plan, meaning we could cover a wider area with fewer cameras.​ 

With three different kitchens and lounges,and the father of the family spending a night

in each home on a three-nightly rotation, it tooktime and sensitivity for us to establish

some of their routines, so that the family could continue with normal life without too much disruption.

A mixture of atmospheric and personal clip-mics spread across the family meant

that we could capture the conversations of the family involved.

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THE RESULTS

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We were dealing with a lifestyle very different from much of the UK's average family culture, so it was important that we remained as sensitive as possible to the beliefs of the contributors we were filming.

We were keen to inhabit their space as unobtrusively as possible and film them being as

open and genuine as they would be without us there.

 

The access we had, thanks to the team at Keo Films, was unprecedented and the shoot became an incredible experience for all of our crew. The result was a highly controversial, fascinating series that took the audience through a rollercoaster of emotions. We would like to thank Keo Films for this truly once-in-a-lifetime experience,

and the Morrison family for their courage and honesty in telling us their story.

 

FACTS & FIGURES

Filmed: April – June 2017
Aired: March 2017
Channel: Channel 4
Location: Utah, USA
Viewers: 1.47 Million
Cameras: 15

 

 

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

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"The latest, brilliant offering from Keo Films, Three Wives, One Husband is full of surprises."

The Express

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"I imagine an awful lot of time and effort went into developing a relationship with and gaining the trust of the community. And it pays off, they clearly do trust the crew, and open up, their homes and their lives."

The Guardian

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"This eye-opening new documentary follows different families, deep in the middle of the Utah desert."

The Mirror