digidestined
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stargate is canadian or american series?
canadian or american
- Thread starter digidestined
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summershake
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As far as I know it's an american series, filmed in Vancouver/Canada because it's cheaper.
But I may be mistaken. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
But I may be mistaken. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Rowan
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Who's Who...
"Stargate:SG-1" is an american backed series filmed in Canada {Vancouver, BC} with a mixed American and Canadian cast and crew. It's shot at "The Bridge Studios" [a Canadian company in Burnaby, BC] and funded by MGM and The Sci-Fi Channel [which are American corporations].
I should say most of it is shot in Canada... Occ. they slip across the border and get some establishing shots in the US, but not many. They used McChord Air Force Base for a background shot in "Seth" and, of course, a crew filmed the CMC at Colorado Springs, CO. for the SGC. But everything else is shot in and around Vancouver.
FWIW: McChord is a 10 minute drive south of me on the freeway and 'Bridge' is a 3&1/3 hour drive north. One of the fun things we do at Gatecon each year is a 'City Tour' where we take folks around to the various shooting locations in the Vancouver area.
Rowan
And you're right - it's much cheaper: both in the cost of tech, hardware and saleries. Canadian scale is a lot less than US and the exchange rate works in the favor of US companies working up there as it's an 'average' of $1.50 Canadian to $1.00 US. More 'punch' for the US dollar up there.
"Stargate:SG-1" is an american backed series filmed in Canada {Vancouver, BC} with a mixed American and Canadian cast and crew. It's shot at "The Bridge Studios" [a Canadian company in Burnaby, BC] and funded by MGM and The Sci-Fi Channel [which are American corporations].
I should say most of it is shot in Canada... Occ. they slip across the border and get some establishing shots in the US, but not many. They used McChord Air Force Base for a background shot in "Seth" and, of course, a crew filmed the CMC at Colorado Springs, CO. for the SGC. But everything else is shot in and around Vancouver.
FWIW: McChord is a 10 minute drive south of me on the freeway and 'Bridge' is a 3&1/3 hour drive north. One of the fun things we do at Gatecon each year is a 'City Tour' where we take folks around to the various shooting locations in the Vancouver area.
Rowan
And you're right - it's much cheaper: both in the cost of tech, hardware and saleries. Canadian scale is a lot less than US and the exchange rate works in the favor of US companies working up there as it's an 'average' of $1.50 Canadian to $1.00 US. More 'punch' for the US dollar up there.
There is a problem, though.
Too often the "other" city doesn't look like the one it's supposed to represent.
For instance, Toronto is often used instead of NYC, as it's less expensive to film there.
Even most producers admit that it really doesn't look like NYC.
:freak4:
Too often the "other" city doesn't look like the one it's supposed to represent.
For instance, Toronto is often used instead of NYC, as it's less expensive to film there.
Even most producers admit that it really doesn't look like NYC.
:freak4:
That's true.
But they do use Washington, D.C. as a backdrop sometimes.
I think they leave it so you can think what you're seeing is the US Capitol when it's really a similar looking building in Vancouver. (Unless they do film exteriors in D.C.). Either way, it looks pretty real.
Stargate does most of its shooting indoors or on "planets" so I don't think it matters much where they shoot it.
What I really meant was shows like "Third Watch". Thankfully, they shoot in NYC. It would be too fake otherwise b/c so much of the action takes place in the street.
But they do use Washington, D.C. as a backdrop sometimes.
I think they leave it so you can think what you're seeing is the US Capitol when it's really a similar looking building in Vancouver. (Unless they do film exteriors in D.C.). Either way, it looks pretty real.
Stargate does most of its shooting indoors or on "planets" so I don't think it matters much where they shoot it.
What I really meant was shows like "Third Watch". Thankfully, they shoot in NYC. It would be too fake otherwise b/c so much of the action takes place in the street.
CynVision
CO, RDA's Leather Brigade
The X-files started the trend. And you'll notice the settings for XF trended to Californian and other dryer climes when they left Vancouver.
AFAIK, series like John Doe, The Dead Zone, Smallville and the failed SF series about the fiction writer are all Vancouver-based and it somewhat affected what city they were "set" in. Dead Zone is Maine and all others but Smallville are "set" in Seattle-like cities. There's the least landscape "clash" to those areas because Vancouver shares some sizable mountains in most exterior shots that they can do within the city proper. It's outside the city where you can get the variety that made the area good for filming in.
The excuse that film makers can't make Vancouver look like the rest of the USA is a pretty thin excuse. XF did a fair job of it for seven years. The might have had larger location budgets than most over time. The thing that gets most glaring over time is the pine forests. And the lack of a true urban sprawl. Vancouver is a unique area. I have a lot of fun picking up places I've been in Vancouver in background shots.
AFAIK, series like John Doe, The Dead Zone, Smallville and the failed SF series about the fiction writer are all Vancouver-based and it somewhat affected what city they were "set" in. Dead Zone is Maine and all others but Smallville are "set" in Seattle-like cities. There's the least landscape "clash" to those areas because Vancouver shares some sizable mountains in most exterior shots that they can do within the city proper. It's outside the city where you can get the variety that made the area good for filming in.
The excuse that film makers can't make Vancouver look like the rest of the USA is a pretty thin excuse. XF did a fair job of it for seven years. The might have had larger location budgets than most over time. The thing that gets most glaring over time is the pine forests. And the lack of a true urban sprawl. Vancouver is a unique area. I have a lot of fun picking up places I've been in Vancouver in background shots.
Those are just the negative points. Shooting films and TV outside of Hollywood often has advantages to the final product too, beyond the cost. The Matrix was shot in Australia because it was cheaper, but the unusual skyline adds to the effect of it being a virtual reality.
Seeing exactly the same LA city scenes, Californian desert rock landscapes, and Beverly Hills houses in different films does become rather stale.
Ireland has seen a big boom in film making due to tax incentives, but seeing the Irish scenery in the films must be a plus. There has also been Harry Potter in the UK and LOTR in New Zealand.
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