Thursday, November 30, 2017

The Good Doctor, episone 110- road trip!

Who's a lucky boy? I am! Got to hang-out with Buckley at our transport office. Our transport coordinator baby-sits him from time to time. He belongs to an actor on another show filming in Vancouver. (can't reveal)
Episode 8 of the Good Doctor aired last Monday as we were filming episode 10

The success of this show has been phenomenal. It has become the number one drama on network t.v.
Went for a beer at one of Vancouver's brew pubs down on Powell. I have driven this way dozens of times but I never really noticed this old apartment building across the street from the brewery.

I was there at the Andina Brew Pub to celebrate the life of one of my fellow Teamsters,  Don Stenstrom. I worked many shows with him, but the one I will always remember was the pilot for the L-Word. That was my very first shift in the film industry, and Don treated me very well. 

At the union meeting, nice to see one of my cast driving peeps, Greg Beaton, (front and center) finally gain membership into the Teamsters. (He was in the camera department for many, many years before he decided to make the switch to Transpo)

flipping through the channels, not sure how the show "Family Guy" can get away with airing an episode where the dad, "Peter" can get into a boxing match with Vladimir Putin........

We started the week with a good old fashioned road trip. We started at the Campbell River Store in Surrey. As usual, we took over............

........as long as the camera is facing inside. But once the action moves to the parking lot, everyone (including me and my cast car) must scatter to get out of the shot.
After they got all the shots they needed from the technocrane, it was time to pack it up.
To quote:
Because of its extreme versatility, the technocrane is often the only camera movement tool needed to acquire all of the shots on any given location, even for extremely simple camera movements and static shots. Add to that the fact that the technocrane allows for everything between tiny adjustments to the frame to full-on improvisation, and it's no wonder why it's such a ubiquitous tool in filmmaking.


many "picture cars" on set today, including (and where would they find it?) this sanitation truck.

Later in the week, I had to head to Science World in Vancouver to pick-up some V.I.P's. 

looking north, I spied B.C. Place, Rogers Arena, and the tents of the touring Cirque du Soleil

I had an early night on Tuesday. A chance to have a nice dinner with my daughter in North Vancouver at the Black Bear Pub. 
Followed by a really fun and funny evening at the Centennial Theatre. I bought tickets 6 months ago for the Debaters comedy troupe. I have been listening to this show on CBC radio for years.

There were 6 pairs of debaters on this evening, but by far, this guy stole the show. (this particular debate was the pros and cons of the foods of Christmas) The best parts were the comedy we heard at the theatre that will never, ever make the airwaves. 

Back to work the next morning, heading south on Thurlow towards the Sutton Hotel for a director/writer pick-up.

Buckley at the transport office, I think he qualifies as a Teamster therapy dog.

While we were filming at one of our 2 studios, at the other studio the Good Doctor hospital was very quiet. (and no hospital smell, either)

On Wednesday, we were on location in Tsawwassen and Ladner, and we got hit with the pineapple express. 16 Celsius, or 60 balmy Canadian degrees Fahrenheit.

I had to drop a couple of the guest cast off at an art gallery in the Vancouver downtown eastside. Love the alley pics.

ohhhhhh, the dark rainy nights of fall in the lower mainland. (this was on my way to one of our "road trip" locations in Tsawwassen)
Our "circus" was at the Tsawwassen Mills Outlet Mall. I had a chance to walk around one of the over the top stores, the Pro Bass Shop. 

Fellow cast driver Tim photo-bombed my pic of our location in Tsawwassen. It wasn't a fraturday, but it was a Wednesday going well into Thursday. After wrap, we had to move the whole unit back to our main studio in Coquitlam. The good news was we had the next four days off so the cast and producers could celebrate their U.S. thanksgiving. Woohoo!

My daughter and I looking not real (I'm such a social media nerd) on the night of the Debaters show.
yes

really?

What a sport!

before of after the concert?

strong work!


C'MON! Embarrassing to professional drivers.

debatable



I do not have enough time. If I did, it would be 10 times bigger haha. 




Sunday, November 19, 2017

The Good Doctor, episode 110

After spending so much time at the studio in the last couple of weeks, it was a nice change to hit the road for episode 110 of "the Good Doctor." We spent two days out in historic and quite quaint Fort Langley. One of our sets was by the old Albion ferry terminal, which used to cross the Fraser River to reach communities in the lower Fraser Valley. (since replaced by the Golden Ears Bridge)
Less than an hour away from downtown, our base camp bordered on all this farmland. (I sent this pic to Ritsue, and she asked "where are the cows?")

I had to wait until the next day, but there they are!
This heron was not interested in me taking a picture and flew off as soon as I brought my phone out.

The Fort Langley community hall. This building has been used for many shows filmed in the Lower Mainland over the years. 

We spent most of one day hanging out on the main street. It is definitely worth a trip out this way, but I would wait until the weather warms up.

As usual, our day turned into night. (we have typically had 12 hour camera shooting days on this show).

morning time on the mighty Fraser River.
On the wrong side of the tracks. This afternoon's shooting was on the Kwantlen First Nation lands in Fort Langley. This is one of the main rail lines running east to west from the lower Mainland to the rest of Canada.

we took over the road for the better part of the day to film a car stunt (I would like to give more details, but sorry, no spoilers)

The streets on the Kwantlen first nation had the traditional names, very cool

shot of the old ferry ramp

and across the Fraser

more dock
on the Kwantlen first nation land

me and my Teamster peeps (left to right, Mike, Shaun, Jimmy, Lance, Bob, Rocky, Ward, and Jim) were happy to be back at our Burnaby studio to end the week. (plus, we had just finished another wonderful catered lunch)

That's ok sometimes, lol
This was in the news this week in Vancouver. A man was charged with having a tablet and his iPhone on his steering wheel!

and the parents are on a whole nother level

and how much landed on him?

ok, we noticed

just cute

just brilliant

WOW!

seems like a valid idea

all sorts of excitement

how does this end?

sigh

it will end as it should......