VAN CITY BUZZ: Interview with Amanda Tapping at Fan Expo Vancouver 2013
April 20, 2013
by Andres Markwart
Amanda Tapping, or the Grand Empress of Sci-fi as she is affectionately known by her legions of loyal fans, has been a mainstay of the Vancouver film industry for many years, having starred in such TV shows as Stargate SG-1, Atlantis and Universe as Captain/Major/Colonel Samantha Carter, along with executive producing and starring in Sanctuary as Dr. Helen Magnus. She currently stars as an angel, Naomi, on The CW’s Supernatural.
Behind the camera, Amanda has directed episodes of Stargate SG-1, Sanctuary, Arctic Air, Primeval: New World and upcoming episode 12 of Season Two of the locally set and produced Continuum.
I had the pleasure of chatting with the talented Canadian actress, producer and director about not only work on Stargate, Sanctuary and the Sci-fi genre as a whole, but also the Save BC Film campaign as well...
... Andres: How did you get involved with the Save BC Film campaign?
Amanda Tapping: "Well, I was asked if I would be interested in helping out with the PSAs, and of course I said yes. It was actually phenomenal. All on one day, all volunteer, and there were hundreds of people involved, and I think the equipment was given for free by William F White. People even brought their own cameras, and it was just an incredible initiative. The day was actually really exciting because there were people coming in and out, professionals from all manners of the film industry, volunteering their time."
Andres: Considering the political climate and global economic uncertainty, why is this cause such an important and passionate one for the industry in British Columbia right now?
Amanda Tapping: "The reason I think its important is just to get the message across that BC Film isn’t asking for free handouts. What we’re asking for is a competitive marketplace. What I think is currently happening with the government is that they’re saying it costs too much money. And the fact of the matter is that its not just the film industry that benefits but its all the ancillary revenue streams that are produced when film is shot here. I think its important because the information the general public is getting is that the film industry is whining and that we want more handouts, and that simply not the case.
So many shows have simply gone to cities like Toronto because they have better tax credits. What’s also important to note is that we are not asking the government to match the Ontario tax credits because I think that’s asking too much, but we are asking to at least stay competitive.
Having talked to people down in LA and studio heads, they’ve all said that even to meet half way makes Vancouver a more viable option. It’s in the same time zone, and we have fantastic seasoned crews up here, along with lots of talent and great locations. And they would continue to come to Vancouver if they felt that it was at least competitive.
But furthermore, our own indigenous product is important to promote here too. And most Canadian shows are now shot in Toronto. We have a few exceptions here, which is fantastic, but a lot of the “Canadian shows” are filming in Toronto because you can just put more money up on the screen. So I guess my involvement was primarily to support the initiative, but also to get the message across to the general public that we’re not just whining here and asking for handouts, but we’re just asking for a competitive marketplace so we can just stay viable. And considering it is a multimillion-dollar industry, it seems prudent to keep it here..."
Amanda Tapping will be in attendance at Fan Expo Vancouver, on Sunday April 21, 2013 only.
Fan Expo Vancouver is an all ages pop culture convention for fans of comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, and gaming. Launched in 2012, the expo hosted near 17,000 fans its inaugural weekend. Fan Expo Vancouver is the sister event of Fan Expo Canada (Toronto), the largest event of its kind in Canada with over 90,000 fans in attendance in 2012. Guests include: Stan Lee, Michael Rooker, Sean Astin, Nichelle Nichols, David Prowse and more.
Fan Expo Vancouver April 20 and 21, 2013 at Vancouver Convention Centre, in Vancouver, BC.
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