Tuesday, February 24, 2015

E W D G...............

Cruising down the Georgia Viaduct towards downtown Vancouver, week 2 of my stint working on EWDG (Electra Woman and Dyna Girl !)

I am spending so much time driving around downtown these days, I am starting to feel like a cab driver.
 

Isn't it funny how the simplest things can be so mesmerizing. As I waited for the actors at the production office, I became fixated on this billboard. (which changed about every 5 seconds, like my attention span!)



Enough of that, back to work. Scouting some of the filming locations brought me downtown Vancouver, by Canada Place, and the convention center. (looking west from our location)

and looking south

Once again, like clock work, at dusk, the thousands of crows fly over the production office towards their roosting grounds nearby in Burnaby.

I've seen them many nights, and it is still a little unsettling.

Heading to the hotel to pick up the actors, looking towards Gastown in Vanvcouver

Does taking a picture in the driver's seat constitute distracted driving? Never mind, don't answer that.

Hanging out at the Sutton hotel waiting for my pick-up, a remarkable, sunny February day.

As a driver in the film industry, there is always oddball errands to run, like dropping off this Canadian cell phone for one of the producers coming up from Los Angeles.

Look up, look wayyyyyyyyy up!

A grainy picture from the production office Friday night of the moon, with Venus close by

and Mars tucked in the middle. It was so much better to the naked eye.
Like this sunset I was trying to capture, it was way more brilliant than this photo shows.

If you get a chance watch this video of the two stars of Electra Women and Dyna Girl, Grace Helbig, and Hannah Hart, two very funny ladies. I feel privileged to be driving them around.
Speaking of funny, I had a chance to see some very funny comedians at the iconic Vogue theatre on Granville St. Vancouver. The show is called "the Debaters", a very funny and popular radio show that plays on CBC radio.

It was a very cool old venue,

And 6 pairs of debaters entertained us and kept us laughing for nearly 3 hours.
The week is done, filming for Electra woman and Dyna girl starts next week, should be fun!

Sunday, February 15, 2015

The calm before the storm........

Heading north on Boundary Road, the border between Vancouver and Burnaby, a familiar destination today for the start of a new show.
Building N at the Vancouver Film Studios, last time I was here was for a still unreleased movie, based on a video game, Dead Rising

.
One of my many duties in the film industry, is to head out to the Vancouver International Airport. Usually, it is the international arrivals, and usually, looking for the Los Angeles flights.

Checking the  arrivals screen is very important, gives you an idea of how long you may have to wait. Today I am waiting for two actresses, who will be in Vancouver for a web series, (a film genre that is growing more every day).
This is the sign I held up so they new who their ride was. (The girl's were quite delightful, this show should be a lot of fun)
The show is a re-make of a series that aired in the 1970's, and let's hope the new version costumes of these super heroes aren't quite as cheezy as the originals!
I can't imagine why that series did not last, lol.
As I brought our super heroines into the city to their hotel, once again, I wonder what the film industry has unleashed upon our unsuspecting city.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Close to Home

It's always nice when my film work is close to my home. Today I was working on the show Motive. The Bridge studio where the motive stages are at is a short 10 minute drive from my house. Today, they were on the road in North Vancouver, close to Deep Cove.
It always amazes me that the locations department of the show finds houses like this one for one of the episodes.

Once again, the film industry takes over another neighbourhood! (We do get permission, though)
The crew has also taken over with their gear.
OMG!, another 911, I had to rush this ring to set, apparently the actor needed it for one quick shot.

Sitting back by the trailers of our "circus", waiting in my shuttle to take another customer to the set.

Circus was at Cates Park, in North Vancouver, looking over towards North Burnaby
Tuesday had me switching shows, I will spend the rest of the week on Once Upon a Time. Today, I am driving the pre-rig grip 5 ton. They pre-rig and de-rig the set for the shooting day. Including cable, electrical, lighting, it's endless ,they do an amazing job.
sooner or later, two of these transformers will be going back on the truck.

The ducks are oblivious to the film action. We were at Central Park in Burnaby for 4 days.

I have driven by Central Park many, many times, and  I never knew there was not only one, but two large ponds inside the park.

I turn my back for a minute, and all this gear shows up on my truck, what?, I actually have to work?

There was so much rain this week, but for a very brief period, we did get to see a little sun.

even Scooter came out to check it out.

The day was about collecting up all the gear in Central Park that was used for filming the day before.

Pond number 2, who'da thunk it?

back at the Bridge studio, one of the stage sets for Once Upon a Time

Through the rain at the studio, I spy Cruella Deville's car

Next day, it was back to Central Park

You know if you are sitting somewhere long enough, you start fixating on things, like this bank of lights at Swangard Stadium at Central Park
I will come back to Central Park on personal time, but I will probably wait till it stops raining!

My last job of the week was taking this old school beast of a truck (affectionately known as "little stinky")  back to the Bridge Studio .
The only constant in the film industry is the crows coming to roost close to the bridge studios every night, and there are thousands, it is as eerie as the Birds.