Quiet power, big impact: Lakeview and Voltstack BESS

Midway through our case study interview, Tara Thorne, writer and director for Lakeview, shared a sentiment that perfectly encapsulates the essence of Portable Electric’s transformative impact on film production.

As we tussle with upper management to make that line Portable Electric’s official slogan, we should provide context. Tara’s reference to gas being a “pain in the ass” succinctly captures the typical challenges associated with filmmaking. This specific instance, however, harks back to the agonies experienced during a previous project, Compulsus – a shared ordeal with Nicole Steeves, the producer of Lakeview.

“Compulsus was about a vigilante who stalks the streets at night, so we shot outdoors a lot,” Tara explains. “Halifax is a very noisy city in general. Even in the middle of the night, there would be construction projects and sirens. It was tough.”

Fast forward to the Lakeview team’s tech scout, where the director of photography raises concerns about power, and Nicole suggests a generator as a solution. Tara was not on board; she recalls, “I was like, ‘Wait, a generator? Another loud thing? I’m already dealing with planes, chirping birds, and random emergencies during shoots.’”

Only when Nicole told her the generator was silent did Tara calm down.