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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.

SHOOT: Jon Tenney & Rebecca Romijn Film KING & MAXWELL Explosion Aftermath in Gastown

Secret service agents turned private investigators Sean King (Jon Tenney) and Michelle Maxwell (Rebecca Romijn) are the leads in the upcoming TNT series King & Maxwell, based on popular characters from best-selling author David Baldacci. In the episode filmed this week, the pair investigate an explosion at a Washington, D.C. eatery. One which impacts King nearby.

King & Maxwell crew spent five days at Incendio in Gastown this week either preparing or filming before-and-after-explosion scenes. They did everything but the SPFX explosion itself, which had been filmed two years before for the CW pilot Heavenly, which was not picked up to series. All King & Maxwell had to do is match the original set dressing on the patio.

And then distress the windows for the aftermath of this SPFX explosion and cover the pavement in debris.

In scenes filmed Monday, Sean King (Jon Tenney) drove up to the Italian restaurant just as it explodes.

Related: Jon Tenney Films King & Maxwell Explosion Scene in Gastown

And in yesterday’s scenes, an upset Michelle Maxwell (Rebecca Romijn) rushes to her partner.  “Sean,” she cries as she walks towards him standing in the debris. 

Read More »SHOOT: Jon Tenney & Rebecca Romijn Film KING & MAXWELL Explosion Aftermath in Gastown

TRAILER: New MAN OF STEEL Poster & TV Spot – Updated

“What if a child aspired to something greater?” [sz-youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wnrse7H7kU&feature=youtu.be” /] Man of Steel in theatres on June 14th. ***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

PROMOS: Images of ARROW 1×21 The Undertaking (Harbour Cruises & Hastings Park)

What is The Undertaking? We’ll find out more in some Starling City flashbacks on tomorrow night’s Arrow. After the death of his wife in The Glades, did Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) plot with Robert Queen (Jamey Sheridan) to destroy the ghetto?

John Barrowman & Jamey Sheridan © 2013 The CW Network

Arrow filmed other Starling City flashback scenes on the docks of Harbour Cruises & Events in Coal Harbour. Are we going to see Robert Queen and his son Oliver (Stephen Amell) depart on their fateful voyage aboard the family yacht, Queen’s Gambit? That would explain Moira Queen (Susanna Thompson)’s presence on set. And why Laurel (Katie Cassidy) seems to be kissing her beloved Ollie goodbye for three weeks that will turn into five years.

Related: Stephen Amell & Katie Cassidy Kiss in Coal Harbour for Starling City Flashbacks

Meanwhile, in present-day Starling City, Oliver turns to IT gal Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) for help with his vigilante mission. Here she is looking very not-IT-gal in a striking red dress on the gaming floor of Hastings Park race track.

Emily Bett Rickards at Hastings Park on Gaming Floor. © 2013 The CW Network

Of course something goes wrong and Oliver’s vigilante alter-ego The Hood has to fight to save Felicity from an armed gunman, wrecking the casino in the process.

Read More »PROMOS: Images of ARROW 1×21 The Undertaking (Harbour Cruises & Hastings Park)

SHOOT: Jon Tenney Films KING & MAXWELL Explosion in Gastown

Update: King & Maxwell bought footage of the SPFX explosion below. Glad a good blast won’t go to waste.

Two years ago TV pilot Heavenly blew out the windows of Gastown’s Incendio restaurant in a controlled explosion.

I hoped for a repeat performance today from upcoming TNT series King & Maxwell, but it was not to be. Instead I watched as Washington, D.C. secret-service-agent-turned-private-investigator Sean King (Jon Tenney) drove up in his Lexus to park opposite Incendio, got out of his car talking on his phone and then ducked on cue. I assume he ducked from an explosion that will be added because he did it in take after take and tomorrow crew will dress the street with  post-explosion debris to film on Wednesday.

Read More »SHOOT: Jon Tenney Films KING & MAXWELL Explosion in Gastown

SHOOT: Storybrooke Thugs Robert Carlyle & Emilie de Ravin in Steveston for ONCE UPON A TIME 2×21

So Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle) is escalating his bad behaviour in Storybrooke to woo Belle’s cursed self Lacey (Emilie de Ravin). As I’ve said before, this is not RumBelle. More like The Dark One and the Tramp. How nasty will it get? An ABC.com preview of the first eight minutes of next Sunday’s penultimate episode shows us. The scene below opens with Dr. Whale (David Anders) on the ground outside The Rabbit Hole. looking up at the sole  Mr. Gold’s boot. Whale’s crime: “You stared at her and I know how you think,” Mr. Gold pronounces as Lacey giggles, dressed in her signature barfly style of short dress, fishnets and heels.

