Why your favorite movies fake their locations

And why so many of them are shot in Vancouver.
This video is presented by Destination Vancouver. Learn more about Vancouver at findyourrefresh.com. Our sponsor has no editorial influence over how we report our stories, but their support makes videos like these possible.
Movie magic is what makes our favorite films so good: Actors flawlessly inhabiting the personalities of totally made-up characters, visual effects transforming a green screen to an otherworldly setting, musical scores making us feel every emotion under the sun. But there’s another kind of magic we don’t talk about as much: one physical location masquerading as another. And it happens all the time.
When filmmakers are trying to make a movie, deciding where to shoot isn’t as straightforward as choosing the location described in the script. They need to find a place with cooperative weather, a few landscapes to choose from, a big enough workforce, and - perhaps most importantly - one that fits their budget.
All these factors mean that locations with downtowns, country landscapes, mountain ranges, and water features within a drivable distance are highly sought after, especially when they also have good tax credits. While Hollywood might be the legendary film capital of the world, places like Vancouver are becoming more and more popular thanks to the flexible landscapes and tax breaks.
This is especially true for holiday movies - many of which are filmed in Canada. In this video, we talk to a prolific Christmas movie producer - who has worked on films like 2024’s Netflix hit Hot Frosty - about shooting movies in Canada.
Correction: In a previous version of this video we mistakenly said that Clark Kent's farm in the TV show Smallville was in Kentucky at :58 and 1:13. The Kent family farm was actually in Kansas. We've corrected the error.
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Further reading:
• Vancouver Never Plays ...
www.hollywoodr...
thewalrus.ca/h...
set-jetter.com
www.ivesceneit...
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[@daytrip_films]

Was not expecting "sponsored by the city of Vancouver" lol

[@nolanbrey9854]

Feel like they should be more clearly labeling this video an ad in the feed.

[@Col-j1q]

So they get a tax credit?

[@jasona2007]

@@nolanbrey9854 isn't it labeled sponsored by youtube?

[@ffenixrising]

@@nolanbrey9854 The entire video has a watermark image that mentions it is sponsored and a 30 second blurb at the 3:40 mark. What are you on about? Did you actually watch?

[@rileyr03]

@@nolanbrey9854 it says "presented by visit vancouver" in the corner the ENTIRE video. Can't get much clearer than that.

[@Snappy1143]

I did not expect this to be an ad for Vancouver

[@VEGAS-NERVE]

Same, it’s sad

[@bricekim]

@@VEGAS-NERVE why is it sad, its factual and interesting and vox also gets a check for it. not like it is trying to hide it considering the fact that it SAYS its sponsor the ENTIRE VIDEO in the top right corner

[@BTCBlizzy]

This was a long answer for “it’s cheaper.” 😂😂 it costs extra money just to breathe in NY these days.

[@raymondqiu8202]

Why do people live there and stay there then? Must be worth it to lots of ppl

[@onyxriver]

Vancouver is dang expensive too. Like some commodities and services are more expensive than New York

[@Ferelmakina]

Interesting ​@@raymondqiu8202

[@mma0911]

"Vancouver Never Plays Itself"

[@Steppenwolf.85]

Tony Zhou 🙏🏻

[@multitudeofidols]

In American media. Vancouver plays itself in Canadian shows like _Da Vinci's Inquest_ and _Intelligence._

[@kojisan1]

Came here for this comment.

[@DetroitGothic]

Then, and only then, does Detroit portray a location 😂

[@SamRainer]

This is what bugs me about the film industry in BC. Yeah obviously there's a bunch of reasons why productions will try to be set in the US to appeal to an American audience, but why are we so proud of being this cheap chameleon location for low quality films that never gets to play itself on screen? And more importantly, why aren't we trying harder to change it? Instead we have to do what the sponsor segment of this video did and awkwardly try to point out that all those movies are made here. BC is a beautiful place and could easily have its own visual identity on screen, but instead we constantly look for ways to disguise it to appeal only to cost. Also, surely an American audience can relate to a story set in Canada, right?

