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Spotlight shines on Victoria in two-minute ‘sizzle reel’

After masquerading for decades as northern California, Massachusetts, England, New York, Los Angeles and other global locations, the capital region is ready for its own close-up.
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The Fox television series Gracepoint was shot in Oak Bay in 2014. It's one of many projects included in a short film showcasing what the Island has to offer filmmakers.

After masquerading for decades as northern California, Massachusetts, England, New York, Los Angeles and other global locations, the capital region is ready for its own close-up.

Victoria gets star billing in an untitled mini-movie currently being rolled out worldwide, with an all-star supporting cast including Jack Nicholson, Halle Berry, Mel Gibson, Hugh Jackman and Andie MacDowell.

The two-minute short, or “sizzle reel,” slickly showcases what Vancouver Island has to offer, from favourable tax incentives and film-friendly local businesses to a striking variety of locations.

>> HERE IS THE VIDEO.

“Victoria’s like a set ready to use,” says a testimonial from Hollywood mogul John Goldwyn, recalling his experiences as executive producer on the Fox series Gracepoint, shot here two years ago.

“It’s like finding a corner of the world that no one has been to before,” says Rino Pace, locations manager for X-Men and Godzilla, two of the more high-profile blockbusters that have filmed here.

Narrated by Sam Williamson, whose Hollywood voiceover recalls the style of the late movie trailer king Don La Fontaine, the reel is intercut with aerial and ground shots of recognizable locations. Highlights include Fisgard Lighthouse, Craigdarroch Castle, Hatley Castle, Chinatown and the digitally enhanced cliffs near Island View Beach featured in Gracepoint.

The short features footage of Little Women (1994), lensed at Craigdarroch Castle and on Humboldt Street, which was strewn with dirt and horse-drawn carriages to replicate 19th-century New York; Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman in X-Men 2 at Hatley Castle; and a motorcycle-riding Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn speeding through Chinatown for Bird on a Wire (1990).

It even goes back to 1970, reminding producers that Jack Nicholson filmed sequences for Five Easy Pieces here.

“We wanted to show that, yes, the Island is a well-kept secret, but it also has a long history of production,” said Brian Globus, the Vancouver Island South Film and Media Commission’s office and locations co-ordinator.

The project got off the ground with funding from Oak Bay Tourism; support from Dallas Gislason, the former economic development officer with the Greater Victoria Development Agency who helped the commission access federal funding; and Laura Benson, the commission’s former board president, who was involved in business development and marketing with Aldridge Street Print and Media, the reel’s producers.

Globus said the Victoria-based publishing and production company, which takes a documentary-style approach to storytelling, was a good fit.

“For us, this is an important part of our ongoing efforts to sing the Island’s praises as a production centre,” he said.

Owner-operator Darin L. Steinkey, the broadcaster and videographer, said the secret to creating a captivating reel of this type is to keep it simple and trust the footage to tell the story.

He said one of the challenges was narrowing down the abundant footage, including 100 clips from local productions alone.

“There are so many quality productions that did some really great shooting here,” he said.

“It’s a good problem to have, though, as we were able to pull out the best of the best for the final cut.”

mreid@timescolonist.com