How was The Bridge shot?

On Friday viewers of The Bridge will learn if one of the reality contestants in the new Paramount+ series will cross a 330m of water to claim what is remaining of a $250,000 cash prize.

And if they do, will they keep it for themselves or share it with their fellow cast?

Filming for the Endemol Shine series took place at Lake Pieman near Strahan in western Tasmania.

Paramount ANZ Executive Producer Sarah Thornton said, “It’s a privately owned property. It is a reservoir that goes up and down, based on what Tasmania’s water board are doing. So it really changes the way it feels to be honest with you.

“It’s full of Tasmanian timber. All those logs that are sticking out of the water…

“It was a pretty difficult task to find the right geography”

“All there was was the reservoir and some logs. Endemol Shine built that incredible cabin, the sleeping quarters and those really difficult pulleys that takes you across to the build area. Obviously the beacon was brought in to put on the island. It was a pretty difficult task to find the right geography that and also a place that genuinely had that sense of isolation.”

Filming took place in March earlier this year.

“It was pouring with rain in Sydney, but Tasmania was experiencing the driest autumn on record. So we had incredible weather for the filming,” she continued.

“There were a lot of Tiger snakes although they all seemed to disappear once we started filming. I don’t think they liked all the noise we were making. So it was logistically challenging to get production up and running but the team did an amazing job.”

“We had training for them for using the tools, a paramedic and lifesaver on location 24/7”

With so many axes and equipment, did any medical emergencies happen?

“We didn’t really have anything classified as an emergency. We had a lot of safety provisions there because obviously, they were building a bridge with their bare hands and quite rudimentary tools. So we had training for them for using the tools, a paramedic and lifesaver on location 24/7 as well. But really, it was blisters and splinters,” said Thornton.

“One of our paramedics did hurt her ankle, ironically, but it was right at the end. It was pretty standard.”

Unlike shows like I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here there were no visibile microphones worn by cast members -how was sound recorded?

“They had special neoprene devices that held the mics under their clothes. It wasn’t that warm so it’s not like people were topless all the time or anything. But it was a small crew and it sort of took me back to the old days of shooting reality,” she explained.

“We had obviously and amazing Director of Photography and camera team. But there was a lot of trust amongst the production team.

“It was just a bunch of producers and a couple of  ‘camos.'”

“It was just a bunch of producers and a couple of  ‘camos.’ It all felt very lucky. Some of the crew did stay in in tents nearby.

“Although it felt like a show that you would shoot with a reality crew in the ’90s we’ve got such beautiful technology with lenses and drones to really make make these things look for beautiful.”

They’re not chopping down trees, did  production supply them with bigger logs that they had to trim down?

“They get given a supply that they then have to convert into The Bridge,” Thornton confirmed.

“They weren’t given a roadmap, there were no instructions, they had to work out how to use the equipment themselves. Apart from learning to use the tools that they had to work out how to form the bridge pieces.”

The Bridge finale screens Friday on Paramount+.