TV series Shogun wraps filming in Ucluelet
Just a month after serving as a setting for the Netflix thriller Lou, the west coast community of Ucluelet, B.C., is in front of the lens again, this time standing in for Japan for the miniseries Shogun.
”They searched the world to do this show,” says producer Erin Smith. “It had several starts and stops at several places and the timing was right for us and they brought it here.”
Portions of the 10-episode series, which will air on the FX Network, were shot near the Tofino airport as well as Wya Point over two days last week. The filming was done at the start of the production’s schedule.
“We wanted to open the show with the beautiful scenery of the Wya Point Beach in Ucluelet,” Smith says. “It’s a very beautiful place. We have a lot of cast and crew from Japan that were quite fascinated and blown away by the resemblance of that spot to Japan.”
The miniseries is based on a novel by James Clavell, which was published in 1975 and sold more than 30 million copies. It was then made into a miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain, which ran on NBC in 1980.
Smith says 10-15 cast members and 10 crew members are from Japan and are part of the 340 members that were in town for the filming. Smith says the cast numbers were scaled back due to the challenges of filming during the pandemic.
“You have to bring double the amount of trucks and trailers,” Smith says. “Capacity is 50 per cent in all the hair and makeup trailers. Every single actor and background performer has to be in a special wig, of the hairstyle of the time. Just the mass amount of people that it takes to get that ready in the morning and undone at the end of the day.”
She says accommodations were booked months ago and crewmembers filled hotels in Ucluelet and Tofino but also as far away as Port Alberni and Parksville because of how busy the area is with other visitors. She says the September dates were chosen because they were more flexible for hotels.
Economic Windfall
Ucluelet Mayor Mayco Noel says he appreciates the timing of the production and sees it as a windfall for accommodation providers.
“I’m glad to see this one’s come on more of the shoulder season,” he says. “The last one [Lou] that came to town was right in the middle of August. It seemed like the town was very respectful and kudos to that production company, both of them actually, they really try to make it easy for everyone.”
While there were no requirements for locals to be extras in the production, Smith says there were local crew employed for security, transportation and production support.
One of those who missed the opportunity to work on the production but did get hired on to Lou is Christie Ball, who works in first-aid and craft services.
“We’re starting to see more and more productions come out to the area,” Ball says. “I think the word is out that the locations are outstanding obviously. I think the area has the accommodation and food service capacity as well for the large film crews.”
North Island Film commissioner Joan Miller says Shogun and Lou both boosted local employment.
“Ucluelet has been a bit of a hotspot for us this summer,” Miller says. “They were using local production but they were also hiring our trained people so we have really expanded our local crew database.”
While the production went smoothly, Smith says there were some complications in getting all of the film vehicles to the area.
“It was a big challenge getting all these trucks here,” she says. “There was a lot of road closures we had to battle with, the timing of it all, the ferries, the ferry reservations, there was a lot of logistics involved.”
Smith says the production has moved into the sound stages and backlots of Vancouver where the rest of the filming will occur, but crews may return to the west coast of the island towards the end of the production schedule.
The productions are expected to take to television screens in late 2022 or early 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.