Hollywood North Act 2 - The Boom Resurgence Begins

Back in the 90's, I was working as an actor in minor roles on mostly American productions shot in Canada. I had bit parts on TV shows like Secret Service, Top Cops, Canadian TV movie The Steven Truscott Trial, "cult following" vampire cop series, Forever Knight ( twice, aired on CBS), and on...There were some major films shot here back then too, lots of them. Harvey Keitel was like a resident he was here so often.  Toronto was booming due to the combination of our low dollar and tax incentives and granting formulas that had American productions shoot here often. TommyBoy Scene

Later there became somewhat of an outcry from U.S.A. industry crews, that shows and movies depicting New York should be shot in N.Y. etc, and that by making productions in Canada, they were somehow un-American. And being un-American was uncool. That, politicized, mixed with some US states beginning to wise up with their own incentives started an an end to that era. Almost overnight it dried up to almost nothing. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise for me, as around that same time I'd acquired full custody of my kids, and 3:00 am shoot starts for Forever Knights and the like I simply could no longer manage. Many Toronto and Canadian actors and industry people had to find other vocations or pursue live performing. Like me.

In recent years however, more and more productions rely on in-studio special effects like green screen technology and thus state-of-the-art indoor studios and special effects editing became more and more in demand, for which, Toronto industry folks were early to jump on, opening up one of the biggest and best in all North America while surrounded by a core of skilled industry professionals at the ready for hire should the projects arise.. and arise they have.

Toronto's studios and production have slowly, almost quietly, climbed back into bed with the big boys, with more and more major productions again being shot here. With 1.1 million square feet of studio space available inside the city now it's no wonder. Pinewood Studios alone has 250,000 sq feet of studio space under one roof. And none too soon, as Canada's dollar goes low, all-time low-like, which has always served as a tipping point for productions shooting in Canada. Nothing pleases a Producer more than being able to save several hundreds of thousands of dollars, other than one going on to earn $millions for them.

In 2015, I was focused on producing low budget documentaries, entering one into and winning the Playr Festival awarded Best Documentary, but somehow I still felt unfulfilled, and realized I itched for more onscreen roles. When I had an accident that resulted in being unable to physically lift a camera for some time, I decided what better opportunity to revisit acting and on-screen roles, taking a part in an on-line production featuring Super Heroines to hone up on my skills and collect some $.

Before spending two weeks shooting there, I hadn't even known there was a production facility this (40 mins) north of Toronto, near Newmarket Ontario, Canada, let alone it had been used to shoot scenes for The Titanic, Night at the Museum and Catch Me If You Can.  The town of Newmarket itself, ironically, has served a number of times as 'downtown USA in movies like 2013 remake of Carrie and 2015's Regression, but those are the exceptions over the past decade.

Recognize from Night at The Museum? 

Smaller budget productions also have had a place in the sub-culture of the craft / industry, feeding the hungry acting minions whilst the industry has suffered, even alternative / fetish style, and with online abilities today, can be easily viewed to a broad audience. Although I look forward to my episodes 'airing", shot in winter and being released on-line in mid summer, but still, for those that dream, the big screen is the goal, and, to that end, the conditions here are just ripe now for an influx of mainstream productions to start popping up.

Canadians themselves need to open up their minds to how productions are financed as well, as US productions don't rely on government grants to finance their productions, but private and corporate investors. Risk takers. Something we Canadians are not as we are typically conservative investors and may never be as adept at "the making of" therefore, methinks...but boy..can we act!

Watch for Canada's "New" boom industry. 2016 will be a resurgence of TV and Film productions shot here...because $ talks.

TP out!

Cheers to the resurgence of Hollywood North!

Main St USA, Canada and Whatnot...

Dynamic Toronto

Regression - Movie Shoot on Main St Newmarket

Main St Newmarket becomes Main St USA

The town of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, doubled for a retro American town for a day as, Regression, a psychological thriller film Directed by Writer, Director & Composer, 29 year old Alejandro Amenabar (The Others, Tesis, Abre Los Ojos), starring Emma Watson and Ethan Hawke, wherein a police detective investigates activities of the paranormal and evil happening in a small rural U.S. town, was shot on location on their Main St. Insert scary music here.

