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Smithers a perfect spot for filmmakers

When it was determined that the movie The Grey would be shot in Vancouver, Smithers was the first choice for its “on location” Alaskan scenes.
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An airplane

When it was determined that the movie The Grey would be shot in Vancouver, Smithers was the first choice for its “on location” Alaskan scenes.

“Smithers was the first choice because of the way the mountain was positioned, the 360º views, as well as the assurance we would have the weather,” producer Jules Daly said.

It may have been tricky, Daly said, filming in such cold conditions, but in the end, “the weather couldn’t have been more perfect.”

The Grey is a movie about a group of oil-rig roughnecks who are thrust into the remote Alaskan wildness following their plane experiencing a mechanical failure. Starring Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, James Badge Dale, Joe Anderson, Dallas Roberts and many more, it’s a production sure to wow action-movie lovers as the survivors battle injuries, the biting cold and ravenous hunger, not to mention the pack of rogue wolves following their every move as they search for rescue.

Crews for The Grey had been on-site, working with Hudson Bay Mountain and with the Smithers Regional Airport, for quite some time, and shooting the on-location sites was wrapping up last week with the final scene, the beginning of the movie, as the oil-rig workers depart for their remote camp via a small jet.

“The local guys were unusually good, I have to say, for being newcomers to what we do,” Daly said.

Approximately 140 cast and crew members flooded into the small northern B.C. town for the shoot, some as soon as mid-summer to begin preparing for what was to come.

While they were only using the mountain and the airport for their shots, it has been amazing how well they’ve been taken care of around town in other ways, said Daly, noting the restaurants and the accommodations.

“It’s been great, everyone’s been very kind, everyone’s been really supportive of us and welcomed us here,” Daly said. “I’d definitely come back. I’ll recommend it to anyone who wants to come here.”

The film, set to be released in 2012, could even be released as soon as the end of this year, Daly said. It’s still too soon to say whether or not they’ll be hosting the world premiere of the movie in Smithers, Daly said. That would depend on a number of things, such as where the film is finished and their what their partners in distribution have to say, but there is the possibility of running a screening in Smithers, she said.

A fair number of Smithers residents turned out for the movie as well, playing some of the extra characters needed to round out the show.

It’s been a great boom to the Bulkley Valley, Tourism Smithers Coordinator Gladys Atrill said. Not only is it the hotel rooms, the meals out, equipment rentals, but there’s the locals hired by the production, who then recirculate that money again, she said.

Its definitely big business when these movies come to town, although so far there have been no final figures on how much The Grey has meant, economically, to Smithers.

“It’s definitely had an impact,” Atrill said.

It’s the reason why they respond to all the scout requests that come in, not just for movies, but for commercials as well.

As to how many location requests there were, she is unable to pin down an exact number due to confidentiality, but there have been many scouts that she has dealt with for location shooting.

Benefits to the community are two-fold, she said. One is creating excitement within the community, creating that little bit of a buzz and interest around town. The other is the dollars it circulates, keeping people employed and sharing the wealth.

“It’s worth working for, that’s for sure,” Atrill said.