35 replies to this topic

[mikedw]

Hello All,
Does anyone know what is being shot at the Broad/Yates Serious Coffee this morning (Wed Oct 18th)?

when the 1990s opus, Free Money was shot in Victoria it jammed up the Johnson St. Bridge during rush hour for days. I heard then that Victoria had given the movie crew free use of the bridge because of all of the business it would bring. Really, I think the City has stars in their eyes. I was at the council meeting where CHUM made its application to put a TV Channel across the street from City Hall. Moses Znaimer attended to plead his case. The council bobbed and giggled like school girls. I have a concern that Victoria is hands over the keys to the city to anyone with an LA post office box and a gaggle of grips and dollies. As a taxpayer. I more concerned that the city streets are being jammed up for free.

I remember an unhappy anecdote from Terry (a friiend and the manager/owner of Eugenes on Broad). During the shooting of Little Women in 1990, he used to park his car in spot he rented by the month up on View St. This was also going to be location for some of the exterior shoots for Little Women. One morning he parked his car and went to work. He discovered later that they needed the lot clear of cars. They broke his car window to overcome his security device and towed the car.

So, I have thrown an email to Mike McCliggott from Finance in the City of Victoria. I have asked him these questions:

- Is the production company behind this shoot paying for these blocked off parking stalls? Or, are they in effect getting 30 spaces of free parking in the downtown core?
- How much is a filming permit to carry out a shoot like the above?
- Which company obtained this permit?
- There are police on site and road maintenance crew. Who is picking up the tab for them?

I do not know if I will get the answer. I suspect that while the City is grinding its citizens for tax dollars and parking fees, they have given this production company a free ride because they have stars in their eyes.

[G-Man]

Interesting point. But we do see spin offs in the people that work in the film industry spending money downtown. I think that any city has to be careful in the balance between giving too much and taking too much from these film companies. Th whole reason we have film production here is because of the demands made by our Southern neighbours.

[Galvanized]

Wow, I was wondering the same thing about the blocked off parking. With the amount of money Hollywood makes they should be paying for the parking. I can't to read the response.

[Jada]

Hollywood money is great, in my opinion. Victorians could really use the jobs that would be created if the industry were stronger. And I wouldnt have moved to Vancouver if these jobs did exist in Victoria.

[Galvanized]

^This thread is about movie studios and the City of Victoria. This is an interesting topic that have you brought up in the thread you created earlier; http://vibrantvictoria.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414. It's a little off topic here so please keep the discussion on the other thread. Thanks.

[mikedw]

Wow. The local news has a short list of subjects and they liberally recycle. I was digging through old VHS tapes to find an episode of something from six years ago. I found it and the tape included an old news broadcast. It happened to be at the same time of year (e.g. August 1996 and exhumed in August 2006). Almost the same stories ran.

I thought, "you bastards: if you're going to get all scared and worked up at least have the decency to give me something new to be scared and worked up over."

This is one of a long list of stories that will never make it to public because at the top of each media outlet (Monday, TC, Vic News, CHoke, etc) is an editior. If they have content myopia, we get the same old crap.

[Edited by mod to remove link to Karol Madera as requested by Karol Madera]

[Diversity]

So what are the Editors afraid of Mike, is it the loss of advertisers, or the fear of offending Mr and Mrs Fred Leadbottom? It seems like the best stories - public interest, romance, true crime, never make it to the front page. They get to Hollywood eventually, but by the time they hit the screens they don't resemble what really happened. My friend is a movie-maker, for one of the larger independents and he tells me he has 3 criteria. Cheap location; cheap location; cheap location. Does Victoria qualify?

[aastra]

I remember an unhappy anecdote from Terry (a friend and the manager/owner of Eugenes on Broad)...

From the "it's a small world" file, I once sat in on a game of Dungeons & Dragons conducted by the very same Terry of whom you speak. Back in 1985 or so.

[mikedw]

Hello All,
Does anyone know what is being shot at the Broad/Yates Serious Coffee this morning (Wed Oct 18th)?

