UNIC mini cranes played a starring role on the set of Hollywood blockbuster “Noah” recently as they assisted with filming inside a 5000 year old lava stream cave near Reykjavik in Iceland.
To shoot a scene for the epic biblical movie which stars Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins, a pair of UNIC URW-295 mini spider cranes was hired from Icelandic UNIC dealer Smákranar to help prepare the Raufarhólshellir cave for filming.
One 2.9 tonne capacity compact crane was driven 50 metres to reach the cave’s opening where it cleared rocks out of the way and installed internal steel frames to get the location camera-ready. By moving this lightweight crane across plastic boards, the landscape’s delicate ground moss remained undamaged.
Once the cameras were rolling, both UNIC URW-295 mini cranes were used to hold an aluminium frame and fabric cover above the lava cave’s entrance to protect the set from the weather and help achieve the right lighting effect.
The spider cranes provided a simple solution for lifting tasks on set, impressing the production crew and director Darren Aronofsky with how quickly they could be set up ready to work. A more cost-effective alternative to larger mobile cranes, the mini cranes have positionable outriggers which provide a stable lifting base for working on uneven terrain.
Managing Director of Smákranar, Elli Erlingsson, commented, “It was a great experience to work on the Noah set and receive such good feedback about the performance of our UNIC mini cranes from the production crew. I can’t wait to see the scenes that we worked on when the movie is released in 2014.”
UNIC mini cranes are the world’s most compact cranes and have been used in a wide variety of industry sectors for lifting where space and access are restricted. There are currently 9 models in the UNIC range, from 0.995 tonnes to 10 tonnes in lifting capacity.
To find out more about UNIC Cranes Europe and the network of official UNIC mini cranes dealers visit www.uniccranes.com/dealers
Notes for Editors
UNIC Cranes Europe, part of GGR Group Ltd, is the European distributor for Furukawa UNIC (Japan), specializing in the supply of mini spider cranes across 30 European countries.
Unic mini spider cranes are compact enough to fit through a standard doorway making them ideal for lifting in restricted access and confined working environments. There are 9 models currently available, ranging from 0.995 tonnes to 10 tonnes in capacity.
For more information visit www.uniccranes.com or call +44 (0) 1844 202 071
Editorial Contact:
Kerry Edwards (Author)
PR and Marketing Coordinator
Kerry.edwards@ggrgroup.com
+44 (0)161 683 2580