[@LashanR]

2:48 Vancouver, sunny? Destination Vancouver must have paid big to fit that line in 😂😂

[@BTCBlizzy]

😂😂😂😂

[@adanactnomew7085]

Vancouver's summers are almost entirely dry without rain.

[@nelloismello]

I heard they reimbursed 28% to Vox just for filming here

[@eostyrwinn5018]

@@adanactnomew7085 Sunny for 2 months, rainy for 10

[@stuntmonkey00]

It's actually sunnier here in in June than in LA, no "June Gloom". July August is full on beach weather in Vancouver.

[@DataCab1e]

The commonly heard utterance from Vancouver locals any time they see a film crew (or so I've heard): "So, what part of the 'States are we impersonating this week?" Oh, and Smallville is supposed to be in KANSAS.

[@BTCBlizzy]

Oof 😂😂 nobody caught that I guess

[@Vox]

Thanks for catching this! We're working on fixing it now.

[@katies9114]

@@Vox video works but fix the captions too!

[@DrVVVinK]

If you listen to the Smallville podcast Michael Rosenbaum always complains about how he hated shooting in Vancouver because of the weather and jokes about Kansas having mountains. Lol

[@K.C-2049]

ahaha recently Vancouver was playing NEW JERSEY on Yellowjackets. like... what?!

[@justinstauffer]

Proud to live in Vancouver :) Just an fyi though Langley does not have a population of 30k, it’s more like over 100k… they got it mixed up with Langley city (30k), which is a weird municipality within Langley township (100k). The cool older type buildings in Langley are located in Fort Langley (which is Langley township), and it’s a really cool touristy town. I know it’s expensive but I love living here and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

[@Vox]

We had a great time traveling all over the Vancouver area, and you’re right! The numbers in our chart refer to the city populations of Langley and Vancouver, but the areas surrounding them have larger populations.

[@18dash73]

@@Voxno you’re mistaken. There’s two Langleys. One is Langley City and one is Langley Township

[@danp1871]

@Vox Ya, we like to make it confusing cuz we do the same for City of North Vancouver and District of North Vancouver. I'm pretty sure there are even locals who don't realise they are 2 different municipalities. =P

[@janeangele]

Suddenly, I remember Every Frame a Painting's Vancouver never plays itself video. So true!

[@llcn829]

Every Vancouverite can easily guess a movie’s filming location even before the credits roll. It’s like a sixth sense.

[@ratguy101]

I watched 50/50 recently, and it was laughable how little they tried to conceal the fact that it was shot here. The first scene is just a montage of Joseph Gordon-Levitt jogging past all of Vancouver's most famous landmarks.

[@natatatt]

Sensed this almost immediately watching Shogun (locals will understand that you just kinda 'know' those are local trees/coast), and sure enough it's filmed in Vancouver and nearby areas.

[@batsandbatsandbats]

​@@ratguy101Ha, my first thought too because they left the street signs in.

[@notcompletelynormal]

When my insomnia was at its worst and I watched a ton of stuff cause no sleep, I could almost always tell exclusively by the actors with small roles. My accuracy was frankly disturbing.

[@Eldubyazee]

Fun game to play in any movie that happens in NYC: is this Vancouver or Toronto?

[@federicovargas4084]

You missed the fact that the lower CAD means a more favourable exchange rate which lowers costs across the board for US companies. This is also true for Toronto

[@paddington1670]

and it just hit a new low since the pandemic. less than 70 cent to the USD.

[@bigpurplepops]

TlDr: Money.

[@RealShaktimaan]

Didn't need tldr for that. It was already given

[@luuk_twister2068]

And convenience

[@Valery0p5]

"And LOTS of it" quote OSP

[@robinhahnsopran]

Vancouverite here! One of my favourite games to play while watching movies and TV filmed in town is that I try to guess where in the city or Lower Mainland (the surrounding area) they're filming before the scene ends. The way I watched Supernatural while randomly screaming words like "UBC!" or "LANGLEY!" at the TV screen like I was watching Jeopardy and not a drama... 🤣

[@kautzman2334]

that last one was clearly tsawassen

[@ppolow]

I only got to do this with schitts creek filmed around the rural GTA

[@kajleradbourne1345]

Our favourite game also.

