Your Man In Vancouver
My beautiful prison…Well, I’ve been sitting on a wee bit of a secret here at The Artful Writer, but it’s kind of a cool one, because it’s going to shape how the next couple of months of posts are going to work.
I’m in Vancouver now, hard at work on Scary Movie 4, and I’ll be with the pre-production, principle photography and then, after a return to L.A., the post-production.
What that means for you is that I’ll be doing a lot more production-related essays here. I encourage you to keep the questions coming, and no doubt I’ll be dealing with some credit issues and copyright topics as well, but my life is going to be firmly planted in the world of locations, camera angles, casting, blocking, rewriting and editing.
Of key interest to me (and hopefully you) is how all of these tasks and disciplines relate to the job of the screenwriter. I’m going to try and approach all of the segments of pre-pro first, with an emphasis on the role the screenwriter can play in helping the production get ready for shooting…and the role the production can play in helping the screenwriter perfect the story that’s about to be shot.
Before I get too deep into that stuff (and it’s piling up around me already…), the first question I’m going to try and handle this week is the most obvious one: what the hell am I doing in Vancouver?
The truth is that I have a fairly weak understanding of the advantages that Canada offers productions. I’m going to get as many nuts and bolts as I can to explain why so many films shoot here, and I’ll be back with the answers as soon as I come up for air.
Posts have been humming along at a two-or-three per week clip, but that will probably slow to about one per week. The days (and soon nights) are long. Hopefully, however, the quantity of useful info per post will rise.
Stay tuned!
Gotham for steaks.
Tojo’s for sushi.
Glad I could help. ; )
Excellent! Looking forward to your dispatches from the front, Craig.
Boo.
Not your decision, but I needed to put it out there, film in LA! Or at least America.
Regardless, have a great shoot. Your blog is a tremendous resource.
Dave
Very groovy. Congrats to you, and I can’t wait to hear how things shake out up there in the Great White North!
“Hopefully, however, the quantity of useful info per post will rise.”
OMG, rise? Craig, some of us have trouble keeping up as it is! (kidding, kind of.) look forward to production info as that is the one really useful bit we never hear about.
So when you’re on location does the family come along for the ride?
Trey:
They’re coming up in about 7 days and staying for about two weeks. After that, my son goes back to preschool, so down to L.A. they go. I’ll probably be flying home for weekends and little R&R’s as need be, but the advent of video iChat makes the distance a little more bearable.
It’s hard though.
I don’t like leaving them for work… I can’t imagine several weeks of production. Thank God for webcams indeed.
-3
And for some amazing Indian food in Van, you got to check out… EAST IS EAST - 3243 W. Broadway.
About having the family there, and you flying back: does the production foot the bill for their travel, etc.; and is that stuff stipulated in your contract - like number and frequency of visits?
Yes, they do, per my contract. Basically, if I’m on location for more than 2 weeks (and boy, am I), then they must fly them out. My per diem covers their hotel stay.
Have a really, really good time (but don’t forget about the little people).
Another film shoot in Vancouver! Cool! You are here when the weather is perfect. It’s supposedly great until the end of August (if the weather forecast is right… although it seems nowadays to change every hour.) Good for the production. Meanwhile, try some awesome Japanese grill at Hapa Izakaya on Robson St. (1479 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC V6G 1C1), or steak at Kobe on Alberni (1042 Alberni Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 1A3). Do not dig hot waitresses with long legs too much at Kobe… ;) Also, try a Vera berger at Vera Berger Shack on Denmon St (1935 Cornwall Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6J 1C8). It is way better than those at Fatburger, which has recently opened, a half black down on Denmon St. Vera burger is as good as In & Out.
Sounds like it’s going to a blast. Look forward to reading the updates.
Welcome to Vancouver. I hope you enjoy your stay.
Sorry this is so off topic but here comes a rant. Say what you will about outlining, theme, number of “brads” and so on but when people give bad food suggestions, I am compelled to make corrections.
Hapa Izakaya is a bland imitation of the divine Gyoza King up the street where the decor is not as chichi but the food has way more taste and soul (and the price is better). Vera’s burger on DenMAN makes tasteless globs of cheap meat soaked in grease. For the best burger in Canada, it’s Deluxe Moderne Burger at 2507 West Broadway. Oh yeah, you have to try the poutine at Rooster’s Quarters on Denman. It’s the French Canadian recipe for instant heart attack but well worth dying for.
Craig, if you ever end up in Dallas, I’ll be happy to throw down like 15 great ideas of places to visit. I bet Ronson and I would even be willing to spring for a meal… but alas, they don’t shoot di-ock in Dallas.
Maybe I should think of doing an updated version of the show…. Hmmm…
I thought I saw you in the thong down at English Bay :)
Welcome to the land of the Lotus Eaters. Hope you enjoy your stay.