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Where the streets are packed with stars
ALEXANDRA GILL
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
VANCOUVER — It's summer in Vancouver and the Hollywood film industry is sizzling, despite the robust Canadian dollar and a production drought that has nearly sucked Toronto dry. We don't mean to gloat — and would certainly never gawk — but there are so many celebrities working on the West Coast right now, you can barely swing a cocktail glass or shake a dog leash without bumping into a few.
Oh, look. There's little Danny DeVito diving into a massive feast of king crab at Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House. He's here for Deck the Halls, a holiday family flick with Matthew Broderick and Kristin Davis.
And isn't it nice that Davis (the prissy miss from Sex and the City) was able to spend some downtime with her new beau, Matthew Perry, who was also in Vancouver to film a movie called Numb, about a screenwriter who ends up bedding his shrink (Mary Steenburgen).
Why, just the other week, Davis and Perry were seen snuggling in the velvet room at Elixir restaurant in the Opus Hotel. Sweet.
Then there's Rachel McAdams, now being spotted all over town with her honey, Ryan Gosling. She's here to shoot a forties-era film called Marriage with co-star Pierce Brosnan (who, word has it, was followed into a hotel washroom last week by an annoying male fan; apparently, a few nasty words were exchanged).
Later this summer, we'll no doubt be running into Jessica Alba, who returns for Fantastic Four Part 2. And Renée Zellweger, signed to star in the horror flick Case 39. And Halle Berry, who's coming next month to co-star with Benicio del Toro in a movie called Things We Lost in the Fire, and who will in all likelihood be working out at Studeo55, where she was a devotee while in town last year to shoot the latest X-Men flick. The list just goes on and on.
“We are fully booked, and there's actually a shortage of space here for various productions,†says Paul Clausen, director of operations for the British Columbia Film Commission. “Considering the dollar is as high as it is, we thought it would have more of an effect in terms of the number of productions coming to B.C., but things are really good this year.â€
In all, Vancouver has 12 U.S. feature films shooting this summer (down from 20 last year, but highly respectable nonetheless), as well as 13 television series (up from seven last year) and eight movies of the week (there was only one last summer).
Take a glance at the national picture through a wide-angle lens and the Vancouver film industry is looking extremely healthy, especially when compared to Toronto and Montreal, which hasn't bagged a major U.S. production in more than a year, and doesn't have any on the horizon until fall, when Paramount Pictures rolls into that city to begin shooting a $100-million-plus adaptation of the children's book The Spiderwick Chronicles.
Vancouver's hot summer season comes on the heels of a banner year for 2005, when B.C. reaped near-record film-and-TV production spending, by local and international producers, of $1.2-billion — up 50 per cent from 2004. Last year's numbers made Vancouver one of the top three film-production regions in North America — surpassed only by Los Angeles and New York — and bucked a national trend that saw overall spending drop sharply.
So why is B.C. doing so well?
Many industry observers say the province's rebound and continued strong showing can be attributed to the tax credit for foreign and domestic producers that the provincial government raised last year. But Shawn Robins, communications director for the provincial Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, says the tax credits (which were extended last winter for another two years) are only one of many factors that give B.C. a competitive edge.
“They work to a point, but they're not the be all and end all,†Robins says, pointing to impressive studio facilities, a large pool of skilled workers, stable labour relations and an aggressive film commission. “B.C. has been at this game for a long time,†says Robins, “and we have a very deep, experienced industry with a lot of technical expertise.â€
Indeed, when Twentieth Century Fox was looking for a location to shoot Night at the Museum, a $100-million, special-effects-heavy adventure comedy starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Mickey Rooney and Dick Van Dyke, the cast and crew were originally slated to go to Montreal. But the spring production was moved to Vancouver to be closer to special-effects houses both here and in Los Angeles.