[@paddington1670]

It was so much fun to do this with Stargate SG1, The Good Doctor, X Files, and many others. Also watching Vancouver's worst drivers channel and being like, "I know where that is! I know where that is! I know where that is!"

[@CarlYan]

I do this too. Mostly with netflix, disney channel movies, and arrowverse shows. lol

[@SnapshotOfASoul]

As someone from the area, our film industry is a local point of pride. I love pointing out local locations in movies and TV to others!

[@Daybareally]

To clarify: Langley has over 100k people, the very small 10 square km (under 4 sq miles) area of Langley City has 30k. Similarly, the city of Vancouver has about 700k people, yes, but the surrounding Lower Mainland (the mountains, temperate rainforest, rural areas and coastal locations where they also film) total about 3 million people. Yes a lot less than NYC but I don’t think it’s accurate to say filming here is easier because there are fewer people here; it’s cheaper than NYC to film in while offering lots of diverse locations, I think those points are the main reasons.

[@Mstr0K]

Yeah, saying Vancouver has only 700 000 people is pretty disingenuous. Most people that haven't been would count North and West Van as part of the city.

[@VEGAS-NERVE]

Yeah I thought that was a really odd comparison to make.

[@julyvainfp]

The population density is much lower than New York. And the fact it is less populated is one of the main reason it is cheaper, so no.

[@NealJennings]

2:45, as a Vancouver resident I will agree that we have a lot of warm sunny days for part of the year, but "throughout the year"? Definitely not. Please visit again in November. No amount of disclaimers about editorial control will convince me our tourism board didn't pay for that line.

[@yaygya]

I was in Vancouver this fall after 7 years in Edmonton, and there were rainy days In November, but also nice and sunny ones. You don’t understand how good you have it until you have to live in a city buried in mush for months on end.

[@bigfootwalker5399]

0:54 Superman/Clark Kent didn't grow up in rural Kentucky, he grew up in rural Kansas.

[@johnper2302]

wrong, he grew up in miami beach

[@Alex-oy4qn]

wrong he grew up in mexico

[@j.zuberi]

he said Rural Kansas...LOL!. Did u miss that.

[@bigfootwalker5399]

@j.zuberi you came to this video later than my comment, in the time in-between they re-edited the video. The original video said Kentucky and even showed Kentucky on the map, not Kansas. That's why my comment got so many likes.

[@j.zuberi]

@@bigfootwalker5399 Ahhh ok, that makes more sense, not sure how they re-edited it with the original comments still here but go figure i guess. That is wild they got that initially wrong multiple times.

[@speckdratz]

The REAL question is: why take an empty coffee cup to the forest? :)

[@ramshacklealex7772]

The funniest example of this for me is in season 3 of the Boys, when they have downtown Toronto playing midtown Manhattan and there's a scene of Soldier Boy where it's so obvious that I recognized the intersection and I'm not even from Toronto. (It was Yonge and Richmond, btw)

[@stickynorth]

The biggest giveaway of any Toronto shoot playing NYC? The TTC streetcar tracks and powerlines. Only a few cities in the entire USA have streetcar infrastructure of any size much less a city like Toronto which kept its historic system intact for over a century!

[@SARGEinc]

I've driven through Fort Langley so many times when they are filming a Christmas movie in July. Same thing with the Old Clayburn store in my hometown of Abbotsford BC. I'm a big Christmas guy, so it always makes me feel happy to see it, even if I have to wait in traffic for the scene to end.

[@tirvine9102]

They do this in Richmond's Steveston village, where I grew up too, for the historic small town main street vibes.

