ROBERT SONDERGAARD, a Kam High graduate who grew up in Kamloops, is the production designer for the 100th Grey Cup.
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"Grooving with the Grey Cup"
from the Kamloops Daily News, Sat. Nov. 24, 2012 "There will be pyrotechnics and flames and lasers and all sorts of stuff." Robert Sondergaard |
By Jason Hewlett
Daily News Staff Reporter
When the Toronto Argonauts and Calgary Stampeders take a break during the 100th Grey Cup, the halftime show watched by millions will have a Kamloops
touch. That's because the show's production designer, Robert Sondergaard, first practiced the art of lighting with school plays while a student at Kam High, now South Kamloops Secondary. He was putting the finishing touches on the much anticipated halftime show on Friday, which includes lighting and other special effects that will accentuate performances by an array of Canadian music icons. "There will be pyrotechnics and flames and lasers and all sorts of stuff," Sondergaard said. "I think we've created what will be a very exciting show." Sondergaard doesn't want to say too much, lest he spoil the surprise for viewers who tune into the Sunday game, which begins at 3 p.m. on TSN. But he would say pop stars Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen, rock band Marianas Trench and balladeer Gordon Lightfoot will be on stage for about 17 minutes in total, with each allotted three to four minutes to perform. He'd been in Toronto for nine days when The Daily News reached him by cellphone. He said a lot of the work at the Rogers Centre has to be done at night when the stadium isn't in use or around the teams' schedules. Fortunately, Sondergaard has a crack group of 20 technicians and as many as 200 volunteers to help him put everything together. That includes video and lighting technicians and people with strong backs to lift props on wires. "We want to acknowledge the past and history of the CFL," he said of the show, adding there will be images and video from the game's 100-year history. "Also, we want to acknowledge the youthful side and bring in new fans." Sunday's show has been two years in the making. Sondergaard, who owns Electric Aura Projects in Vancouver, was recruited by Patrick Roberge Productions to design the performance. Sondergaard graduated from Kam High in 1989 knowing he wanted a career in theatre. He furthered his studies at The Banff Centre before moving to Vancouver, where he's worked in stage, film, TV and created designs for the Pacific National Exhibition.
Daily News Staff Reporter
When the Toronto Argonauts and Calgary Stampeders take a break during the 100th Grey Cup, the halftime show watched by millions will have a Kamloops
touch. That's because the show's production designer, Robert Sondergaard, first practiced the art of lighting with school plays while a student at Kam High, now South Kamloops Secondary. He was putting the finishing touches on the much anticipated halftime show on Friday, which includes lighting and other special effects that will accentuate performances by an array of Canadian music icons. "There will be pyrotechnics and flames and lasers and all sorts of stuff," Sondergaard said. "I think we've created what will be a very exciting show." Sondergaard doesn't want to say too much, lest he spoil the surprise for viewers who tune into the Sunday game, which begins at 3 p.m. on TSN. But he would say pop stars Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen, rock band Marianas Trench and balladeer Gordon Lightfoot will be on stage for about 17 minutes in total, with each allotted three to four minutes to perform. He'd been in Toronto for nine days when The Daily News reached him by cellphone. He said a lot of the work at the Rogers Centre has to be done at night when the stadium isn't in use or around the teams' schedules. Fortunately, Sondergaard has a crack group of 20 technicians and as many as 200 volunteers to help him put everything together. That includes video and lighting technicians and people with strong backs to lift props on wires. "We want to acknowledge the past and history of the CFL," he said of the show, adding there will be images and video from the game's 100-year history. "Also, we want to acknowledge the youthful side and bring in new fans." Sunday's show has been two years in the making. Sondergaard, who owns Electric Aura Projects in Vancouver, was recruited by Patrick Roberge Productions to design the performance. Sondergaard graduated from Kam High in 1989 knowing he wanted a career in theatre. He furthered his studies at The Banff Centre before moving to Vancouver, where he's worked in stage, film, TV and created designs for the Pacific National Exhibition.
MICHAEL SHANKS as Dr. Charlie Harris on CTV's SAVING HOPE
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"From Small-town Boy to TV Star:
Lightning Strikes Twice for Michael Shanks" from the Kamloops Daily News, July 13, 2012 |
July 13, 2012
By Jason Hewlett
Daily News Staff Reporter
Most actors consider themselves lucky to have a starring role in one hit TV series, which is why Michael Shanks thinks himself blessed to have lightning strike twice. Best known for his role as Daniel Jackson on the long-running sci-fi series Stargate SG-1, Shanks has found another hit as a doctor trapped between the world of the living and the realm of the dead on CTV's Saving Hope. Raised in Kamloops and a graduate of Kam High, he never intended to make his mark as an actor in genre TV. But Shank's is thankful for the success that has come his way. "You set out to work and make a living doing what you love doing and I've been very fortunate to have a lot of success in that area," he told The Daily News. Saving Hope is just six episodes into its 13-episode run and it's already the fifth most popular show in Canada, drawing 1.6-million viewers a week. Although more of a character piece than Stargate, Saving Hope is still fantasy based as Shanks's character, Dr. Charlie Harris, is a car accident survivor trapped in a coma. He spends the episodes wandering the halls of a Hope Zion Hospital helping other souls trapped in the same purgatory. Meanwhile, his fiancée, Dr. Alex, played by Erica Durance, is attempting to revive him. The series is shot in Toronto. Shanks admits that, upon first hearing the premise, Saving Hope sounds a little out there. But he said it puts a new and interesting spin on the medical procedural. And, at its core, it's about the relationship between Charlie and Alex. "It's a way to bring another layer to the hospital procedural. You have life and death situations and you sort of have after-life situations. Charlie walks this line of the in-between world interacting with people who are in comas or who have passed on," he said. "Charlie is kind of a psychologist to the dead, if you will." In a recent episode titled The Great Randall, a hypnotist is called to the hospital to aid a severely injured man with no memory of his identity. In the process, he is able to put Charlie and Alex in contact with each other. Every actor desires to work on a drama and Shanks is enjoying the work, saying it's a nice change from the physicality that came with Stargate. But he still looks back at that series with fondness. "Science fiction is a great thing to do when you're doing a show for 10 seasons. It's always different. It leaves stuff up to the imagination. There's action and costumes," said Shanks. "You can have a lot of fun doing it." The Lower Mainland's film industry was just beginning to take off when Shanks, who took acting classes at Cariboo College (now Thompson Rivers University) under instructor Dave Edwards, set out to make a career for himself. He had roles in shows like Highlander and The Commish before landing Stargate. That show wrapped up in 2007 after a decade on the air, but Shanks did star in the direct-to-DVD movies Stargate: Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum. He also appeared on the series Andromeda, where he met his wife, actress Lexa Doig, and a three-episode arc of the wildly successful Fox show 24.