In all, B.C.'s Lower Mainland is home to five purpose-built studio facilities, including the appropriately named 300,000-square-foot Mammoth Studios in Burnaby, where the Fantastic Four sequel will begin shooting on a 120,000-square-foot stage next month. “We have the best studio facilities in Canada,†boasts Peter Leitch, president of Lions Gate Studios and chair of the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of B.C. “We simply wouldn't attract the level of production that we do if we didn't have them.â€
Vancouver also has two big geographical pluses going for it: its relative proximity to Los Angeles; and British Columbia's superb location possibilities, including mountain ranges, ocean vistas and, in the interior of the province, desert, ranchlands and lake country. “It's pretty cool when we can travel 30 minutes outside Vancouver and get into remote forests, farmland and all that kind of stuff,†says Rino Pace, location manager on the Paramount Pictures political thriller Shooters, which is using a semi-arid region near Kamloops as a stand-in for Afghanistan. For his part, Mark Wahlberg, who plays an exiled marksmen in Shooter, enjoyed one wilderness location at the Grouse Mountain ski resort so much that he moved into a staff cabin for a couple of weeks. (Maybe that explains why he hasn't been sighted very much around town.) Labour stability has been another boon for Vancouver this summer, especially with Montreal currently mired in a bitter dispute, between two competing unions, that is being largely blamed for the city's stagnant industry. Last week, negotiations between the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the Alliance Québécoise des techniciens de l'image et du son (AQTIS) broke down yet again, as the two unions continued to fight over who will represent the province's film technicians.
In Vancouver, where labour relations can be as fierce as the cat fight between Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, a unique arrangement between the unions representing many workers in the film industry is a model of genteel civility. Last spring, the B.C. Council of Film Unions (a joint group representing almost 8,000 members, from camera operators to Teamsters, and which provides a one-stop-shopping bargaining unit for the industry) hammered out its fourth four-year master contract.
The only wild card on the local labour front involves the Union of B.C. Performers, currently facing a standoff with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which is seeking pay cuts for low-budget productions. Still, the number of TV series filming in B.C. this summer — including Battlestar Galactica, Blade, The L-Word, The 4400, Intelligence and Men in Trees — has nearly doubled from last year. “Television is especially important because it provides regular weekly work for local crews,†says Robins, “and utilizes more domestic expertise in key production roles than feature films, which come with more people attached to them.â€
Of course, TV also brings in big names, including Jennifer Beals, the star of The L Word, who has been sighted all over Kitsilano, dining at a Milestone's chain restaurant, and pushing her baby girl's stroller at Shoppers Drug Mart. Her co-star Cybill Shepherd has been hanging out in Yaletown, where locals have witnessed her decidedly more upscale tastes: dining at Cioppino's, a swish Mediterranean grill, and shopping at trendy Beautymark (until too many common folk entered the store, that is, prompting her to flee).
Allison Swan, a freelance reporter for Star magazine and a native Vancouverite, says the pickings are definitely ripe in the city this summer. “Vancouver is a great place for star watching,†she says. “Yes, the actors are busy working, but when the work is done, they can't resist coming out to play.â€
Yes, the stars do seem to enjoy Vancouver — especially Jean-Claude Van Damme, who bought out the entire penthouse floor of Coal Harbour's James Cheng-designed Shaw Tower for his Canadian pied-à -terre. The Muscles from Brussels was certainly having a good time with his dad and daughter during a recent dinner at Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar in Yaletown. Maybe too much of a good time — his father apparently had to cut the action star off after one too many postprandials later that night at Elixir.
Then there's Ryan Reynolds, a native Vancouverite. While chilling out to the tunes at George Ultra Lounge, he was overhead by staff commiserating about his allegedly former fiancée, Alanis Morissette. The relationship must be improving, considering that local gossip hound Elaine Lui has just reported on her website that the two lovebirds were seen frolicking on English Bay beach last week. “They were kissing, surrounded by their dogs and still very much a couple,†she wrote.
Ah, a happy ending in Hollywood North. With all the good news of late, what more could the local film industry ask for?
