Movies - TV
A Last Minute Steven Spielberg Idea Sent Indiana Jones’ Crew Scrambling
By JOE ROBERTS
Steven Spielberg’s opening shot of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" came from a sudden idea he had while filming, causing the director to send the crew scrambling.
Almost as iconic as the temple scene itself, the Paramount logo dissolving into a shot of Hawaii's Kalalea Mountain is one of the best-manipulated studio trademarks ever.
Located on the island of Kauai, Kalalea Mountain was used in place of a Peruvian peak for “Indiana Jones.” Each successive movie incorporated the same image into its first shot.
According to Entertainment Weekly, producer Frank Marshall said Spielberg’s idea to fade from the Paramount logo to the mountain was "kind of sprung on [the crew]" during filming.
In a behind-the-scenes featurette, Spielberg said, "I just thought it would be fun to start with the Paramount mountain," since his first company was called "Playmount Productions."
That company used a mountain for its logo painted by Spielberg himself, but Marshall, who elaborated on his search for the perfect peak in the featurette, didn't have much "fun."
Marshall said, "We were setting up in Kauai, and [Spielberg] [...] said, '[...] I need you to go find a mountain that looks like the Paramount logo, where we can shoot.'"
Without CGI to rely on, the last-minute request meant that Marshall had to "drive around the whole island until I found a location that would work for us."