[@maxsterling9908]

I remember once I was leaving work in Toronto, I walked by two different sets of movie production. One was Driven starring Stallone and the second one was Exit Wounds starring DMX. This was downtown Toronto, the financial district too.

[@lukepileggi6347]

Tapped out when I heard Vancouver is a go to city for filming because it’s “warm and sunny most of the year”. I can’t watch a 9 minute ad.

[@paddington1670]

Compared to the rest of Canada, it sure is; especially with climate change. 30 years ago, i mightve agreed to some extent, but our Summers are not what they used to be, we have never been close to drought in so many locations in BC as we have been in the last 10 years over and over again.

[@says101]

wh-

[@yonacohen4682]

That explains why the movie 50/50 Joseph Gordon-Levitt is clearly running in Stanly park Vancouver. While studying in UBC there was a production crew around about every other week

[@LadyPantera57]

I love that the sponsor was actually related to the locations in the video!

[@christianfontaine2946]

Did he really get kentucky and Kansas mixed up 3 times? Superman was in Kansas not Kentucky

[@warren958]

This video used the City of Langley’s population to represent “Langley”. Fort Langley, which is a focus of this video is in Langley Township: a different municipality with a considerably larger population.

[@lahrence]

i live near fort langley and i approve of this message

[@Jaybro8]

@@lahrence Same

[@DovHarel-s4v]

Finally! We got the recognition we deserved! Thank you Vox

[@prancey227]

As a new yorker, it's painfully obvious wheneneve a location is supposed to be taking place here but shot somewhere else. A good example is the stark contrast between the Raimi Spider-Man movies and the MCU ones, the latter of which mostly used Atlanta for its NYC locations. In the Raimi movies NYC is its own character, but when you're replacing it you're only getting very generic locations with some comp work to fill in the illusion.

[@AliceFlynn]

Hey at least they try to make it seem realistic :p in one of those movies the Netherlands looked like a medieval fever dream lol

[@jetfan925]

Funnily enough, Marc Webb's (no pun intended) The Amazing Spider-Man 2 actually shot the entire NY State.

[@trentloosemore]

On the flip side, it's painfully obvious to us Vancouverites when we recognize local locations pretending to be elsewhere.

[@prancey227]

@trentloosemore oh I bet. Rumble in the Bronx was the worst, where they didn't even hide the mountains lol

[@andrewburgemeister6684]

My favourite example are movies supposedly set in the Mid-West/Great Lakes, yet in some outdoor shots you see a palm tree or the mountains of LA nearby in the background!! 🤣🤣🤣

[@Ekam-Sat]

We loved to shoot this episode ❤ Immense gratitude goes to @Vox for not only amplifying the voices of the resilient people of Ambohiby but also providing them with the means to tell their extraordinary story. It's an honor to witness their greatness and courage, deserving the spotlight and attention they've received. Moreover, the opportunity granted to name Anosibe properly stands as a testament to the significance of their culture and heritage. Through this act, their narrative gains even more depth, resonating powerfully with the world and ensuring their legacy endures with its rightful name. From Madagascar with love ❤

[@AmaraARW]

You just know they weren't allowed to say or mention Toronto in this video lol

[@TheKenContinuum]

And also pretend that Toronto isn't just as popular a location for US film & TV productions as Vancouver. hah

[@albarjas8360]

Exactly. Toronto is the real replacement for NYC, everybody knows lol

[@K.C-2049]

pretty much all of those silly Hallmark/Netflix Christmas films are filmed in Ontario towns now as well

[@ellekayeightfour]

Vancouver does continue to have a bigger TV and film investment than Toronto.

[@NatoBro]

@@K.C-2049 up here in Simcoe/Muskoka. My wife has done background work for two Christmas movies filmed in Bracebridge.

[@multitudeofidols]

Genuinely curious how well known this is to most people. I've known for a long time a lot of American media is filmed in Vancouver and can tell once I see certain actors. If a movie or show is filmed in Canada, but not Vancouver, it's Toronto.

