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Susan Gittins

Longtime mainstream media (MSM) journalist and author Susan Gittins began writing about and photographing Vancouver’s many film and TV location shoots in the summer of 2010 after the Winter Olympics put the city and its beauty on the world stage. Movies and TV series often showcase the Vancouver area in similar fashion. Vancouver is Awesome commissioned her YVRShoots series in the fall of 2010 and it ran regularly for three years. She launched her own daily YVRShoots blog in the spring of 2012.

WEEK: May 20-26, 2013

  • Sunday, May 26th – Vancouver-cop-from-the-future series  Continuum 2×05 Second Opinion airs on Showcase. Kiera (Rachel Nichols) has emotional breakdown on her son’s birthday which messes with her CMR. As if that wasn’t enough. Kiera is the target of a department mole hunt.
  • Friday, May 24th – Godzilla main unit films in Steveston’s Finn Slough dressed as Japanese fishing village in nuclear quarantine zone.
  • Friday, May 24th – Godzilla main unit films at USS Alameda set in Steveston’s Garry Point Park.
  • Friday, May 24th – Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium starring Matt Damon & Jodie Foster  makes Entertainment Weekly’s Summer Must List. In theatres on August 9th.
  • Friday, May 24th –  News that The CW will air final episodes of Cult in 2 hour blocks 8pm-10pm on June 28th, July 5th and July 12th. 
  • Thursday, May 23rd – Vancouver whydunnit Motive 1×02 Crimes of Passion airs on ABC network.
  • Thursday, May 23rd – News that hometown comedy couple Brent Butt and Nancy Robertson to host Leo Awards Gala Ceremony.
  • Thursday, May 23rd – Way of the Wicked starring Christian Slater and Peter Fanicelli films near Squamish in Minaty Bay on the Sea to Sky Highway.
  • Thursday, May 23rd – Vancouver whydunit Motive settles into regular time slot on American network ABC but pre-empted locally by collapse of I-5 bridge over Skagit River near Seattle.
  • Thursday, May 23rd – Continuum star Rachel Nichols tweets her thanks to episode director Amanda Tapping – Dear @amandatapping – being directed by you has been my favorite #Continuum experience. You are beautiful, brilliant & inspiring. Thank you. 
  • Thursday, May 23rd – Network Series Rankings: Once Upon a Time still a hit for ABC, ranking  #17 in advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic. Despite an uneven season, OUAT successfuly added Captain Hook (Colin O’Donoghue), the Jolly Roger and Neverland to its fictional worlds.
  • Thursday, May 23rd – Godzilla 2nd unit films on Steveston docks dressed as San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf for last time. Soldier stunt guys carry warhead.
  • Thursday, May 23rd – Godzilla main unit snakes into Steveston’s Finn Slough dressed as Japanese fishing village in nuclear quarantine zone.
  • Thursday, may 23rd – Godzilla main unit films on its USS Alameda set in Steveston’s Garry Point Park. A set which rocks & rolls like a Disney ride.
  • Thursday, May 23rd – King & Maxwell with Jon Tenney & Rebecca Romijn films big scenes inside Pacific Central Station dressed as Washington, D.C. station with dozens Read More »WEEK: May 20-26, 2013

SHOOT: GODZILLA Evacuates Kid Extras From Steveston’s Japanese Cultural Centre as School

Update: Janjira is the name of the Japanese nuclear power plant in the Godzilla reboot

Godzilla crew remade Steveston’s Japanese Cultural Centre/Martial Arts Centre into the Jankira International School for filming on Wednesday, adding fake pink cherry blossoms to the east side of the trees outside and parking a prop Japanese school bus and giant blue screen on the west side where the camera would focus. Dozens of child extras dressed in school uniforms practiced running out of the centre into the bus or towards Moncton Street. And had fun doing it. It’s not clear where the monster is in this scene because it’s unlikely they would run towards it. [Update: this evacuation might have more to do with an earthquake and potential nuclear disaster at the Janjira  reactors nearby]

Read More »SHOOT: GODZILLA Evacuates Kid Extras From Steveston’s Japanese Cultural Centre as School

SHOOT: GODZILLA’s USS Alameda Rocks & Rolls Like Disney Ride in Steveston

Filming started this morning on Godzilla’s USS Alameda landing craft set on the edge of Garry Point Park in Steveston with soldiers, technocrane, fog machines, rain towers, giant scrims and green screens added to the ride.  Crew tested the mechanics last night, rocking and rolling the set while shooting sprays of water over the bow.

Related: Testing the USS Alameda Landing Craft Set in Steveston

Read More »SHOOT: GODZILLA’s USS Alameda Rocks & Rolls Like Disney Ride in Steveston

SHOOT: GODZILLA Crew Tests USS Alameda Landing Craft Set in Steveston

Godzilla crew tested their USS Alameda landing craft set last night on the edge of Steveston’s Garry Point Park. The craft was rocking and rolling as if battling a sea monster in San Francisco Bay with a stunt performer along for the ride. I’m guessing San Francisco because Alameda is the name of the old naval air station there. And the Steveston docks have been remade as San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf for the past two weeks. Filming started on the USS Alameda set this morning with a technocrane, fog machines, rain towers and green screens.

Read More »SHOOT: GODZILLA Crew Tests USS Alameda Landing Craft Set in Steveston

PROMOS: Season Three Images of THE KILLING

The Killing’s detective duo Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) and Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman) reunite a year after the Rosie Larsen case when the death of a working girl connects to a previous investigation of Linden’s. Is someone killing Seattle street kids? 17 victims and counting.

Mireille Enos & Joel Kinnaman. Photo: Frank Ockenfels/@2013 AMC

Street kid regulars led by Twitch (Max Fowler).

Julia Sarah Stone, Max Fowler, Bex Taylor-Klaus & Cate Sproule. Photo: Frank Ockenfels/@2013 AMC

Below a Joel Kinnaman look that AMC has dubbed Smolder instead of Holder.
Read More »PROMOS: Season Three Images of THE KILLING

TRAILER: MAN OF STEEL Trailer Ahead of June 14th Release

Newl Man of Steel of trailer — Fate of Your Planet — with Superman Begins scenes of a rugged, bearded Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) shot in Ucluelet and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island and on a vast green screen stage at the Vancouver Drydocks in North Vancouver.

Related: Man of Steel’s Henry Cavill Films in North Vancouver

 What’s new is the challenge from General Zod (Michael Shannon).

[sz-youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlOF03DUoWc&feature=player_embedded” /]

Read More »TRAILER: MAN OF STEEL Trailer Ahead of June 14th Release