Fresh on the heels of Bachelor Canada's première on Citytv, Victoria is about to be featured in another reality show.
While the B word is front and centre, you won't find a bachelorette in sight, nor are the producers looking for any.
And despite its title, The Hard Way, this time it's business owners, not a hunky Canuck bachelor, stepping into the limelight.
Producer Karen Davies of Cedarwood Productions is looking for a few good men and women with guts and drive who own struggling businesses and are open to guidance from experts on a mission: To help turn your business around.
"There are no easy solutions in business," says Davies, whose company, which she operates with husband Dai Davies, won business of the year in the one-to-10 employees category at the Greater Victoria Business Awards in 2010.
"Business owners aren't going to just waltz in and have someone wave a magic wand and solve their problems. There's going to be some deep soul-searching, and they'll have to have the courage to go some places they might not want to go."
It was co-producer Chris Gillen of Dial-a-Geek who brought Davies the idea for Hard Way Productions Inc. The show is being made in association with CHEK Media Group, which is increasingly partnering on high-calibre productions with national appeal.
The Hard Way, to be hosted by CHEK's Dana Hutchings, is scheduled to debut next fall on CHEK and nationally on the Telus Optik network. Telus is the show's main sponsor, and Telus Innovation Team members will be among the marketing, financial and high-tech experts offering assistance to business owners whose progress will be charted over several months.
While shows such as Dragons' Den offer cash incentives, the objective in The Hard Way is "to pull them out of the hole with mentorship, support and tough advice," while also offering viewers solutions they can apply to problems in their own lives.
"It could be having to fire your brother-in-law because he's not pulling his weight, or 'Why are you renting in this prime location when you really don't need it?' " said Davies, who has learned appearances can be deceiving in business.
"Some of these struggling owners might look like swans but they're paddling furiously underwater."
The producers need 12 more business owners willing to bare their souls on camera, and reap potential rewards.
One thing they promise up front is discretion. Identities of participants is to be withheld until the series is rolled out.
"I don't want these businesses to be vulnerable," Davies said. "I don't want people to not shop there because they think they're struggling."
If you're interested contact [email protected].
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ROLLING: With the production of John Stockwell's Kid Cannabis and Force Four Entertainment's Bachelor Canada in their rearview mirrors, crews are gearing up for more local shoots. The movie magic begins later this month when Jason Bourque starts shooting Stonadoes, his epic disaster flick for SyFy starring Paul Johansson.
It will mark the One Tree Hill and Lonesome Dove star's third on-camera gig here, following his toles in Corey Large's feature debut Window Theory and Kid Cannabis.
Large's Wingman Productions team is also prepping for next month's production of the crime thriller Poker House, with shooting of The Girl Who Invented Kissing tentatively slated to begin shortly thereafter.
"It has been a fabulous summer and it's looking like a fabulous fall," said film commissioner Kathleen Gilbert, whose staff at the Vancouver Island South Film and Media Commission are taking measures to strengthen the local crew base.
The commission hosted a workshop last Friday that attracted potential crew members aged 17 to 50.
The objective of what she termed Production Assistant 101 was to provide information on what it takes to become a PA, an entry-level position. Duties can include keeping the set clean, interacting with the public, directing traffic, echoing instructions such as "roll" and "cut" and "locking up" a set to ensure nothing interferes with a take.
Production assistants are generally "the first to arrive on set and the last to leave," and can work 12-to 16-hour days.
The purpose, Gilbert said, was to identify "new blood," with potential candidates given an eye-opening account of what to expect.
With more than 20 years' experience as a location manager and scout, Gilbert has her own definition of what makes a good PA.
"You have to be able to work long, hard hours standing on your feet, and smile while you're sweeping up cigarette butts."
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THAT'S A WRAP: It's unusual for a producer to invite the public to his wrap party but Mike Hanus wouldn't have it any other way. The co-writer, director and star of Jackhammer and his co-producers Sil-vana Azurdia, who is his wife, and McKinley Hlady, are offering the community a sneak preview of their zany, buzz-generating comedy set in the high-stakes world of male stripping. The official wrap party for the homegrown flick featuring cameos by Pamela Anderson, Jamie Kennedy, Rob Wells, Nicole Sullivan and more is being hosted Oct. 20 at 5 p.m. by Svelte Lounge on the night of the Langford nightclub's pre-grand opening.
Svelte is being transformed into a lush gentlemen's club and Hanus assures us there will be some wild visual surprises, a Jackhammer beverage special, protein shots courtesy of Popeye's and more.
"The community's been such a huge help so I thought we should all celebrate together," said Hanus, noting Svelte was featured on camera as a nightclub "where the characters take part in a once-a-year-strip event, the six-man bubble bath."
Seats, $10, are limited and can be obtained by visiting the Jack-hammermovie Facebook page.
