Author Archives: Natalia Ortiz

The Movie Industry in Vancouver

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The movie industry in Vancouver dates all the way back to 1913 and is ranked in the top five North American cities for filmmaking. Due to the lower prices and vastly beautiful scenery we have here in Vancouver, many movies that we know, and love have been filmed around our very own neighbourhoods. Some that you may not even know about. However, there are many ways to keep track on what is currently being filmed in our city. Many projects and their locations can be followed on Twitter or by finding signs handing around the city.

Vancouver is well known for providing dozens of programs on filmmaking, acting, production, marketing and distribution and Vancouver has established a record for production excellence. There are approximately more than 50 movies and 60 TV shows being filmed in Vancouver annually, along with hundreds of commercials and other productions. Some recent film productions that were filmed in the city include, Deadpool 1 and 2, Star Trek Beyond and The Predator. As well some pretty well-known TV series such as Supernatural for as long as 15 seasons, Once Upon a Time and X-Files. Vancouver has grown a reputation for being the third largest production centre in North America, not just only for its great sceneries but there are many benefits to filming in the city. Productions can take advantage of the tax credit incentives in Vancouver, such as the British Columbia Production Services Tax Credit, the Film Incentive BC TaxCredit, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the BC Digital Animation or Visual Effects.

I started working as a movie extra at age 16. Working on movie sets was such an interesting experience and taught me a lot about the industry. Most of the time was spent waiting around for scenes to filmed before they needed us, and that gave us the opportunity to meet new people and make new friendships. It was a great first job to have and it was easy money. Even though I learned a lot about set etiquette and how things run on a movie set, that whole world is still so mysterious and interesting to think about. However, It is perceived as quite mysterious and low-key because that is exactly how they like it and they know it makes the movie industry so intriguing for the outside perspective. It also gets people more excited for the final product when they don’t know much about it. Sometimes the whole production would be halted, and actors would hide for hours in their trailers when there were too many paparazzi’s and people waiting outside to see them. At first, I thought that was quite self-centered for actors to refuse to be seen or refuse to talk to their fans, but then I began to understand the frustration. No one who has woken up in the early hours and spent hours and hours on their feet, memorizing lines, and redoing takes would have the patience or be in the mood with deal with so much publicity. I began to understand why productions try so hard to be discreet when everyone had to spend hours waiting for the crowd to be cleared so that we could resume shooting. Disruptions can set back an entire day of shooting.

Sometimes productions will go as far as creating a fake name for big movies so that less people will be inclined to check it out. Fifty Shades of Grey was a great example of that. Even though I was hired to work on the set of that movie, I did not know that is was for such a big and well-known movie until I got there and heard the excited whispers about “Christian Grey” being there. To keep things even more secretive, sometimes workers on set are required to have their phone cameras tapped up to ensure that nothing about the movie, the production or the actors ever gets leaked online. Along with long and serious contracts outlining all the ways they could sue you if you were to ever leak anything about the production. They take things very seriously on movie productions and it can be quite intimidating.

As intimidating as it can be, it was the most fun I ever had while working. The long hours of filming the same scene, pretending to have the same conversations and doing the same movements over and over again can feel exhausting. You end up bonding with all the other extras or workers over how desperate you are for a break, what you hope they will feed you for lunch and if anyone wants to carpool home later that night. I made some great friends that I still have contact with to this day and that is how you begin to make long lasting connections that might help you in the future.

The movie industry is all about connections. The connections you make doing smaller jobs, such as being an extra, can take you to higher places if you keep contact with your coworkers and are pleasant to work with. And then there are connections within families and friends that can offer big opportunities right away, but those are harder to come by and it takes luck to land yourself in a room with important people that can get you there. A lot of actor’s struggle with this reality and find that the industry can be quite rigged.

The movie industry in Vancouver will continue to boom even after things calm down with Covid-19 and they may resume shooting. It is a beautiful city to film in that resembles many different parts of the world. I have seen movies that are based in England but if you look close enough, you can see the streets of Gastown. It’s a fun game to play when you know something has been filmed near you, trying to pinpoint all the locations. I think the industry will always remain a little mysterious and intrigue the public because it is such an interesting and hard job to get into. Everyone can say they wish they could be in a movie or have the skills to work in such a fun and bustling business. I was guilty of that for a long time since I was a kid. However, I’m happy to know that Vancouver is such an entertainment and talent filled place, it makes where we live very exciting.