Although the storyline had been kept under wraps, a style similar to Amenbar's previous work in the genre, like the snuff film based Tesis, is likely to emerge.

The film will be released by Dimension Films, owned by the Weinstein Company, in 2015.

The last time a movie production was in town with Main St. as it's set location, it was the remake of Carrie being shot, and, like then, locals turn into patronizing wannabes whenever the circus comes to town, just happy to be a part of it and willing to lend our streets out and restrict residents while the shoot goes on. The only thing missing was the red carpet, but hey, it's all part of the small town charm Newmarket maintains, at least on its Main St, as everything else seems to be under construction - but again - the magic of movies will edit that out for us thank goodness.

The movie shoot was fairly typical with Main St. being used for part of a chase scene. In a scene like this, continuity is very important so everything from the road being wet for a rainy scene, to the people walking down the street (extras) have to be the same and are shot from different angles so must be done numerous times. This shoot had several crane cams too which was very cool to see in action hovering high above the streets, which, while observing, I also noticed a dog in a window and wondered if it was part of the flick. Ha.

The crew and A.D.'s et al were actually quite accommodating I found, allowing me some pics and the like in between takes and posing for the odd one too. Last time out (Carrie production) I found them a bit condescending and pushy which always gets my back up a bit when I figure we're doing them a favour as locals, allowing them use of our beautiful Main St. (not an easy task for a local to do) and suspending our use of it for their movie -  which I won't likely ever see until it hits cable.

But that's the charm of Main St Newmarket - and a charm that's beginning to pay off as movie credits for Main pile up with increased business in the shops and restaurants or those just soaking up the well preserved older historical-like buildings, including one of the few remaining Main St, old town clocks which sets her apart as a town, and, I guess, for the movie locations scouts.

Rover restricted during movie shoot

I likely won't rush out to see this movie Regression or anything, as thrillers aren't my thing, but I do look forward to seeing the final shots of Main St  - especially with all the development hounds salivating over it of late including the clock tower - so we may lose attracting these movie shoots soon, as well as lose the charm.

Meantime, Newmarket has it's our own Talent Show in town tonight featuring Canada's Idol Star finder Farley Flex so who knows!? A star is born!?

Below a video I put together of some backstage stuff. See you in the movies!


Here's some more photos below and check out the TPE You Tube video of some behind the scenes scenes from Regression!

Mr. Newmarket checks in

Even extras are Stars in Newmarket!

Optical Delusion..Hey its a horror!

Actor Audition Opportunities..Never too old for the casting couch!

Actors have an interesting life to say the least. In my case I haven't really attacked being a full time or even a part time actor for tv and film for various reasons since I was in my 20's, but I never gave up the dream. As I gazed around the casting couch room full of competing 20 somethings, I wondered if it wasn't too late.

First, as a single dad it was next to impossible with the hours / times of day demanded and not steady enough to sustain you over the early years with kids, besides from my experience, having come home to a tits-up babysitter on my floor with a 3/4 empty bottle of rum on the table and a guilty looking roomer who you'd also had to rent a room out to to in order to survive skulking nearby, all night daycare was not an available option.

TP Original Producer / Co-creator / Performer while still in Film school

But I always kept a toe in "The Biz", and that is exactly what I told the likely Director and Casting Director the other day before exiting the audition room. I also thanked them for the opportunity and left( kissed ass with eye contact) thinking I'd almost aced it. There were a few things I could have done better, like my air guitar performance and my directed "mock anger to the cameraman look", but I'll come back to that.

I always keep my eyes to the ground for opportunities for anyone who comes across the TPE front, but on occasion something will spark that competitive spirit in me and personal desire to act / perform. I just didn't it expect to come in the form of a national campaign with me as one of three stooges-like characters dressed as giant condoms and projecting a message about " consent".

