On the Verge: Sanctuary

Synopsis: Sanctuary follows the adventures of the beautiful, enigmatic and always surprising Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping), her new recruit, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) and her fearless daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup). Together they track down, study and protect the strange and often terrifying creatures that secretly populate our world and live among us.

The show, which stars Stargate SG-1/Atlantis' Amanda Tapping and is written by two fellow Stargate alums, Damian Kindler (creator) and Martin Wood (director), debuted as a web series in 2007. From its inception, the show pledged to stay closely connected with fans through an interactive website, SanctuaryForAll.com, and thus created a large following that lead to Sci Fi's decision to pick up the series for a 13 episode season that premiered October 3rd.

But this show's jump from the web is just the beginning, the most intriguing part of this series is that it is the first show ever, as far as I know, that is filmed almost entirely, roughly 90% of the shots, in front of a green screen (using the new RED Camera). I had the privilege
of attending the NYC premiere at the Paley Center a few weeks back, and while my unrealistically high expectations were not met, the visual effects were still surprisingly stunning. No, it's not a perfect mirror of reality, and there are definitely times (several wide shots in particular) where the CGI is very obvious, but then there were all the other moments where I was constantly debating what was real and what wasn't. Overall I'd say most of the work is subtle and convincing, and noting that this analysis is from someone who was intently looking, it makes you wonder how much the casual viewer would even notice?

At the panel after the premier, the cast and creators discussed the creative freedom they now have because of the green screen. Essentially they can film anywhere, the catacombs under Rome? No problem. (Keep an eye out for that location in one of the upcoming episodes.)

So is Sanctuary a pioneer of things to come? Sounds like it, NBC has recently acquired a script based on the Greek myth "Jason and the Argonauts" and the rumor is, if this goes to series, NBC is considering shooting entirely on green screen. Read about it from the Hollywood Reporter

For more on Sanctuary, check out this preview, it's for the October 3rd premiere, but it gives you a nice sense of the series:



On the story side, the show has a lot of potential but definitely needs time to mature. The pace could be quickened a bit and the writing sharpened, but it's very close and after two weeks I continue to want more. Does the lack of sets affect cast performance? I've been impressed thus far, but you'll have to decide for yourself.

If you are a sci fi fan, or just intrigued by a new wave in television production, check out Sanctuary tonight at 9pm on Sci Fi.

For a special look at the Sanctuary's use of green screen check out this video:

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