 

Something to Get Into the Fall Spirit

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As the summer season slowly dwindles away, rain clouds the sunshine and leaves turn into crimson shades of red and orange, it is exciting to start getting into the fall spirit. This time of year is a time of scarves, hot drinks and achieving the perfect amount of coziness. People will start to pack away their summer clothes and bringing out their knit sweaters and knee-high socks, placing small ornaments of pumpkins on their mantels and planning on how to be the spookiest house in the neighbourhood. Personally, it’s a season I look forward to every year. The palette of colours, the persistent rain, the fall smelling candles makes my heart feel cuddled. However, the weather changes and shorter days might bring a cloud of gloominess over some people’s heads and make this difficult and demotivating time ever harder to get through. It is important to stay safe and follow COVID-19 restrictions as per health official’s advice, but also stay family oriented and not stay isolated unless specifically required to. The fall and winter months are not cozy times for everyone, and we should all strive to take care of each other and check in as the months get colder and darker.

There is nothing better than waking up on a fall morning, cocooned in blankets, to the sound of the rain hiding the pavement outside and smell of coffee wafting from the kitchen into your bedroom. The perfect start to a cozy day. The family all gathers around the fireplace while some classic movies play on the television, and everyone sips on their coffee and eat their pumpkin bread. You all whisper and plan for the season ahead; the pumpkin patch you’ll visit, the treats you’ll make, how you’ll decorate the porch for trick or treaters, the movies you’ll watch. The reality of the world outside of your bubble will disappear and the rest of this year will go by blissfully with the wind and you’ll be glad you made the most out of the season but had also stayed safe and sound.

As stressful days and overwhelming loads of work pass you by throughout the week, just look forward to pumpkin carving contests with friends. Everyone will gather around the dining room table, with your favourite records playing in the background and nice hot mug of apple cider, maybe spiked if you’re old enough, and laugh and catch up on all the crazy and stressful things that went on during the week. However, that all leaves your mind as you start plotting the best pumpkin design, that will be surely to win against everyone. You all spend hours scooping out pumpkin guts and stabbing pumpkins with knives while laughing at your friends designs and drinking way too many mugs of apple cider. Sometimes all it takes is some good company and good drinks to make some of the best memories. And as Halloween approaches, you’re guaranteed to have the best and most original pumpkins in the neighbourhood.

Fall is also the perfect time of year to start binging spooky movies, the classics such as Halloweentown and Hocus Pocus or some more frightening hits such as the Shinning and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Movie nights are a must during the fall season as the classic halloween movies are finally coming back onto everyone’s screens. Making some halloween themed treats with your friends, with buckets of popcorn, mugs of hot chocolate and making forts are the ultimate ways to enjoy the perfect movie night. These are the nights i look forward to the most, especially as halloween approaches. Unfortunately, it becomes inappropriate and unacceptable to treat or trick as an adult, so having a movie night is a perfect alternative. You can hand out handy to trick or treaters while still enjoying a night of spooky fun with your own friends.

Sometimes picking up a new hobby is just what you need to get through the start of a new school semester, or a hard work week. Taking the time in the morning as you wake up to read a few pages of a spooky book or meditating can make the world of difference for the rest of your day. You can learn to knit so that you can finally gift someone a handmade gift for Christmas, or a schedule a few hours out of your work week sometimes to bake something delicious to send to your family or friends, or just enjoy yourself. These are some great ways to get into the fall spirit and also into a healthier mindset about your current reality.

Some great ways to enjoy the next coming months is to surround yourself with people who bring happiness into your life and take part in festive activities whenever possible. The simplest things can make a huge difference in your day. Bring 2020 into a close with better memories to replace the bad ones that some of us have made this year and fill the holiday months with love and happiness.

 

A New Reality in The Sports World

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How things were

Many children grow up playing sports, and their teammates become family. Sports are a huge part of Canadian culture, and going to practice every week, having scrapped knees, packing up cut up oranges and Gatorade bottles in the trunk have all become a part of family traditions. Not only was sports a huge part of childhood, but it was also a part of everyone’s adulthood. There was nothing like going to a hockey game at an arena with a huge group of friends. People would bring their jerseys out of the back of their closets, wrap scarves around their necks and gloves on their hands, all with their favourite teams’ logo on them. They would walk into the arena and the chill radiating off the ice rink would hit their faces and turn their noses read. Getting to order beer and snacks, wear foam fingers, do the wave with the rest of the crowd and stand up from your seat to scream whenever your team scored. That was what was so great about the sports community before the pandemic hit, that even if you were never a part of the team personally, it was times like these that would make people feel like they still belonged to a team. Complete strangers could bond over their love for hockey or football at a bar and become friends and people would gather online while watching the game from their homes to interact with others watching. Who would have known that something as simple as being able to watch a hockey game with your friends was being taken for granted? 

