Dune Report / Film Production

Today I made a day trip out to the sandbox to take some pictures for a few Friends of Dumont Dunes projects I am working on in preparation of the upcoming season. It was a cool 95 degrees with a nice breeze but if you weren't moving it got HOT in the sun! My buddy and I had the dunes all to ourselves and it was the softest, fluffy sand I've ever experienced out at Dumont! Imagine driving on cotton candy but sliding on oil. It was a challenge in some spots to say the least but we still had a great, safe time!

Even though we had the dunes all to ourselves the rest of the place was crawling with the largest film production crew Dumont Dunes has ever seen! 

With extremely tight security, significant area closures and an increased BLM presence the majority of the flats normally filled with group camps, sand toys and firepits has been transformed during filming into another planet for the upcoming movie Ad Astra staring Brad Pitt.

This futuristic film takes place in the setting of the planet Neptune. Filmmaker James Gray will be taking the helm in what he's promised will be the “most realistic depiction of space travel that’s been put in a movie.”

Coming down the main road the fee station area was completely packed with all of their equipment and the Visitors Center area was utilized for an additional security checkpoint and the medic staging area.

Looking to the North was the active "set" that unfortunately we couldn't get close to due to security, noise and dust restrictions. The majority of today was the "rover travelling" scenes. They have been filming for a couple weeks now and will be continuing for at least another week. Enjoy the attached photos and I look forward to seeing everyone next month for Halloween! 

Jason