Sunday, April 26, 1992 ~ North Shore News - 37

Making local Movie Magic

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

DAVID AND Deborah Nielsen are the organizers of Movie Magic, a major exposition and salute to B.C.’s motion picture industry.

AT MOVIE Magic, the three-day behind-the-scenes look at British Columbia's film industry, Vancouverites can ex- perience the thrill of peeking into stars’ dressing rooms and watch a performance by a lip-synching actor-horse.

It’s all part of an effort to educate average city folk to the wonders of the province’s motion picture business, which has earned ¥Yancouver the title of North America’s third largest film pro- duction centre.

Unlike Hollywood, Vancouver dida't grow up with a fifm in- dustry. ‘‘The oiz,"’ as they say in Tinseltown, is still fairly new to the West Coast. Hence the idea for Movie Magic.

“We want to educate and in- form people of the magic of what we do,’’ says David Nielsen, a West Vancouver production de- signer and Movie Magic creator.

Nielsen and wife Deborah have been planning the event for a year and a half.

From May | to 3 the entire 100,000 square-foot B.C. Place Stadium will be transformed into a giant movie studio.

The public is invited to tour ac- tual sets, witness live stunt shows, fondle equipment (including the new cablecam system that was us- ed in the movie Hook) and see how special effects, like artificial rain, thunder and fog, are created.

And for the first time, they won't be told to stand back when crews are working on a set.

I’s being billed as ‘ta family adventure,”' but it could help less- en some of the mystique that sur- rounds the film industry.

“We have an entire built-in language — words like grip, gaf- fer — that has developed mysteriously Over the years,”’ says Nielsen, who designed the Thailand Pavilion for the 1990 Pacific National Exhibition. ‘‘We want people to know more, to know what the crews they see standing around street corners ac-

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tually do."

Up until now, Vancouverites haven't had a close-up look at the business.

Locals were starry-eyed when the $25 million North Shore Stu- dios, the largest movie studio ever built in Canada, opened with hoopla in September 1989,

But since its grand opening the

Nielsen, however, believes such an undertaking would be premature.

“We need to do our business well first before we plan for tomorrow,’’ he says.

Movie Magic is also an oppor- tunity to ward off a potential nuisance factor, While locals are accustomed to secing streets blocked off by movie crews, the industry, says Nielsen, doesn’t want to wear out its welcome.

“If you educate your neighbor as to what you're doing they become a little more patient. They realize it’s a business which con- tributes to the economy of the ci-

ty.”

46 Hollywood is more of a myth than a reality. 99

studio has remained off-limits to the average citizen: the fortress- like facility’s tight security system admits entry to appointments cnly and the studio itself doesn’t give public tours.

It’s understandable when you consider that the folks at North Shore Studios are trying to run a business. Some believe that Van- couver needs a permanent facility like Universal Studios which in- vites people to see how movies are made.

[A SHADE

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1877 Marine Dr, N. Van. #4-380418 Progress Way, Squamish

2 Whistler

— David Nielsen

Nielsen, who moved to Van- couver from L.A. in 1989, feeis the time is right to celebrate B.C.’s development into a thriving motion picture centre.

But both he and Deborah guard against using the tag ‘‘Hollywood North’’ to describe Vancouver’s movie market.

“Tt really dislike that term,’’ he says frowning. ‘‘Hollywood is more of a myth than a reality.

See Film page 48

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