[@MarcCoteMusic]

...and to a lesser extent Montreal. I've worked on several American-produced movies and TV shows here.

[@lizamohd7151]

I knew this facts since I was binging 90' TV shows when I was growing up, like X-Files. I also had a habit to watch tv/movies until the end credit rolling, watching behind-the-scenes and interviews. So, I always knew that costing is what drove Hollywood production to Canada. Plus, I think Canadian cities & natural landscape really looks much better on-screen than American ones. Sorry for my moderate English, though.

[@mlegrand]

Wow, Vox has really jumped the shark with the advertising.

[@VEGAS-NERVE]

Yep

[@GranRey-0]

Yeah the coffee cup prop is weird.

[@walterzamalis4846]

yeah why is he holding it?

[@thapelomaraisane8705]

I think it's a nice nod to the content of the video. Artifice

[@coquimapping8680]

@@walterzamalis4846 mic?

[@Attila_Beregi]

there is this light hearted joke about the Stargate tv show that it's really great as long as you don't mind every alien planet looks like the forests outside Vancouver.

[@paddington1670]

Yeah when Carter was showing those dudes with staffs how good her P90 was, that was in the Seymour watershed area. SO obviously North Shore BC rainforest.

[@k12moyo]

The fact that you were in Fort Langley blows my mind!!

[@OofusTwillip]

I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Movies set in NYC are shot in my neighbourhood every few weeks. We even have a flatiron building!

[@vegan939]

why are you holding that empty coffee cup? Looks weird

[@ALLSTARDECOURO2]

is the hallmark magic

[@marplani]

Always knew this movie magic trick had to be cost-saving, but I appreciated this breakdown of details. Thanks!

[@vegan939]

8 1/2 minute Vancouver ad

[@vegan939]

Also, you can clearly see the sponsor influence in your ad/video. You were obviously told not to mention Ontario (which gives even better tax incentives for filming), which is Canada's hub of filming. I can see how this video idea came about: Vancouver advertiser offers to throw money at you. Vox thinks about how they can make an ad for the city fit within their portfolio. Vancouver advertiser flies you in to some local spots. Presto! Video ad. The idea for the video is a good one, but its so obviously an afterthought as its not thorough.

[@doktorhypebeast]

you must be fun at parties. I mean, based on your username, kinda checks out😂

[@vegan939]

@ I’m the best at parties! You must live in Vancouver. Am I right?

[@ellekayeightfour]

@@vegan939 Actually BC has a much larger production spend than Ontario.

[@jordan_beard]

There are two Langleys in the Vancouver area. He quotes the City of Langley’s population of 30k but the Township of Langley which includes Fort Langley and rural Langley has a population of around 100k, and that’s where most of the movies are shot. Also did not expect to hear Vancouver described as a sunny place, haha

[@robertwatson4840]

Jesus….KANSAS not Kentucky. Clark Kent is from Kansas. How do you mess that up?? They’re not even in the same geographic region.

[@multitudeofidols]

Glad someone said something. You don't even need to have ever watched the show to know that. It's basic comic lore.

[@mbkltd1]

They probably had to rush the video out for the sponsorship deadline. Didn't have time for Vox's normal stringent fact check and review.

[@robertwatson4840]

@@multitudeofidols it’s like one of the three things we got from Kansas. KU basketball, Superman’s earth home, and Samuel Ramey operatic bass legend. That’s it. Let us just have that.

[@JeremyAlan-m8h]

They fixed it.

[@jasonyau326]

Although as a Vancouver citizen I am proud to see our city featured in many Hollywood tv shows & movies, I do wish that certain shows would not always shoot in the same places over and over again it can get tedious at times. Such as in the DC TV universe. For example ARROW (where Vancouver was Star City): on top of the art gallery AGAIN! on the helipad east of Canada Place AGAIN! or the Flash (Where Vancouver is Central City): at the Central Library (AGAIN!) but from different angles. With Vancouver also standing in for Metropolis in Supergirl as well as for Legends of Tomorrow, I wonder just how many cities can Vancouver stand in for in just one universe alone!!! =P

[@annabarr1304]

As someone from PNB, i always know when something is filmed in BC by the trees, theres always something indigenous that pops up.