With his family now moved to Maple Ridge, Shanks doesn't get to return to his hometown very often. He was last here in 2008 to film the TV movie Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon. But the city will always have a soft spot in his heart. He still keeps in touch with his hockey buddy, Mayor Peter Milobar, and owes his former high school teacher, Rhonda Diaper, a class visit. "The town has grown up. There were 20,000 more people than when I was growing up. Businesses are booming and the town is looking fantastic," he said. There's no word yet on whether Saving Hope will be back for a second season, but the cast and crew are hopeful, he said. No matter what happens, Shanks will keep doing the job he loves. "There's half of the one per cent of the population of actors who work and then there's the one per cent of those people who have the ability to pick and choose their projects," he said. "In the meantime, the rest of us are just working." Saving Hope is televised Thursday's at 9 p.m. on CTV.
By Jason Hewlett
Daily News Staff Reporter
Most actors consider themselves lucky to have a starring role in one hit TV series, which is why Michael Shanks thinks himself blessed to have lightning strike twice. Best known for his role as Daniel Jackson on the long-running sci-fi series Stargate SG-1, Shanks has found another hit as a doctor trapped between the world of the living and the realm of the dead on CTV's Saving Hope. Raised in Kamloops and a graduate of Kam High, he never intended to make his mark as an actor in genre TV. But Shank's is thankful for the success that has come his way. "You set out to work and make a living doing what you love doing and I've been very fortunate to have a lot of success in that area," he told The Daily News. Saving Hope is just six episodes into its 13-episode run and it's already the fifth most popular show in Canada, drawing 1.6-million viewers a week. Although more of a character piece than Stargate, Saving Hope is still fantasy based as Shanks's character, Dr. Charlie Harris, is a car accident survivor trapped in a coma. He spends the episodes wandering the halls of a Hope Zion Hospital helping other souls trapped in the same purgatory. Meanwhile, his fiancée, Dr. Alex, played by Erica Durance, is attempting to revive him. The series is shot in Toronto. Shanks admits that, upon first hearing the premise, Saving Hope sounds a little out there. But he said it puts a new and interesting spin on the medical procedural. And, at its core, it's about the relationship between Charlie and Alex. "It's a way to bring another layer to the hospital procedural. You have life and death situations and you sort of have after-life situations. Charlie walks this line of the in-between world interacting with people who are in comas or who have passed on," he said. "Charlie is kind of a psychologist to the dead, if you will." In a recent episode titled The Great Randall, a hypnotist is called to the hospital to aid a severely injured man with no memory of his identity. In the process, he is able to put Charlie and Alex in contact with each other. Every actor desires to work on a drama and Shanks is enjoying the work, saying it's a nice change from the physicality that came with Stargate. But he still looks back at that series with fondness. "Science fiction is a great thing to do when you're doing a show for 10 seasons. It's always different. It leaves stuff up to the imagination. There's action and costumes," said Shanks. "You can have a lot of fun doing it." The Lower Mainland's film industry was just beginning to take off when Shanks, who took acting classes at Cariboo College (now Thompson Rivers University) under instructor Dave Edwards, set out to make a career for himself. He had roles in shows like Highlander and The Commish before landing Stargate. That show wrapped up in 2007 after a decade on the air, but Shanks did star in the direct-to-DVD movies Stargate: Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum. He also appeared on the series Andromeda, where he met his wife, actress Lexa Doig, and a three-episode arc of the wildly successful Fox show 24.
With his family now moved to Maple Ridge, Shanks doesn't get to return to his hometown very often. He was last here in 2008 to film the TV movie Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon. But the city will always have a soft spot in his heart. He still keeps in touch with his hockey buddy, Mayor Peter Milobar, and owes his former high school teacher, Rhonda Diaper, a class visit. "The town has grown up. There were 20,000 more people than when I was growing up. Businesses are booming and the town is looking fantastic," he said. There's no word yet on whether Saving Hope will be back for a second season, but the cast and crew are hopeful, he said. No matter what happens, Shanks will keep doing the job he loves. "There's half of the one per cent of the population of actors who work and then there's the one per cent of those people who have the ability to pick and choose their projects," he said. "In the meantime, the rest of us are just working." Saving Hope is televised Thursday's at 9 p.m. on CTV.
