Getting the Shot: Fallen Leaf Lake

Each Flyover film requires an incredible amount of planning and coordination to capture that perfect shot. A talented team of creatives and planners work together for months to scout locations, coordinate and plan before filming this ambitious project.

Wonders of the American West (formerly The Real Wild West), shot above Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Montana, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, is no exception. It takes passengers over 22 of the United States’ most magnificent cities, monuments and landscapes to capture the essences of the country’s rugged west — from the people and the places to the history and the stories of this diverse area.

One scene from the film that captures the spirit of the west was shot at Fallen Leaf Lake in California. Located near the California-Nevada state border, and about a mile from the famed Lake Tahoe, Fallen Leaf Lake attracts adventurers year-round, despite sometimes frigid conditions.

“A big part of the theme [of the film] is that this place is unique,” says Dave Mossop, director for Wonders of the American West . “And people are not afraid — they go and do crazy things just for the sake of seeing what’s on the other side.”

That spirit is captured at Fallen Leaf Lake, where a water-skier braves the freezing temperatures as an expert helicopter pilot follows behind in his wake. Watch the video above to see how the team brought the sequence to life.