Spokane photographer captures the making of Oscar-nominated movie ‘Train Dreams’

SPOKANE, Wash. — The forests, rivers, and rugged terrain of Washington state play a central function within the movie Train Dreams. But behind the digital camera, one other story was unfolding.

Daniel Schaefer, an IATSE Local 600 stills photographer, documented the manufacturing whereas additionally serving to carry a way of historic authenticity to the movie.

“Washington in general has this incredible depth to the locations,” Schaefer stated. “We have woods, we have rivers, we have cities, we have streams — pretty much anything you can find.”

The movie follows the lifetime of a logger and railroad employee within the Pacific Northwest, telling a narrative that spans many years.

That lengthy timeline meant the manufacturing wanted landscapes that might convincingly symbolize completely different eras. According to Schaefer, who was additionally a location scout on the manufacturing, Eastern Washington offered precisely that.

“Especially here in Spokane and Eastern Washington, we have just this incredible range of looks,” he stated.

Schaefer’s function on set went past documenting manufacturing. As a specialist in classic digital camera gear, he discovered methods to match his images with the time durations portrayed within the movie.

“I was able to source lenses from the late 1800s, the 1920s, the 1940s, and the 1960s,” Schaefer stated.

Using lenses from these durations helped give his photographs a novel authenticity.

“I’m photographing scenes set in the 1800s with glass from the 1800s, scenes from the ’20s with glass from the ’20s,” he stated. “Optics that themselves have a legacy, that themselves have a story.”

At one level within the movie, Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) and his spouse Gladys (Felicity Jones) sit for a portrait taken by a photographer. Schaefer really shot the picture used within the movie.

“I was able to photograph the actual photo that then became a prop,” Schaefer stated. “And I got to do that on period-correct optics. It looks exactly the way it would have if you shot it in that time.”

For Schaefer, images performs an vital function in preserving moments throughout manufacturing.

“In photography, we are anchoring memory, taking these moments and distilling them into a single frame,” he stated. “Train Dreams is a story that is anchored in memory — this man’s memories of his time in the Pacific Northwest. A big element of that are these photographic frames, even within the movie itself.”

One of essentially the most dramatic sequences within the movie entails a large forest fireplace. The location for that scene carried a real-life connection. Just a 12 months earlier, a wildfire burned 1000’s of acres close to Medical Lake, outdoors Spokane.

“When we scouted there months later, there was still smoke coming out of the ground,” Schaefer stated.

To recreate the fireplace, the crew constructed a large lighting setup.

“Kevin Cook and Mike Vukas, two of our local gaffers, built this incredible system of lights — I think it was 800 to 900 theatrical PAR cans — all gelled with red and orange flame colors,” Schaefer stated. “Then Ryan Roundy and his VFX team brought in smoke, ash and sparks.”

The outcome was a strong visible sequence made potential by the real-world panorama.

“They were able to build out this incredibly intense scene in a space that was only made possible because it had been produced in the wake of tragedy,” Schaefer stated.

Filming in a spot that had not too long ago skilled a devastating wildfire gave the second added emotional weight.

“We were filming a sequence in a place where an actual fire had occurred,” Schaefer stated. “That level of seriousness and appreciation was something the crew took very seriously.”

Production came about within the Spring of 2024. The movie premiered on the Sundance Film Festival in January 2025. A 12 months later, Train Dreams was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, together with Best Picture.

“Washington state has an Oscar-nominated crew,” Schaefer stated.

Schaefer says productions like this additionally spotlight the expertise already working in Washington’s movie business. According to Schaefer, the state already has the crews, gear, and amenities wanted for main productions.

“This shows the talent of our crew with no question,” he stated.

For Schaefer, documenting Train Dreams was about greater than images. It was about proving that Washington state has lots to supply to any manufacturing searching for a house.

“To me, this is the beginning of a relationship,” Schaefer stated. “This is the beginning of finding these people who initially come on as clients and leave as collaborators. This is a trading card that will be in our deck forever.”