ALEXANDRA GILL
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
VANCOUVER — It's summer in Vancouver and the Hollywood film industry is sizzling, despite the robust Canadian dollar and a production drought that has nearly sucked Toronto dry. We don't mean to gloat — and would certainly never gawk — but there are so many celebrities working on the West Coast right now, you can barely swing a cocktail glass or shake a dog leash without bumping into a few.
Oh, look. There's little Danny DeVito diving into a massive feast of king crab at Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House. He's here for Deck the Halls, a holiday family flick with Matthew Broderick and Kristin Davis.
And isn't it nice that Davis (the prissy miss from Sex and the City) was able to spend some downtime with her new beau, Matthew Perry, who was also in Vancouver to film a movie called Numb, about a screenwriter who ends up bedding his shrink (Mary Steenburgen).
Why, just the other week, Davis and Perry were seen snuggling in the velvet room at Elixir restaurant in the Opus Hotel. Sweet.
Then there's Rachel McAdams, now being spotted all over town with her honey, Ryan Gosling. She's here to shoot a forties-era film called Marriage with co-star Pierce Brosnan (who, word has it, was followed into a hotel washroom last week by an annoying male fan; apparently, a few nasty words were exchanged).
Later this summer, we'll no doubt be running into Jessica Alba, who returns for Fantastic Four Part 2. And Renée Zellweger, signed to star in the horror flick Case 39. And Halle Berry, who's coming next month to co-star with Benicio del Toro in a movie called Things We Lost in the Fire, and who will in all likelihood be working out at Studeo55, where she was a devotee while in town last year to shoot the latest X-Men flick. The list just goes on and on.
“We are fully booked, and there's actually a shortage of space here for various productions,†says Paul Clausen, director of operations for the British Columbia Film Commission. “Considering the dollar is as high as it is, we thought it would have more of an effect in terms of the number of productions coming to B.C., but things are really good this year.â€
In all, Vancouver has 12 U.S. feature films shooting this summer (down from 20 last year, but highly respectable nonetheless), as well as 13 television series (up from seven last year) and eight movies of the week (there was only one last summer).
Take a glance at the national picture through a wide-angle lens and the Vancouver film industry is looking extremely healthy, especially when compared to Toronto and Montreal, which hasn't bagged a major U.S. production in more than a year, and doesn't have any on the horizon until fall, when Paramount Pictures rolls into that city to begin shooting a $100-million-plus adaptation of the children's book The Spiderwick Chronicles.
Vancouver's hot summer season comes on the heels of a banner year for 2005, when B.C. reaped near-record film-and-TV production spending, by local and international producers, of $1.2-billion — up 50 per cent from 2004. Last year's numbers made Vancouver one of the top three film-production regions in North America — surpassed only by Los Angeles and New York — and bucked a national trend that saw overall spending drop sharply.
So why is B.C. doing so well?
Many industry observers say the province's rebound and continued strong showing can be attributed to the tax credit for foreign and domestic producers that the provincial government raised last year. But Shawn Robins, communications director for the provincial Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, says the tax credits (which were extended last winter for another two years) are only one of many factors that give B.C. a competitive edge.
“They work to a point, but they're not the be all and end all,†Robins says, pointing to impressive studio facilities, a large pool of skilled workers, stable labour relations and an aggressive film commission. “B.C. has been at this game for a long time,†says Robins, “and we have a very deep, experienced industry with a lot of technical expertise.â€
Indeed, when Twentieth Century Fox was looking for a location to shoot Night at the Museum, a $100-million, special-effects-heavy adventure comedy starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Mickey Rooney and Dick Van Dyke, the cast and crew were originally slated to go to Montreal. But the spring production was moved to Vancouver to be closer to special-effects houses both here and in Los Angeles.