How things changed

As Covid-19 began to threaten more and more lives, the world of sports was rightfully put on hold and players were put on the sidelines for months. Sports fans and players were understandably not happy about the situation as it changed the reality of their lives. Players were no longer able to practice for extensive hours every day, and the fans had nothing to look forward to watch for the coming weeks. It seems unlikely that teams will be able to go back to practice anytime soon. Expecting that players will stay six feet apart during practice and games is unrealistic, but teams are hopeful they can take this opportunity to focus on the fundamentals of the sport with each individual player. No more signing autographs, taking pictures with fans or pre-match handshakes. Even NBA’s LeBron James claims fans and players can expect that he will not be “high-fiving nobody for the rest of his life after this.” Fans and players should expect major changes to happen in the near future as there are no guarantees that Covid-19 will be leaving us anytime soon. It is important for families with young children in sports teams to understand the risks of allowing their kids to play again at this time and be ready to enforce guidelines and boundaries between the players and coaches. Sports that require shared equipment that will be in close contact with every player, like a football, poses higher risks than a lone sport like cross-country. As long as social distancing and general cleanliness is being met, health officials and the community agree and people understand the risk that might come with it – sports will be returning soon but with some interesting changes.

How things will be

 Smaller league teams are accepting that a comeback is not in the cards for them, but the professional teams are being bold enough to start staging and preparing for a resurrection. It won’t be easy, and players must be prepared to meet regulations and restrictions. Teams will have a create a safe and exclusive space for team members to practice and also make sure that they stay isolated from anyone outside of their team’s bubble. In order to avoid getting infected or infecting others, protocols will be established where players will be required to be routinely screened for Covid-19 and will be expected to self-isolate if necessary. There will be no direct contact on the ice or other fields with designated entrances for players and other personnel. During games, there will be minimum personnel allowed along with the players to avoid breaking the inside-outside dynamic and bubble that team creates. Dr. Isaac Bogoch of the University of Toronto has publicly said that there should be no problem with professional sport leagues to begin congregating and practicing again as long as proper guidelines and protocols are met and approved by health officials and the community.

Professional sports league is unfortunately looking at major business risks with the decision to bring back the games when the fans are not allowed into the arenas yet. Tickets, merchandise, parking and food were a major part of the revenue. There are still no secure and safe way to have fans in arenas, even with social distancing in place, without risking the players health as well. However, fans are still excited and looking forward to being able to support some of their favourite teams through their television screen. That seemed to ring true when hockey season picked back up in July and August. Even though a summer season of hockey was not something anyone was expecting, it surely did not hold the fans back from tuning in. It gave fans something to look forward to and something to cheer for. That was a great way to keep the spirits bright during such hard times in the world, and it allowed the players to continue doing what they love as well.

As long as everyone’s health and safety continue to be a priority, there’s no reason why sports should be put on hold. Conditions may not improve for the world anytime soon, but we can all use something to make the days a little brighter and to bring family and friends together again, in small groups and safely.

https://www.nhl.com/

The Sound of Vancouver – How Music Helps with Stress

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Music is a universal language that impacts society in many different ways. Some believe it is the passion and way of life, some only listen to it on the car ride home and others use it to find peace and calm in a world of chaos. University students, businessmen and women, stay at home parents, etc. Anyone and everyone can find that music can only increase quality of life, and never decrease it. Despite the world’s current struggles and our inability to gather in large groups to celebrate and dance to great music, Spotify always has our back. With the endless number of playlists created by Spotify itself, and millions created by its users, you are always guaranteed to find something perfect for you and perfect for whatever mood you are in.

How music helps students

As the pandemic continues to loom over our lives, college and university students struggle with immense pressure and stress to manage their own times according to the online lectures, and the burden of teaching themselves content can be frustrating and demotivating. Some have to worry about jobs and stress about not being able to find a job during these times to be able to finance their education. This new reality for most of us can be overwhelming and sometimes feel like it’s not attainable. College and university students are also more prone and susceptible to anxiety, depression, and relationship problems which can affect their overall quality of life, their quality of work and motivation to do well in school. Music has been proven to be a healthy form of stress relief and many students have found it helps with concentration and motivation.

