Wrapping it up before Xmas.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Gastown, as I wait to take one of the actors to the airport so they can get home for Christmas. Two more days of wrap on "the Magicians", for me.

Lots of wrapping going on this time of year, including all of the set decoration used on the sets during season one. (It's all going into storage pending a season two).

Looking like a ghost town around the studio

A lot of the electrical gear is being organized for return to one of the rental houses, Production Services in Burnaby

Removed from my comfortable 7 passenger cast van, I was called into duty to return some of the rental trucks back to where they came from. (including the infamous "green monster", one of the grip trucks.)

and the props and camera trucks.

one last trip to the Sutton Place hotel, taking the last actor in town to the airport so he can enjoy Christmas in Los Angeles.

This is the second time this has happened to me. While running errands downtown, my coins wouldn't go into the meter. So I took a picture of it in case I got a ticket.

Then it was time to head out to the Okanagan for Christmas. Thank goodness the heavy rain in the Fraser Valley didn't lead to heavy snow on the mountain passes.

It was a messy trip, so it was off to the car wash as soon as I landed in Penticton.

The next morning, the first fresh snow I have seen this year.

It's been so long, I was surprised the brush was still in the trunk.

A beautiful winter view from Penticton looking north up Okanagan Lake.

Christmas eve tradition, can't imagine it not including a viewing of "It's a Wonderful Life".

I started my Christmas morning with all my friends at Snap Fitness in West Kelowna. (Ha-ha, I was the only one there).

Junior started a new Christmas tradition, the Kinder egg wrapper hat.

My sister and brother-in-law had a generous supply of ham for Christmas dinner.

My sister's bichon's annual Christmas photo with Santa.

A shot of a vineyard in Summerland looking east over Okanagan Lake. It's nice to have a white Christmas.

the Magicians, season two?

Extra, Extra, read all about it! That's a wrap on season one of "the Magicians". 13 episodes, 5 months and many, many hours later, I am ready for a break.

We started the week at the quaint Foxglove farm in Langley. I've never been here before, the grounds were beautiful.

In the show it will play as an old English village, including this blacksmith's shop.

our fabulous set decoration department found all the necessary tools to make  it look authentic.

The main building was very impressive.

the court yard in the fictional land of Fillory.

The pond beside the court yard.

and there he is the background performer extraordinaire, Ed Rocker! Today he plays one of the guest at a Fillorian wedding. (minus the jacket) His blog is here.

random, I bought some Thrills gum, and yes it does still taste like soap shot.

We were kept very busy today, there was a lot of cast in today, including number 28, Angus McQueen, who played Bristlycoat the dog. (It was actually our office manager's bulldog, but it somehow will be a talking dog in the show.)

Later in the week we awoke to a fresh dump of snow on the North Shore mountains.

A lot chillier today at the P.N.E. (Pacific National Exhibition) amusement park, than it was back in August the last time we were there.

Filming back at the Overlyn Manor in Burnaby Heights. It was looking a lot like Christmas at the retirement center beside it.

Below is one last trip to Yvr to pick-up one of the guest stars. As I called parking dispatch to getting a parking stall number I noticed this lot which is usually full of taxi-cabs, waiting for their turn into the airport, was completely empty. Below it is a shot of the way the taxi stand usually looks.

Near the show's end, one last drawing coming from the art department printer. 

The last day of filming, the last day of cruising down Boundary road.

Inside Vancouver Film Studios, filming one of the scenes. (I can't get too close)

Today one of the mythical creatures on the show, half ram, half human, Umber, was in the house. (I couldn't take a shot of him, but here's his humungous boots, made for size, and stability.

The fictional "Brakebills" lab and classroom now lies silent back at the studio.

In the office pictures of all of the cast and crew on the wall. The theme was wearing the top hat, after that pretty much anything went. (mine is down there somewhere)

near the end of the season, my Teamster buddy Tracey chats with one of the cameramen who was watching the monitors as one of the scenes was filming.

Still a little blood left over from one of the classroom scenes where "the beast" arrived uninvited and attacked. (you can watch it all unfold in Canada on the Showcase channel in January)

In the boardroom, pictures of the cast.

The final call sheet, the final day . Two more days of returning all the vehicles, trucks, trailers and everything else needed for the show, and I will be officially unemployed again.

the Magicians, final episode (for season one!)

The last episode for season one of "the Magicians". (believe you me, it has not been all sunshine like this shot of English Bay in Vancouver this week). If you are south of the border, you can actually watch the first episode on Syfy now. Canada, if you have the Showcase channel, you can watch the first episode on Wednesday the 16th of December at 10 p.m.

Not just any library, this is the library at the fictitious Brakebills University, a very impressive set at our main studio in Vancouver.

Our main studio is always changing, morphing from one episode to another. The wood construction on the outside masks very impressive sets on the inside.

Part of my duties, taking the days film drives to the film processing place, which also handles all of the camera gear needed for a filming day. Tonight, I am dropping off the film, (yellow plastic case), and returning some of the camera gear.

including, of course, the Cartoni Dutch Head????? (I'm a driver not part of the camera crew) .... and google says:

This special accessory has been conceived to add a 3rd axis to a standard Fluid Head and allow the lateral movement called "Dutch angle", enhancing special effects.

CARTONI C40S Dutch Head is designed to make exceptionally smooth side-tilt effects simple and straightforward to execute

Later in the week we spent a miserable 2 days at the M.O.T. lands in Delta. This used to be an air force base back in the day, and then a radio communication base for the military. Now it sits vacant, and is mostly used as a dog walk park, and for filming. Today, cold, rainy and dreary was exactly what the script ordered.

random Dubble Bubble gum comic, that Pud!

Every time we film out here, the dog walkers that are here are kind of miffed, and I cannot blame them one bit.

Okay, so those are not pine needles on the floor of my cast van. One of the cast, who I will not reveal, (but I really want to!), has a shar-pei, and man does that thing shed. It was only a 15 minute trip, I can hardly wait to see what happens on the 45 minute trip on Monday!

This pic out at the M.O.T. land was sort of kind of similar to the cover of the first book of the Magicians.

Later in the week it was a dark cold rainy morning at the iconic Stanley Park. (a shot of the Lion's Gate bridge in the background.)

The smoke (atmosphere) was added to a scene at the Polar Bear enclosure (long since closed) at the Vancouver Aquarium at Stanley Park

The front entrance of the Aquarium.

Heading back down to Stanley Park, I had a minute to take a pic of a rare sunny December day in Vancouver looking towards Granville Island from downtown.

The Burrard St. bridge, looking at it..........

and under it.

and a shot of Burrard Inlet heading out to the ocean, by English Bay.

back at Stanley Park, the filming continues

getting the lights ready for some night shots. (that little bank of lights lit up the entire area, very cool)

one more week and all the trucks, including this hair and make-up trailer.

there's the lights in action at Stanley Park.

shines all the way down to the work truck area

random online cute cat picture, except why is the water green?

soon enough, the Magicians sticker will be gone off of my vehicle, replaced by////////

back at the studio, the sets await the final 2 days of shooting this season.

and even all of this wardrobe for the cast will be shelved in storage just in case a season two is ordered,

5 crazy days to go, bring it!