Eventually I found a floe with an upward tilt, a little like a stage proscenium. On this we laid out the camp. It was an unlikely but striking scene. Antarctic Coordinator David Rootes exercised considerably more caution than Shackleton did. An iceberg is freshwater, and has a tendency to melt unevenly and can flip over.
Frozen seawater is denser and more solid, and the floe has a flat bottom.
After George chose the location, we tested it for cracks, and found it to be very solid. The people on the floe had flotation vests under their costumes, and during filming we had eight boats, a helicopter, and two ships standing by for support if problems arose. When the replica of the Stancomb Wills is craned from the Shuleykin into the waters and the costumed rowers board, we are all startled by the scene. After thinking about Shackleton's story for so long, we now see it materialized in this alien place and are acutely conscious of how alone those men were. After all, so are we.