Time to explain. here's an excerpt from the casting search: 

Scenario 1

Superhero - The camera is close up on you. you’re a superhero that just saved the world from rickets, or something. look like it.

2) Hot dogs - look down in front of you. there is a hot dog assembly line, hundreds, thousands of wieners are going by …. after a while they start to look …… less than appetizing.

3) Tightrope - you’re standing facing stage right. you have to walk five feet, mimicking walking across a tightrope over a deep canyon.  

4) TV - you’re facing us, pretending to watch TV. we’ll toss you a tv convertor for a prop. we’ll provide the sound effex, every few seconds the channel on the TV changes, and we’re looking at you react to what you see on the screen. no one, of course, knows what’s on the screen. this is what you’ll hear.

5) Finally …. you gotta dance. ..60's style - you have about fifteen seconds.

Tom Pearson

We’ll play the music...

You Get the picture?...Sigh....Let's face it..if Actors are willing to resort to lowering themselves to such standards just to be a part of a national campaign as a giant condom then they, er we, are nothing more than common publicity whores, so I've changed my mind, I'm not interested in the role anymore........I wonder if they'll call? I hope so, Ah, er, I mean, I'm glad they haven't.

Hey! With the invent of products like VIAGARA, the casting couch is always in play as well, so never give up your dreams! Ha. See you in the movies!

TP Out!

Extreme Potty Humour

Recently I wrote a blog that was penned as a promotion for a stand-up comedy show, done through a blog featuring a posting of a stand up routine. It was laiden with adult humor, some of it outrageous, and was a re-creation of a stand up routine - not anyone's real life. The content was meant to be humourous, crude humour at times yes, but humour nevertheless. Okay, Okay, maybe the viagara stuff was way off the scale, but that's what exaggerations do, they break them.

Humour is subjective..just ask Alfredo!

Comedy through stand-up is an exaggeration of things we hear about from people around us, our environment, and from ourselves, in snippets, and then blown up to outrageous proportions. It's not meant to be taken literally nor personally. This particular routine was more down the road of George Carlin to give you an idea as opposed to....who? They all seem to use some crude humour come to think of it now a days.

I always thought of Tim Allen from Tool Time  as clean cut, and would certainly relate him to family shows and kids, but man his stand-up show is all out adult crude and rude! I couldn't believe listening to his routine the other day when I caught him on t.v., as no subject seemed taboo. When he started getting into the jokes about how he farts more now that he's older but hides it better, I tuned out...but for someone else they may have found that funny! Not me and to each their own, but I certainly wouldn't hold it against him or perhaps boycott Tool Time or anything for using adult humour in a made up stand up routine aimed at an audience of adults. Tool man Tim would still be welcome at any trades shows featuring tools I'm sure loaded with familys and kids getting pics with him because people are able to separate " Standup Tim" from "Tool Time Tim" and don't relate the two. I guess that's kind of what I expected through posting a standup routine - that mature people could separate the two.



This being said I can see now how access to the blog I had posted could have resulted in youths accidentally coming across it at some point - and although I had placed a large warning in red warning that content may have been offensive to some, and mentioned 18+, youths may still have been able to accidentally stumble across it or the link to it if they "searched" for TPE blogs at any time in the future so I decided to move it.

Standup humour in an Elvis Impression can be funny

Maybe catch a live Yuk Yuk's show!

Meantime here's some safe, "Clean" Potty Humour for you! 

If you don't like Potty Humour then I suggest you don't read below!

                  Stand-up Ala Tim Allen from Tool Time style...

"The Dance"

Soon after I'd moved into a new neighbourhood I'd gone for a long walk with the kids to discover the local shops about an hours walk away, and 3/4's the way there I suddenly realized I was wearing white pants, after I'd suddenly realized the little fart I'd just had..wasn't a fart at all! And I also realized at that point, talk about stating the obvious, that I needed a bathroom..badly...and I still had like..blocks to go! I crossed the street as fast as I could, taking all my concentration to look cool...kids oblivious to my dilemma and demanding the usual things at the usual rapid fire pace as you stroll at break-neck speed son's little feet barely touching the ground, and it takes all you have to simply concentrate on gripping his hand and pushing the stroller with the other while keeping your bowels contained until you get there. You've managed to find a style that allows you to keep your butt cheeks clenched. Kinda like a penguin running toward water, a polar bear on his tail.