In all, B.C.'s Lower Mainland is home to five purpose-built studio facilities, including the appropriately named 300,000-square-foot Mammoth Studios in Burnaby, where the Fantastic Four sequel will begin shooting on a 120,000-square-foot stage next month. “We have the best studio facilities in Canada,†boasts Peter Leitch, president of Lions Gate Studios and chair of the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of B.C. “We simply wouldn't attract the level of production that we do if we didn't have them.â€
Vancouver also has two big geographical pluses going for it: its relative proximity to Los Angeles; and British Columbia's superb location possibilities, including mountain ranges, ocean vistas and, in the interior of the province, desert, ranchlands and lake country. “It's pretty cool when we can travel 30 minutes outside Vancouver and get into remote forests, farmland and all that kind of stuff,†says Rino Pace, location manager on the Paramount Pictures political thriller Shooters, which is using a semi-arid region near Kamloops as a stand-in for Afghanistan. For his part, Mark Wahlberg, who plays an exiled marksmen in Shooter, enjoyed one wilderness location at the Grouse Mountain ski resort so much that he moved into a staff cabin for a couple of weeks. (Maybe that explains why he hasn't been sighted very much around town.) Labour stability has been another boon for Vancouver this summer, especially with Montreal currently mired in a bitter dispute, between two competing unions, that is being largely blamed for the city's stagnant industry. Last week, negotiations between the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the Alliance Québécoise des techniciens de l'image et du son (AQTIS) broke down yet again, as the two unions continued to fight over who will represent the province's film technicians.
In Vancouver, where labour relations can be as fierce as the cat fight between Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, a unique arrangement between the unions representing many workers in the film industry is a model of genteel civility. Last spring, the B.C. Council of Film Unions (a joint group representing almost 8,000 members, from camera operators to Teamsters, and which provides a one-stop-shopping bargaining unit for the industry) hammered out its fourth four-year master contract.
The only wild card on the local labour front involves the Union of B.C. Performers, currently facing a standoff with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which is seeking pay cuts for low-budget productions. Still, the number of TV series filming in B.C. this summer — including Battlestar Galactica, Blade, The L-Word, The 4400, Intelligence and Men in Trees — has nearly doubled from last year. “Television is especially important because it provides regular weekly work for local crews,†says Robins, “and utilizes more domestic expertise in key production roles than feature films, which come with more people attached to them.â€
Of course, TV also brings in big names, including Jennifer Beals, the star of The L Word, who has been sighted all over Kitsilano, dining at a Milestone's chain restaurant, and pushing her baby girl's stroller at Shoppers Drug Mart. Her co-star Cybill Shepherd has been hanging out in Yaletown, where locals have witnessed her decidedly more upscale tastes: dining at Cioppino's, a swish Mediterranean grill, and shopping at trendy Beautymark (until too many common folk entered the store, that is, prompting her to flee).
Allison Swan, a freelance reporter for Star magazine and a native Vancouverite, says the pickings are definitely ripe in the city this summer. “Vancouver is a great place for star watching,†she says. “Yes, the actors are busy working, but when the work is done, they can't resist coming out to play.â€
Yes, the stars do seem to enjoy Vancouver — especially Jean-Claude Van Damme, who bought out the entire penthouse floor of Coal Harbour's James Cheng-designed Shaw Tower for his Canadian pied-à -terre. The Muscles from Brussels was certainly having a good time with his dad and daughter during a recent dinner at Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar in Yaletown. Maybe too much of a good time — his father apparently had to cut the action star off after one too many postprandials later that night at Elixir.
Then there's Ryan Reynolds, a native Vancouverite. While chilling out to the tunes at George Ultra Lounge, he was overhead by staff commiserating about his allegedly former fiancée, Alanis Morissette. The relationship must be improving, considering that local gossip hound Elaine Lui has just reported on her website that the two lovebirds were seen frolicking on English Bay beach last week. “They were kissing, surrounded by their dogs and still very much a couple,†she wrote.
Ah, a happy ending in Hollywood North. With all the good news of late, what more could the local film industry ask for?