The reply:


Probility Pictures Ltd. began production of this made for television movie in September. Filming at nine locations throughout the city will conclude today at their location on Broad Street.

All services provided to film productions by the City of Victoria are charged back to the production company. The Streets & Traffic Bylaw sets the rate for street occupancy for all metered and non-metered space. Rental charges are $20.00/day for each parking space and $15.00/day for each 20' of non-metered space. Our Public Works Department charges for all labour and supplies costs associated with delivery and pick up of traffic control equipment (eg. signs). In addition, Victoria Police charge an hourly rate for special duty police to provide assistance with traffic control during filming.

For your information, the total direct economic spending by the film industry in Greater Victoria to date this year is an estimated 26 million. There is a direct impact on employment for location movie crew and actors and benefits to local supplier businesses such as hotels, rental cars, suppliers of gift baskets, flowers, signage, construction materials and food.

[Rob Randall]

^That was Probity (not Probility) Pictures movie "Fat Like Me" which is being shot for the Lifetime Channel. During the three days I worked on the film I went around the corner to Rosie's Diner for lunch so I did my part for the economy!

[mikedw]

So what are the Editors afraid of Mike, is it the loss of advertisers, or the fear of offending Mr and Mrs Fred Leadbottom?

I think they're fraid of taking it of the auto-pilot. They read from press releases and police crime reports. If they dig too deep, it takes too much time and buries their productivity. They're not going to get more staff, so they would have to work with less content of a higher quality. That isn't going to fly.
When I saw Stephen Andrew did an expose on Kiwanis Village and Jeff Sawchuk, I thought, "Wow. You don't see this everyday." It was like news. As for offending advertisers: not impossible to consider, but I think that advertisers don't pay enough to pay for a staff that is big enough to do investigative journalism (or as Derek Zoolander would call it: "Investagory Journalsim").

[zoomer]

So what are the Editors afraid of Mike, is it the loss of advertisers, or the fear of offending Mr and Mrs Fred Leadbottom?

I think they're fraid of taking it of the auto-pilot. They read from press releases and police crime reports. If they dig too deep, it takes too much time and buries their productivity. They're not going to get more staff, so they would have to work with less content of a higher quality. That isn't going to fly.
When I saw Stephen Andrew did an expose on Kiwanis Village and Jeff Sawchuk, I thought, "Wow. You don't see this everyday." It was like news. As for offending advertisers: not impossible to consider, but I think that advertisers don't pay enough to pay for a staff that is big enough to do investigative journalism (or as Derek Zoolander would call it: "Investagory Journalsim").

[VicHockeyFan]

Peri Gilpin attended the wrap party for Road to Redeption at Soprano's last night.

[G-Man]

Is she as forward as her character in Frasier

[Holden West]

I wonder what she thinks of Frasier now. Remember a couple of years ago when David Ogden Stiers was out here filming a low-budget movie? He refused to talk about MASH. He calls it "The Green Show".

[VicHockeyFan]

I didn't talk to her. She seemed younger and thinner than in Frasier. She was having fun, but didn't sing, and didn't appear drunk.

[aastra]

I can't say I've ever seen an episode of Frasier. And I was a big fan of Cheers, up until the Kirstie Alley era (afterwhich it [url=http://www.jumptheshark.com:c0dd5]jumped the shark[/url:c0dd5]).

[VicHockeyFan]

I can't say I've ever seen an episode of Frasier. And I was a big fan of Cheers, up until the Kirstie Alley era (afterwhich it [url=http://www.jumptheshark.com:3498f]jumped the shark[/url:3498f]).

Well, I hated the Shelly Long era or whatever her name was. it got better afttrer.

Anyway, some other forumer just pointed me to the entire catalogue of Get Smart - that rocks. Next stop, Hogan's Heroes! :-D

[G-Man]

Get Smart you say?

[VicHockeyFan]

Get Smart you say?

I insist we carry on the rest of this conversation under the Cone of Silence.