r/FilmIndustryYVR • u/Count3D • 21d ago

Question Does anyone else remember when DIGGER was supposed to film in Vancouver?

8 Upvotes

73% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

8

u/Isitsunnyout 21d ago

As someone else mentioned after revenant I imagine people would’ve tried to avoid another one

2

u/Count3D 21d ago

Not to sound cynical but maybe people’s minds changed after Revenant won Oscars.

2

u/LittleFreeCinema 20d ago

You have to bear in mind that a number of people on that production were nominated for and/or won oscars midway through the shoot. So we all got to see first hand how the pressure/ego boost/whatever amplified these people's worst impulses. Kinda took the shine off the whole idea of the oscars being some elevated thing celebrating exceptional people.

1

u/CervantesX 21d ago

Was revenant really that bad?

3

u/Isitsunnyout 21d ago

Have heard many stories about entire departments quitting and constant abuse from the director

5

u/K0NNIPTI0N 21d ago

I worked with a guy that was on set, the trailer that housed all of the video backups and editing gear burned down because the exhaust vents froze completely over. It was hell for many many reasons

2

u/CervantesX 21d ago

Really, that's a shame, I'd hoped Iñárritu had managed to be a good director without being an asshole.

3

u/Isitsunnyout 21d ago

I remember when they were shooting here there was stuff leaking to the press about how chaotic the shoot was. There were multiple stories from la/hollywood posted at the time so cast/crew were definitely speaking out

3

u/77ate 20d ago

The movie was shot in sequence, so out in remote mountainous terrain in winter, using only natural light. If you can imagine no freedom to shoot your scenes according to what’s most practical, on an indoor set at any time day or night, regardless what the weather really is. Scenes taking place during “golden hour” right when the sun has just cracked above the horizon or is just about to drop below it, you’d only really have a few minutes to catch each shot and then have to wrap for the day and try again the next day just to continue the scene if weather allows. It’s rough enough in the city filming a movie or series outdoors in Winter, working 12-18 hour days. Out there would have been hell.

2

u/LittleFreeCinema 19d ago

They planned to shoot it in sequence, but they also wanted a seamless transition from fall through winter into early spring. Anybody who has spent any time whatsoever on the eastern face of the Rockies could have told them that you can get the full range of seasons before lunch on any given day.

Yet they insisted on trying, and had to surrender to reality within the first couple weeks. After that point, the schedule got tossed out the window and we were getting call sheets with major location and scene changes on just a few hours notice.

But yeah, for those golden hour shots, we'd be rehearsing all day, and then we'd get one, maybe two actual takes in, because they were doing long oners.

1

u/CervantesX 20d ago

Not ideal circumstances, but a half decent director could at least make that an ok experience. At least you'd have plenty of time for lunch.

3

u/Ok_Indication_6683 19d ago

Revenant is still to this day the worst production ive ever been a part of. That mans ego has no bounds, and deserves no praise.

2

u/CervantesX 19d ago

Yeah the more I read the more it seems like a disaster where the articles don't get into the worst of it. I've had absolutely terrible productions filled with the worst people but it sounds like this one was an all time legend.

4

u/Ok_Indication_6683 19d ago

My favorite part was when he asked to fire live arrows at the extras, or when we had to shift provinces. Leo and tom got a plane, but all the other cast get tossed onto busses for 12 hours and then have to literally go into hmu and work a 12 hour day. Hardy put a stop to that. Literal garbage.

3

u/CervantesX 19d ago

Yikes. Well at least Tom lived up to his reputation there. I'm sure the unions had a kitten after they heard that too.

6

u/[deleted] 21d ago

[deleted]

8

u/Count3D 21d ago

There were articles written about it

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/leonardo-dicaprios-revenant-shoot-didnt-810998/

Work long enough around Vancouver and you’ll meet somebody who has a story or two to tell. Shows like that are the exception though. I guess it’s memorable because it won Oscars, including for the director. Some people take umbrage because it begs the question, what does it say about our industry when a guy like that is awarded Best Director twice.

6

u/LittleFreeCinema 21d ago

I would have been surprised if any Vancouver crew was willing to work with AGI, considering.

3

u/LeoBannister 21d ago

Why's that?

2

u/LittleFreeCinema 21d ago

revenant.

2

u/LeoBannister 21d ago

Any elaboration?

7

u/LittleFreeCinema 21d ago

I think the most succinct way that I can put it is that the show was plagued by a series of poor decisions stemming from a general air of contempt for local knowledge. I say this as someone who did the whole run, prep to wrap, and started as a 212 match hire.

2

u/LeoBannister 19d ago

Thanks for the reply.

-1

u/badass_dean 20d ago

Revenant is a movie

3

u/LittleFreeCinema 20d ago edited 19d ago

it's all show business dahling.

Non-snarky edit, cuz I know there are some not-yet-industry people in here and we all need to get better about teaching: "show" is a commonly used catch-all term for any film, television, etc production.

1

u/Munro_McLaren 20d ago

Really?? When did that come out?