[@aaronisarun]

As a film instructor who teaches in Vancouver, this video is great! As a sustainability representative, it's frustrating to see the host use a disposable coffee cup (that's clearly empty in a couple of shots) instead of a reusable mug. And yes, Smallville is set in Kansas, not Kentucky. Even Canadians know that.

[@paulasimson4939]

Hi Arun!

[@hammieli1875]

The coolest New York scene I’ve seen is Season 4 of Mr Robot, where Rami Malek runs across all of New York in one episode

[@Razear]

Interesting. I always thought Toronto was the go-to filming location for mimicking NYC or other American metropolitan cities. I know Montreal also attracts a lot of production studios.

[@stevelapointe180]

Wasn’t mentioned in this video but the exact same thing happens in Toronto and Montreal as well. Toronto often gets used for New York and Chicago.

[@arsalan825]

It rains 8/12 months in Vancouver. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@KSPRAYDAD]

But, Vancouver is metric so there are 28 metric months.

[@stickynorth]

Yeah as an Albertan I can confirm it's WAAAAAAAY sunnier in Southern Alberta and Calgary compared to Vancouver... And unless your movie or film shoot calls for ocean scenes it's also cheaper, except the film subsidies aren't nearly as good and that's what drives much of where things are filmed...

[@jamescoulson7729]

Vancouver is a Mediterranean climate it experiencing droughts around 6 months out of the year. It’s just as true to say it never rains on Vancouver as 1/2 of the year it doesn’t

[@nickthaskater]

More like 5 but sure, be dramatic.

[@menikmati789]

@@stickynorthtrue, but it’s also full of Albertans

[@mjallen1308]

Vancouver is beautiful! I’ve been there twice and i enjoyed it each time.

[@filip1979]

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but ebook titled The Elite Society's Money Manifestation might be the answer you’re looking for

[@sarahsangha]

It's always fun to spot our city in movies and TV and see what they're supposed to represent in America

[@escapefromtibet2530]

Because it's less expensive, has less paper work and is faster, probably

[@stickynorth]

Yup. The turnaround times on these productions is much quicker which means shooting quicker, cheaper with simpler set ups and less takes. You aren't going to see hyper-edited modern films in many a case, you see lots of static shots and simple editing. I think traditional big films shoot for 3-6 months. Hallmark/Netflix Xmas films? 30-45 days I believe. Hence why Vancouver and increasingly Ottawa have become B/cable TV movie hubs as of late...

[@beyondtherhetoric]

Choosing to shoot in Vancouver to avoid the rain is like...

[@bblvrable]

As a resident of Vancouver, the trick generally doesn't work when I recognize local landmarks :) The most hilarious had to be in Rumble in the Bronx when you can see the North Shore mountains in the bridge scene. There are no mountains that you can see from NYC.

[@ratguy101]

As a Vancouverite by upbringing, I knew it was going to be the focus of this video as soon as I saw the title.

[@VEGAS-NERVE]

Well this is an ad literally paid for by Vancouver. Otherwise it would be more about Toronto

[@ratguy101]

@@VEGAS-NERVE British Colombia is a bigger filming hotspot than Ontario though. It's true that the video almost exclusively focuses on Vancouver and I imagine that's a result of the sponsorship.

[@dm-31024]

That’s right❤ welcome to Vancouver - Hollywood North🎉 0:25

[@MarcCoteMusic]

I was an extra for several days on a limited series for Apple TV this past summer in Montreal. The story is set in Alaska... in winter. Everyone was bundled up in sweaters, parkas, scarves, tuques, gloves and winter boots in sweltering heat. Not the most fun you can have but I will say that was one of the best sets I've worked on. The extras were all well treated and (this not a given...) well fed, with good quality food, lots of variety over the days and plenty of snacks always available. I was also an extra for a Hallmark Christmas movie this past fall. Fortunately, we were shooting indoors so I didn't have to bundle up too much. That one, too, was shot in Montreal.

