Three different film crews are scheduled to come to the Campbell River area this summer to take advantage of our fishing and beautiful landscapes.
Productions include a British fishing show, an Australian salmon documentary and a well-known North American action flick.
Robson Green, a well-known actor and celebrity in Britain, will bring his show Extreme Fishing with Robson Green to the River City in early August.
In Green’s latest series of around-the-world adventures, the avid fisherman will embark on an epic journey through the Americas, from Alaska to Brazil. The series, which airs in a prime time slot on a major network in the UK travels to Campbell River on July 31, with filming slated for August 3 and 4.
“They’re coming here to do a story on tyee fishing and they will be staying in Campbell River and going out to the tyee pool,” says Tanya Price, the manager of location and special programs with InFilm.
Coun. Roy Grant will row the cast and crew out to the tyee pool, an area just in front of the Tyee Club in Dick Murphy Park where electric boat motors are not allowed.
“That’s why it’s unique and that’s why they chose Campbell River,” Price says.
The Campbell River episode will not only feature Green fishing for tyees but will also include back stories that will feature the community and its history.
“For British television we get to play Campbell River,” says Joan Miller, regional film commissioner with InFilm. “Campbell River is going to be profiled to thousands and thousands of people when it airs. We couldn’t afford to buy that kind of advertising for our community. It’s going to be a huge economic boost.”
Also in August, a film crew from Australia will feature Campbell River in a wild salmon documentary, yet to be named.
“A production crew from Australia has already been here to do a pre-scout and they said they would come back to do some filming,” Price says.
Di Bain, who will be shooting the documentary, has filmed in locations all over the world and, while in Campbell River, he will look for ways to educate people about salmon and the human footprint.
Price says she is not sure of the crew’s agenda just yet but figures it may do some filming at AgriMarine’s new closed-containment chinook farm just north of the city.
A third production crew will be in the Campbell River area the last three weeks of July. Unlike the other two productions, this one will not be based in the city.
A second unit crew will film a scene for Paramount Pictures’ G.I. Joe 2 at the very head of Bute Inlet.
“A team will be filming stunts on the rock face of Bute Mountain for the final week,” Price says. “They’ll fly out there, getting a lot of different supplies from Campbell River. They’ve hired local operators to help out with flights, boats and accommodations.”
The crew plans to stay on-site at Homathko logging camp. Bute Inlet is a long, deep fjord located 50 kilometres north of Campbell River.