the Magicians, episode 106, and a day and a half of 107

Wow, almost half way through the first season of "the Magicians" . The week started back down and around Chinatown. 

A run to the office, I see some changes on set. A gift store for the fictional "Brakebills University" has been c

Behind the scenes at the stage

I mostly like the pictures my Samsung phone takes. Exceptions are when your trying to get a good pic of last week's lunar eclipse.

The last few times we were downtown we were across from Rogers Arena. This week we moved across the street and had B.C. Place as our back-drop. 

a nice surprise, one of the background performers was none other than Ed Rocker. Him and I have worked lots together over the years, going back to when I was doing a little extra work myself.  He does his own blog about his life as an extra. Check out his blog here.

Across the street from our shooting location on East Hastings Street.

Today we were at the iconic Ovaltine Cafe, on East Hasting steet, between Main and Gore. This was the cafe used during the shooting of Da Vinci's Inquest, a crime series that shot in Vancouver between 1998 and 2006

The apartments above had these unique windows that opened outwards from the middle of the frame.

Heading from the production office on another mission. (Heading down Cambie Ave. towards downtown)

Back on set, the alley behind the Ovaltine is in one of the worst areas of Vancouver. Today, we had police on both ends of the alley, and it was pressure washed as well.....

It was sad to see the day to day activity of the downtown eastside residents, the homeless, and the drug addicted.

I drove by this building on Keifer street all day and wanted to stop and get a picture. Finally a late night shot.

The next day found us a world away form the lost souls of the downtown eastside. Here is a serene little pond close to our circus at the McCleery golf course, in the Kerrisdale neighbourhood, south of Marine Drive.

Yah, cannot get a good shot of the action with my phone, but there is some filming going on, a contest for the Magicians to prove their worth. (just take my word for it,)

Inside, the actor's chairs are amongst the sheet covered furniture of the sets inside the mansion the production has rented for the season.

Back down in Gastown, waiting to pick up an actor, on one side this gate, (which is not so pearly)............

and the other side of Abbott Street..

and the down time. (the bored, middle of the road shot)

and the sun sets on another day, and another episode.

back at the studio, I'm always fascinated by the detail on some of the sets

at the end of the day, (or night), part of my duties include taking the laundry from the wardrobe department to............

in Burnaby

East Cordova is normally a very busy street, unless your picking up actors at 6 in the morning.

random , parked close to the Fraser River shot....

with a pic of the Oak Street Bridge.

When I took this pic, I was looking at a winter scene, with snow on the windows. (it did look real enough to the naked eye.)

Behind the scenes, the white fabric was the snow. It will look like the real thing when it airs next year.

the Magicians, end episode 105, begin 106

Another week on "the Magicians". Hanging out on Main Street Vancouver in Chinatown, seems we are filming a lot down here on this show.

But first, I was dragged kicking and screaming out of my cushy 7 passenger Chrysler Town and Country, and thrown into this flatdeck, hauling one of the two-room star trailers out to U.B.C. (I try not to let on that I can actually drive the trucks, but every now and then I'm busted.)  

So then to punish me more, I had to drive the props truck and then the camera truck. It's ok, change is good

Our circus was bordering the Pacific Spirit Regional Park

The day started with me back in my 7 passenger van, picking up some of the actors in Gastown, where they are temporarily living until the filming ends mid December.

Nice view I had this morning while waiting.

The set at UBC was at an elementary school gymnasium. Here the crew is getting ready for another long day. (the scene involved the actors participating in a magic game challenge against other schools, and there was 170 extras brought in for  the day.

outside, a giant crane hoisted a large black screen........

that represents a huge black hole that had the potential to consume all of the particpants in the competition. (The visual fx on this show will be epic. )

pyramid power, I was parked outside of this church chapel beside the school.

Later in the week in was across the Lion's Gate Bridge to North Vancouver.

I've been to a lot of locations, but Princess Park in North Vancouver was not one of them until now. Another hidden gem in the lower Mainland.

the local regulars to the park must have noticed a little increased activity today.

strange to me, an aluminum statue of  tree in a park full of beautiful cedars. Art?

read it and weep (click on pic to enlarge)

the light was waning, we had to stop filming early today.

from the forest to the concrete jungle, back downtown again

always fascinated by the cloud formations

This water truck is blocking my view of the set. Wait a minute, it's actually a "picture vehicle", used for an outside shot. (notice the Brooklyn's finest on the side of the truck).

this pic constitutes a  boredom escape

and then the rain, making for a soggy day for crew

the last day of the week found us at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver. I have driven though and by here many times, did not know there was a duck pond.

above the duck pond was one of four sets that they used tonight. (we filmed from 230 p.m. til 530 a.m., yuck, that's why it's called a "fraturday".) The next two sets were by the Bloedel Conservatory.

and then there was the roof-top nude scene.... (this roof top was actually made for the scene, and it was a closed set)

the "dancing waters" fountains actually came into play for one on the scenes.
Next week, awww, who knows.