Blockbusters such as Steven Spielberg's romance "Always" and Curtis Hanson's thriller "The River Wild" take full advantage of the mountains, rivers and locals around Libby, Montana. Ansotegui tells how Spielberg even trekked across the state to film actual forest fires to add to his film, and how the studios behind The River Wild let out a local secret that caused filming to be banned on Kootenai Tribal ground forever... (until now!).
Locals are often used for their knowledge of hidden locations, western skills and braving the extreme outdoors. Meryl Streep learned how to row through Class IV rapids from Montana whitewater guides, and Devil's Pond Director Joel Viertel found his discreet location only though the Montana Film Office Commissioner actually swimming to an island so secret it may not have a name. Find out more Behind-the-Scenes secrets with other episodes of Reel West Montana's exclusive series On-Location with John Ansotegui.