[@zl6460]

3:45 what lens did you use, the focus and out of focus is exquisite

[@tylerwhorff7143]

PNW is good for shooting film because diffused lighting from the cloud cover is easier to deal with than actual sunny weather. Cool for Vancouver BC though good for them

[@taylorcolbeck7214]

as a vancouver watcher, i loved this

[@woohooboy]

This kind of stuff is fascinating for those of us who enjoy the behind-the-scenes secrets of movie moving and the reasons for why productions are shot in this manner. For most of the general public however, they don't care about this kind of stuff unless the location used in a film or tv show is glaringly NOT what it's meant to be (ie; wintertime in New York City but it's clearly shot in the summer in downtown Sydney Australia) .........

[@emmetkowler]

These movie-centric Vox videos have a long way to go considering the depth and breadth of topics already covered on KZbin

[@denoosoo]

I’m very glad I was born and raised in Vancouver, and still live here. Despite its flaws, idk I just love it. Saw last of us filming a while ago near central library, very cool

[@Andrew-tv3he]

2:42 must have given us Vancouverites a bit of a chuckle. Warm, sunny days throughout the year? Clearly you haven't visited much between November and March when it's almost endless cloudy/rainy days and the sun doesn't rise until 8am and sets at 4pm. You might see the sun a couple of times a month, if you're lucky.

[@sammakesthings]

Vancouver never plays itself! One day...

[@andreasamardzija1496]

At some point after a night of partying in HS, I caught an early morning re-run of the show "Sliders". I ended up binge watching almost all of that 90s mess and what I realized is that San Francisco looks way better filmed in Vancouver than entirely on an LA soundstage.

[@julilolmo19]

Just lived in Vancouver for a year and it was the best time of my life

[@shinnith]

Represent👏🏼 Not every day Vox does a video about your city lol Its wild bc it doesnt *feel* like it has a lower population than other cities when you regularly CANNOT move or breathe on the 99 or jump on a skytrain car with adequate move to do a 360 turn and are JUST fitting against the door- if our population is low in terms of cities, i cannot imagine what its like out there in New York Keep in mind this is coming from someone whos just left the island like 3 years ago & has never gone further east than Abbotsford & never crossed a border lol

[@qwertyuiop1st]

"Smallville" was set in Kansas, not Kentucky.

[@JeremyAlan-m8h]

They fixed it.

[@DomyTheMad420]

1:10 "why vancouver tho?" me: m o n e e e y ? 😃

[@antaris905]

Vancouver truly have all sorts of locations, Including dystopian brutalist prison that is SFU Burnaby. Rundown gangster infested neighborhoods that is East Hastings, stereotypical and actually convincing Chinatown of Richmond, anything above North Vancouver and Whistler becomes Alaska and Yukon. The only thing missing is probably tropical looking places like beaches and deserts.

[@fredericapanon207]

@antaris905, Okanagan for semi-desert at least.

[@beyondtherhetoric]

Vancouver never plays itself

[@Obscurai]

The Sci-Fi series Continuum was set in Vancouver.

[@ryancolpitts7248]

*obligatory Gas Town steam clock shot*

[@ekim131]

"Why doesn't Vancouver every play itself" this videos been done!

[@RichardHannay]

Huzzah!! Greetings from Vancouver!

[@froodcariad6399]

Vancouverite here. I knew what this would be from the thumbnail alone! Muahahahahahaha EVERYTHING YOU LOVE IS MY CITY!!!

[@pudyastomo]

It’s not uncommon, but this is very interesting. I’m convinced to visit Vancouver to see their landscapes

[@katelynjohnson9037]

Love that this was made to seem like a newsy piece, then its a spinsored piece by Vancouver. 😂

[@matthewpage3356]

I found it funny that the beginning of any but you was set in America but filmed in Sydney. In my mind it is just Sydney not a city in America.

