During the season 13 finale of Hallmark’s “When Calls the Heart,” viewers finally got to see Nathan Grant (Kevin McGarry) propose to Elizabeth Thornton (Erin Krakow). It was an epic scene that took place on the water tower overlooking Hope Valley.
After the finale aired, Hallmark posted an Aftershow video on YouTube that contained lots of fun behind-the-scenes tidbits. A lot went into filming that water tower proposal, and it was no easy feat.
Erin Krakow & Kevin McGarry Shared Their Experiences
Ahead of the finale, McGarry had shared big teasers about a “terrifying” scene he’d been involved in filming.
Now, “When Calls the Heart” fans know it was the scene with the water tower.
In the After Show video, McGarry reflected on filming the epic event. He said, “I learned that I’m afraid of heights…I’m okay if there’s a railing, but that water tower was like a diving board.”
It was “Super terrifying,” McGarry admitted.
Krakow explained that Hallmark wanted something that “felt epic and sweeping and cinematic and romantic and all of those things.”
At the same time, “They were also really supportive of making sure it felt true to these two characters.”
Getty“Kevin and I have experienced some heights together before,” Krakow noted.
She mentioned an experience the two had together at the Empire State Building on the very top of it. When they were up there, she admits she was “glued to the wall. I could barely look out.”
During that experience, however, Krakow recalled that McGarry seemed totally comfortable walking around.
When they got on the water tower, Krakow shared, it was “basically the opposite” of their Empire experience.
“I was scared, to start,” she admitted. However, she was able to acclimate and not find it quite so scary.
On the other hand, she added, “I don’t know if Kevin ever reached that point…he was holding on pretty tight,” Krakow laughed.
Production Had a Big Challenge to Tackle in Filming the Scene
Production manager and associate producer Michael Magnusson explained that the water tower was not built anticipating this type of use.
He said it’s “a great aesthetic piece, but it was not on the list of things I wanted to rebuild coming in this year, because it was approaching the edge of safety, for even [an] aesthetic piece.”
Magnusson joked that halfway through filming season 13, when he was told they wanted to film the proposal on the water tower, he quipped, “I was like, ‘Funniest thing, it’s not actually safe.’ And, there’s nowhere TO propose up there.”
There was no platform built around the tower, so they had to scramble and do a lot of work on it.
Chris Gaunt, the “When Calls the Heart” construction coordinator, explained it was a “high burden” to transform the water tower from something just seen in the background to something safe to use as envisioned.
Gaunt also revealed that the initial vision for using the water tower was “a touch bigger” than what ultimately aired.
There were other major challenges involved in pulling off what everybody saw on screen. Magnusson explained that whenever cast members are being filmed more than 10 feet off the ground, they need to be “tied off.” The water tower platform was 20 feet off the ground, so safety was a major concern.
That meant that McGarry and Krakow wore “very uncomfortable full body harnesses that go right from their hips up to about their upper chest.”
The cast members were connected via wire from the harness to the safety gear, much like rock climbers.
Pulling off the vision for what the “When Calls the Heart” team envisioned for this proposal was no easy feat. Based on fan feedback, however, it seems the hard work was worth it.
I was terrified watching that scene, and the one with LJ on the tower.
I thought Kevin looked kind of uncomfortable and wondered if he was afraid, or if Mountie Nathan was reconsidering his plan for proposing on the water tower. And yeah – LJ made me really nervous. 🙂
That did look like a scary scene. I’m afraid of heights myself. It was a Great Season Finale. Can’t wait for Season “14”.
One of the things I love about Hallmark they push it to the edge. This scene was perfect for the proposal. Kudos to Erin and Kevin for pulling it off especially knowing their fear of heights. Thank goodness construction made sure it was safe. The proposal had to be dynamic.