NM on Film

WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT

- Bonanza Creek Ranch
- Cook Ranch and the Silverado Set
- The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
- Eaves Movie Ranch
- White Sands National Monument
- Zia Pueblo
There is a sea of radiant gypsum sand in south-central New Mexico that has lured the interest and inspired the imagination of filmmakers for decades. Undulating over a 275-square-mile area, this crystalline ocean shapes itself with the wind into great waves, at times settling into gentle crescent patterns. It is the largest gypsum dune field in the world.

On a clear day the sun reflects so intensely that one might think it is snow instead of sand. Not a few clothing catalogs and car commercials have taken advantage of this. Yet the rising and setting sun, or the occasional heavy overcast of clouds moving over from the San Andres and Sacramento mountains, effect a mood that is at once contrary and contrasty. This is the mood seized upon by King Solomon's Mines and New Eden, films exploring new lands and futuristic worlds; a mood generating an ambiance of isolation in White Sands and Young Guns II (where else would Brushy Bill, played by Emilio Estevez, choose to confess to a writer that he is the aging Billy the Kid?).

The remarkable beauty of the area draws more than 600,000 visitors a year, yet the park's uniqueness is not confined to its attractiveness. It is unique in light of the many film projects that the National Park Service staff has accommodated, while vigilantly preserving and protecting the monument, their primary responsibility.

"We're not a backlot studio in Hollywood," says Chief Ranger Nancy Wizner. "Sometimes it's challenging because the filmmakers' creativity and our need for preservation can clash." She is referring to a key restriction facing all park visitors - no motorized vehicles or equipment are allowed on the dunes. Yet production companies have met this policy with ease by positioning their many vehicles on the road that snakes into the dune field and hand-carrying their equipment onto the dunes.

The park rangers play an essential role in advising film companies about what can be accomplished in the dune environment. Filmmakers are required to supply an application and storyboard for scenes shot at the monument. "That gives us an idea of where they are going with it," says Ranger Kathy Denton. "We can tell them this will work, or this is not going to work . . . so we can help them in that respect."

Production companies are given a briefing by a ranger as well, such as warnings to use sunblock to ward off the deceptively strong reflection, and to drink plenty of water. Denton says winter temperatures rise from 30 degrees before sunrise to the 60s or 70s during the day, so there's a possible range from hypothermic conditions to dehydration and sunstroke within a day. They also advise wearing layers of clothing. Denton says the livestock wranglers tend to always be appropriately dressed. "Wranglers know to cover up completely," she says. "They never come out in T-shirts or shorts. I never see a cowboy in shorts!"

Taking precautions allows filming to happen even under extreme conditions. Denton recalls that Tank Girl had a record 126 degrees on the set during the summer of l994. Everyone continually drank water, so there were relatively few who succumbed to the heat.

Another part of the briefing involves access to the park for visitors. At times spectators gather to watch the filming, which normally takes place in areas designated for that purpose. The movie New Eden drew a lot of questions from visitors at the entrance station. "They asked, 'What in the world is going on out there?' The visitors had a real interesting outlook on the horses and people, and the road warrior garb," remarked Denton. Other questions were raised after the film's release. "In the movie, you're given the impression that the sand buggies are all out in the sand dunes, but they're actually on our roadways . . . the director, or whoever did the photography, did a very good job with angles, because it looked like we allowed them on the sand dunes, but we didn't."

White Sands is another film that was full of surprises. It was the fall of 1991 and Denton's first time working with a large film crew. "What amazed me is that they used pictures of a lot of 'military equipment' and in the movie there's only one real tank," she said. It was a taste of movie magic - the company set up numerous plywood flats in the background, mounted with blown-up photos of tanks and equipment.

It's not only the tricks of the trade, but the astute perception of filmmakers that draws the admiration of rangers Wizner and Denton. "Being with filmmakers kind of rejuvenates my interest," says Wizner. "They point out things that I pass a hundred times every day and put a different creative light on it. I appreciate that."