[@jessetorres8738]

"Canadian tax breaks, y'all."

[@lukek8357]

I live in Australia and a multitude of US shows as well as movies are filmed here on the Northern Rivers of NSW and South East Queensland.

[@FlyWithVeiga]

Love videos like this! Cool fun facts 🔥

[@theaidanator]

One cool aspect of tax incentives in Vancouver that wasn't mentioned in this video is that you get big tax breaks and reductions in permitting if you exhibit sustainable initiatives on set e.g. swapping diesel generators for electric ones!

[@SpectrumPOV]

5:55 Tax incentives should be number one.

[@samuelskillern7365]

I can't believe I willfully watched an advertisement for a Canadian Province I'll likely never visit.

[@EVILBUNNY28]

In a world where more and more films are being filmed in soundstages and warehouses, it makes filming in the UK a lot more desirable as the weather doesn’t matter 😂

[@willcookmakeup]

Ooo loved this episode. I've always wondered about this. I'm from CT and so so many movies are filmed there but don't take place there

[@M.E.M.O.10-50]

What word is he saying at 1:55? "locations like Vancouver and _________"? The map is indicating somewhere in Ontario, but that isn't what he said. Definitely not Toronto. *Maybe* a badly mangled Ottawa? The subtitles say "Atlanta" but last time I looked that is NOT in Ontario.

[@AmaraARW]

Atlanta... I'm not sure what map you are looking at but that second location is certainly not in Canada lol

[@M.E.M.O.10-50]

@@AmaraARW oh, you're right. I lost my mind.

[@bigpaul4450]

My city, Liverpool, England doubled as Gotham city!

[@boldblazervids]

My immersion always breaks in movies when in some city scene, I see a street sign that just blatantly still says "Burrard St" or some other street downtown

[@mihai8595]

How about the number plates on the canadian cars? Are they being swapped in production?

[@drink15]

Always funny seeing movies take place in my city but none of the building or streets exist in reality

[@TheWolfHowling]

4:41 If I'm not mistaken, that's Storybrooke City Hall behind you. Loved Once Upon a Time

[@johannesofie777]

I have made it a game to spot Vancouver locations. I first saw some stairs in Continuum that I later saw in multiple Arrow-verse episodes. Speaking of; I suddenly saw the island/bay where Oliver Queen is trapped in this years Shogun. Of course nothing has been filmed in Japan. I also have to mention the forest and quarries in Stargate (all versions). BTW I am from Norway and have never been over the pond, but would love to go to Vancouver some day.

[@AozoraUltra2006]

i was wondering why the focus was so much on vancouver when media is shot in toronto just as often. until i saw the sponsor logo. go to vancouver, it's nice. I lived there. the city itself isn't actually very big (especially downtown), so it's pretty easy to get from one end to the other.

[@rickj6348]

While this was about movies, what wasn't mentioned was the vast number of TV shows filmed in the Greater Vancouver Area. Shows such as Stargate, The X-Files, the original 21 Jump Street, Battlestar Galactica, The Good Doctor, MacGyver (the original), Airwolf, The Magicians, Once Upon a Time and really a few hundred more shows as well.

[@linsnowx]

I'm sorry, did i hear "Vancouver has a lot of warm and SUNNY days? And THOURHGOUT the year??!" lol

[@raidenstark315]

2:09 so that forest was lian yu on arrow?

[@Howard24]

I live just outside of Vancouver and they filmed The Flash at my high school… and blocked off like a quarter of our school to do so. Don’t even know why they chose our school as it’s just a random suburb.

[@batsandbatsandbats]

Lots of different factors go into scouting locations depending on the size of crew and space needed. Someone's job is to look up all the high schools in and around the greater Vancouver area and a random suburb is going to be more accessible for production than in inner city school.

[@generybarczyk6993]

Vox could play itself in an examination of bean-counter influences.

[@Wideout4]

lol Rumble in the Bronx came straight to mind. Mountains in the background and everything 😂😂😂😂😂