Many college students, including myself, find that listening to classical music is a great tool for concentration while studying and keeps you from being easily distracted. I also find that sometimes taking a five-minute break to play really loud music and dance and sing to yourself aggressively can release tension and help you feel more centered when returning to your work.

incorporate music into your day-to-day

Sometimes it’s the taking the extra time to do the little things during stressful days that really make a different in one’s life. Sometimes hospital patients will listen to music on headphones to reduce stress and anxiety before a surgery. It is also proven to help disabled and distressed children by bringing them a sense of security and coordination. Music therapy is also something that has increasingly improved the quality of life for cancer patients as it helps reduce emotional distress. It can also help during simple day-day activities like turning on music on your way to a big presentation can be a great distraction from your nerves. Listening to music while doing chores at home can make time and work go by faster.

Incorporating music into your day to day activities or taking a few minutes when you feel stressed to rock out to your favourite tunes can make the world of a different in your quality of life. There’s also nothing more satisfying than having the perfect playlist for all stressful or non-stressful times in your life. That’s when Spotify has you covered.  The Sound of Vancouver Indie is one of personal favourite playlists on Spotify as it brings together all the amazing artists from Vancouver, which vastly different sounds and messages to share. It’s a great playlist to have on in the background as I’m getting ready for my online zoom classes or cleaning my room and workstation to feel more productive and organized.

REcommendations

From artists like The Matinee, great for singing along in your room to the Zolas, great for a moody car ride to let your feelings out. This playlist introduced me to some of my favourite artists that I never would have guessed were from my own city. I have relaxed, cried, and rocked out in the shower to every song in this playlist. I highly recommend if you are looking for some Vancouver artists to support and to add to your playlist, to check out the The Sound of Vancouver Indie. There are many other playlists just like The Sound of Vancouver Indie with artists from all around Canada. Music is a great stress reliever but it’s also a great way to connect to where you are from and support your local artists. Even though, due to COVID-19 restrictions, life may be looking a little gloomier and lonelier, music can always bring friends together and bring a smile on anyones face.

https://thezolasmusic.com

2020 Terry Fox Run Still On

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The annual and traditional Terry Fox run is still scheduled to happen this year despite current restrictions and regulations, but with some changes. All the events will be held virtually and remotely with the chance to do the run and raise funds your own way, with friends and family. Donna White says, “We are asking everyone to register online cause the events are all virtual this year, so go to terryfox.org so you can register to participate in your own community. It allows you to set up your own fundraising page when u register which allows you to send a link to friends and family and ask them to support your fundraising efforts. So, everyone is online this year and virtual.”

The Terry Fox Foundation encourages anyone who wants to participate in raising funds for cancer research to sign up online with friends and family. It’s time to get creative and get outside for a good cause, by either walking, running, hiking or even dancing. Anything to support this great fundraising event would be appreciated. Go to terryfox.org to sign up and create your own fundraising experience!

Violence Has No Place In Our Community

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Surrey RCMP responded to a 911 call on Monday, September 14th at approximately 10pm for a reported shooting in Newton. Upon arrival, it was confirmed that a shooting had in fact occurred and found an unharmed male at the scene.

Corporal Joanie Sidhu reports, “The early indication was that the male victim had been pursued by two men at the time of the shooting and that the parties involved in the shooting are believed to be known to one another and are associated with the Lower Mainland gang conflict.”

Investigations are still under way for the conflict and no arrests have been made as of yet but the conflict has been linked to gang related activity in the Lower Mainland. However, the Surrey RCMP are diligent and determined in keeping the violence at bay and say that these kinds of conflicts are not to be tolerated in their community.

Naomi Osaka Shows Support for Black Lives Matter Movement

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Professional tennis player Naomi Osaka wore masks during the US Open with names of seven victims of racial injustice to show support for the black lives matter movement. She dedicates her seven matches with seven different masks with seven different names such as Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile and Ahmaud Arbery.

@naomiosaka

She states, “The point is to make people start talking, I’ve been inside of the bubble, so I don’t really know what’s going on outside in the world. What I can tell is what’s going on on social media and the more retweets something gets, the more people talk about it.” The victim’s families also show their appreciation for her attempt in keeping the movement alive in the media. Even though she has not been the only champion competitor to show support for the movement, even Formula One driver wore a T-shirt demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, these actions are highlighted on social media and get people to keep talking about it.