How to Build an Igloo (Arctic Notebook 1)

Establishing shot: A static mid-shot on two Eskimos building an igloo. The igloo is on the left. A man walks to the igloo and stands by it while another man is carrying a brick of ice to the igloo.
Named locations: Canadian Eastern Arctic, Hudson’s Bay

Major themes covered: The film is about how Inuits build an igloo. The narrator explains the process of building an igloo and the function of the igloo in detail.
Native activities shown:  
Individuals Named: Attik Utak, Tupak 
Native language spoken: none
Noteworthy elements: 

1. A static mid shot on two Eskimos building an igloo. The igloo is on the left. A man walks to the igloo and stands by it while another man carries a brick of ice to the igloo (00:34—00:42)
2. The man carrying the brick of ice walks into the igloo (00:43—00:44)
3. The two Eskimo men are standing outside of the igloo and a man picks a brick of ice. He carries the ice upon his shoulder and the camera follows his movements (00:45—00:59)
4. Two men and his sleigh dogs enter the frame from the left (01:20—01:24). The next shot is a point of view shot from the Eskimo men’s point of view, looking at the back of the dogs (01:24—01:29). The next shot is a mid/long shot of the dogs running from the right to the left and the camera follows the dogs (01:30—01:34). The next long shot is about the same group riding on the snow to the trading post (01:35—01:49).
5. The two Eskimos stop to make an igloo on the way to the trading post. One man (Attik Utak?) measures and tests the snow while the other one follows him. It is a mid/long shot (02:02—02:19)
6. A close-up shot on the hand holding the measurement on the right (Attik Utak’s hand) and the other’s legs on the left. The two men start to carve lines on the ground, making blocks of ice for  the igloo (02:20—02:48)
7. A close/mid shot on the man carving hardened snow into blocks. Another man uses his feet to mark baseline of the igloo (02:49—03:29). The next shot about the two men building an igloo with some blocks of ice ready (03:30—03:55). The following shots are still about the two men building and shaping the igloo (03:56—08:28)
8. The next shot is about a man using his knife to carve a door from inside the igloo. He climbs out and the other man climbs behind him (08:29—08:45).
9. The two men work from the outside to patch the seams (08:46—09:07).
10. One man carries a box and caribou sleeping rolls from the sleigh to the igloo to keep them warm when staying in the igloo (09:08—09:38).
11. The two men climb into the igloo and use a block of snow as a door to shut the cold out (09:39—09:55).

Other notes: Director of Photography: Chester C. Kissick. Cinematography: Neil Harris.  See also:

The Unikkausivut site for the National Film Board of Canada:

http://www.nfb.ca/playlists/unikkausivut-sharing-our-stories/viewing/how_to_build_an_igloo/

--Ying-wen Yu, 2012