 

It looks like Mr. Gold will give Dr. Whale a good stomping until Baelfire/Neal grabs his father from behind.

WEEK: April 22-28, 2013

  • Sunday, April 28th – Vancouver cop-from-the -future series Continuum 2×02 airs on Showcase. Some of it filmed in Squamish with Rachel Nichols in a big helicopter scene. New York Times’s Neil Genzlinger wrote about his Squamish set visit in TV article praising the series.
  • Sunday, April 28th – Red Widow 1×07 The Coke airs on ABC. Marta (Radha Mitchell) learns new information about her husband’s killer. Photos of one of the deaths filmed in Downtown Eastside alley.
  • Sunday, April 28th – Once Upon a Time 2×20 The Evil Queen airs on ABC. Hook pretends to help Regina (Lana Parilla) with a plan to transport her and Henry (Jared Padalecki) back to Fairytale land. Big scene of Regina talking to Henry filmed in Steveston. And in flashbacks, the Evil Queen gets Rumplestiltskin to transform her into a peasant so she can kill Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin). Village scenes were filmed in Robert Burnaby Park in Burnaby in front of visiting #EvilRegals fans (one from Mozambique). Look for opening scene of The Dark one (Robert Carlyle) & The Tramp (Emilie de Ravin) staggering out of the “Rabbit Hole” pub in Steveston too.
  • Sunday, April 28th – Latest  buzz from Deadline’s Primetime Pilot Panic says Wonderland (Once Upon a Time spinoff) “penciled in” and Big Thunder a “major contender” at ABC; I Am a Victor with John Stamos has a shot at NBC;  Human with Karl Urban”still solid” at FOX; Intelligence with Josh Holloway and Backstrom with Rainn Wilson in the mix at CBS; The 100 still under consideration at The CW but no mention of Blink.
  • Sunday, April 28th – Upcoming TNT series King & Maxwell preps Incendio in Gastown for before and after explosion shoots next week.
  • Saturday, April 28th – Arrow‘s Colton Haynes attends the White House Correspondents Dinner. WHCD’s hilarious & apt hashtag is #nerdprom.
  • Saturday, April 27th – King & Maxwell films downtown at two locations, the last at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
  • Saturday, April 27th – ABC Christmas movie Christmas Bounty wraps three nights (April 25-27th) of overnight filming in holiday-decorated Coquitlam Centre mall.
  • Friday, April 26th – Vancouver director Jeff Renfroe’s new Ice Age thriller The Colony opens nationwide in Canada. YVRShoots series interview with Renfroe.
  • Friday, April 26th – Vancouver director Jesse James Miller’s endearing 1970s-set film Becoming Redwood premieres in Toronto at Cineplex Yonge & Dundas. YVRShoots series interview with Miller.
  • Friday, April 26th – Robert Redford’s Weather Underground film The Company You Keep starring Shia LaBeouf and Redford opens in theatres. Filmed at Vancouver Art Gallery, Georgia Hotel and other locations around Vancouver. 
  • Friday, April 26th – Continuum films inside CBC Vancouver.
  • Friday, April 26th – Arrow actors Byron Mann and Celina Jade featured in Vancouver Sun article about actors making it big in China.
  • Friday, April 26th – Entertainment Weekly scoop about season 3 of Falling Skies. 
  • Friday, April 26th – Entertainment Weekly’s excusive season 3 trailer for The Killing features Peter Sarsgaard as death-row inmate.
  • Thursday, April 25th – Joel Kinnaman & Mireille Enos film a walk-and-talk for  The Killing near Cobalt Hotel on Main Street. Then moved into parking lot behind for scene in car.
  • Thursday, April 25th – Continuum films inside CBC Vancouver and on Cambie Street.
  • Thursday, April 25th – Vancouver whydunit Motive 1×10 airs. Dustin Milligan guest-stars Read More »WEEK: April 22-28, 2013