Limitless with Thor
Three years ago, I was part of the Japan crew filming the series 'Limitless with Chris Hemsworth.' Unfortunately Covid-19 and Japan's border closures kept Chris, also known as Thor, from joining us. Despite that, I spent a week filming with a great crew and that allowed me to see a side of Japan that would've remained hidden from me.
The series revolves around challenges Chris takes on to explore healthier and longer living. Our episode zoomed in on shock therapy, and we particularly filmed the cold therapy rituals of the Shugendo Monks under a cascading waterfall. Picture this: Chris's narration blending seamlessly with footage of a monk enduring the intense cold, making for a powerful 4-minute segment towards the end of the second episode.
We captured other sequences with the monks, including cliff-hanging, chants, and hikes through mountains and valleys, although many of these scenes did not make the final cut. Our shoot wasn't without its challenges either. One particular incident highlighted the importance of safety when one of our crew members was injured during a return hike.
We also had to revisit the waterfall twice in 6 months. The first shoot lacked the dramatic effect of heavy water coming down from the melted ice and snow. We returned and ultimately got a truly spectacular waterfall scene that is seen in the final edit of the program. 'Limitless with Chris Hemsworth' is now part of the Nat Geo catalogue and available for streaming on Disney+.