Finally you reach the closest (donut) shop shoving a looney in your kid's hand to keep them amused on a video game for a "minute" as you dash to the bathroom ...Frick!..the door's locked!

At this point you start doing "The Dance". Come on you all know what I'm talking about.  You've all done it I'm sure. You start bouncing from one foot to the other as if somehow doing that will stop the...flow.. from coming exploding out of you......Hey, maybe it does work? Maybe it spills over from your bladder and back and forth into each leg as long as you keep moving you keep catching the internal overflow. Who knows why we do it but we do. You look like you're doing a sit down version right now maam? Do you have to go to the bathroom? No? You sure? because if you do it's okay. I know what it's like. Or use it as an excuse to leave the show. Shit I would! Someone embarrassing me like that. No pun intended.Anyway where was I? Sorry ma'am, I was just kidding. I know women are notorious for holding it. Anyway, yea, so suddenly You hear a flush! Finally the end is in sight!..but "The Dance" has gotten more and more intense as your intervals of changing foot leanings is now down to milliseconds on each you await the door opening your inners ready to burst now..then you hear tap water running..Shoot! You had to get stuck behind someone clean!.. 

Never mind your frickin hands your mom was a liar! " 

The Dance" has taken on another dimension now and then you just can't stop it anymore! First it's just a slight release..a splatter..but you're pretty sure you can hold it to that, and then there's another as you're still doing the dance try to control it, and finally the door opens! For that brief moment you're able to stop the dance as he passes by and you manage to look completely at ease, then the millisecond he passes you zip in ripping at your pants button as you close the door and lock it.. but excrement is now just exploding out of you everywhere!

And I mean everywhere and it just kept coming like a frickin' machine gun out of control!

Potty Humour : The driver first thought impaired, had the dance.

Yea, and you've already mentally resolved now that the day's over, you're just hoping to get out unnoticed at this point! But...shit, sorry, couldn't help myself, Shit! not only do you have to clean it off yourself, but off the floor, the walls, the ceiling? Ceiling? How the...? ..and oh yea, the "white" pants....or you could get out as fast as you can and leave it with some poor attendant...gulp..Hey I did my best...Seriously!

Somehow I got my son's attention and managed to get him to phone a cab from the payphone clear across the room from me as I cleaned up as best I could...crap in every conceivable crevice that my lower body seemed to muster..folds I never knew existed emerged. It was disgusting..I'd a kicked me out for Christ sakes..even the mirror had some dots of proof...or poo-f.

I stayed with my back to the wall all the while we waited. The great single dad outing experience over before it began and the novelty of having allowed the kids sweets at the donut shop wearing off as they realized the promised exciting outing was coming to an end. You try explaining about having an accident and they become louder,

" You had an accident? You mean you pooed yourself!" 

" Sshhh....I'll explain later.Want another pop?"

Finally the cab comes! And if you can believe it likely the only day I can recall ever getting picked up by a beautiful cab driver, in my life I mean, usually I got someone who I'd be happy if they just spoke english, but this was like a godsend! And so here I am trying to be be personable, and charming as I sit not quite all the way down on my seat so my pants don't stick to my skin, the smell starting to become apparent I'm sure as I laughed and pointed at my kids and shrugged at her. No I didn't, but it was definitely not my most swaggering moment I can tell you.

After I got out I flashed a smile and goodbye but forgot to walk backwards giving her a full view I would imagine..future chances likely all gone in one shitty moment...all in all it was just one really shitty day!

 Have a Good One!

PS: Did it all happen exacly like this? Of course not, it's an exaggeration, but if I told you my driver's name was Raj and was personable speaking perfect english etc would it have been as 'effective? I doubt it.

TP