If you were disappointed that Season 1 of Sanctuary was not released on Blu-ray when the DVD came out recently, we have some good news. Yours truly spoke to star Amanda Tapping and director Martin Wood (both of whom are also executive producers) during Syfy's Vancouver Press Tour today and was told that a hi-def release is in the pipeline.Sanctuary focuses on the adventures of monster tracker Helen Magnus (Tapping). Magnus travels the world to capture and protect mutant organisms called 'abnormals.' She runs the titular establishment to provide them with a refuge. Magnus is aided by psychiatrist Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne), her daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup) and Henry (Ryan Robbins).
The show is largely shot in Vancouver and almost entirely against green screens using the ultra-High Definition Red One camera. It started life as a series of eight Webisodes that were released to the Internet in high definition versions. These provided a first look at the spectacular virtual worlds that are integral to the show. The visual effects used to realize these worlds, which were initially produced in-house by Stage 3 Media, showcased the impressive capabilities of the camera.
The first season of Sanctuary on television expanded the scope and mythology of the series from what had been possible with the Webisodes and the effects became even more ambitious. Speaking on the Vancouver Press Tour, Wood and the series' creator Damian Kindler said that this evolution continues in Season 2, which premieres Friday. Their words were backed up by an impressive show reel presented by Anthem, the Vancouver-based company that now produces the VFX for the show.
Given that visual effects are an essential element of Sanctuary and it is filmed in ultra-HD, it was a surprise that the show's first season wasn't released on Blu-ray when E1 Entertainment launched the DVD on September 15. Full seasons of other genre shows, including Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Supernatural, Torchwood and Smallville have begun to pave the way for TV series on the hi-def format and Sanctuary would seem like the perfect reference material for the visual quality of Blu-ray. However, its absence from the market may be rectified in time for Christmas CinemaSpy was told. There is no word yet on whether the content will be the same as the DVD release, details of which you can find on the CinemaSpy.com Facebook page.
Sanctuary begins its second season on Syfy in the United States and Space in Canada on Friday, October 9. For an extended preview, click the Trailer tab above. We also have some new images for Season 2, courtesy of Syfy. You can view these in the Photos tab above.
You can enter our competition to win a copy of Sanctuary: The Complete First Season on DVD here. Remember to also look out for our upcoming review of that and the Season Two opening two-parter, as well as CinemaSpy.com's exclusive interview with Robin Dunne.
In The Spotlight
If you were disappointed that Season 1 of Sanctuary was not released on Blu-ray when the DVD came out recently, we have some good news. Yours truly spoke to star Amanda Tapping and director Martin Wood (both of whom are also executive producers) during Syfy's Vancouver Press Tour today and was told that a hi-def release is in the pipeline.
Sanctuary focuses on the adventures of monster tracker Helen Magnus (Tapping). Magnus travels the world to capture and protect mutant organisms called 'abnormals.' She runs the titular establishment to provide them with a refuge. Magnus is aided by psychiatrist Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne), her daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup) and Henry (Ryan Robbins).
The show is largely shot in Vancouver and almost entirely against green screens using the ultra-High Definition Red One camera. It started life as a series of eight Webisodes that were released to the Internet in high definition versions. These provided a first look at the spectacular virtual worlds that are integral to the show. The visual effects used to realize these worlds, which were initially produced in-house by Stage 3 Media, showcased the impressive capabilities of the camera.
If you were disappointed that Season 1 of Sanctuary was not released on Blu-ray when the DVD came out recently, we have some good news. Yours truly spoke to star Amanda Tapping and director Martin Wood (both of whom are also executive producers) during Syfy's Vancouver Press Tour today and was told that a hi-def release is in the pipeline.
Sanctuary focuses on the adventures of monster tracker Helen Magnus (Tapping). Magnus travels the world to capture and protect mutant organisms called 'abnormals.' She runs the titular establishment to provide them with a refuge. Magnus is aided by psychiatrist Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne), her daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup) and Henry (Ryan Robbins).
The show is largely shot in Vancouver and almost entirely against green screens using the ultra-High Definition Red One camera. It started life as a series of eight Webisodes that were released to the Internet in high definition versions. These provided a first look at the spectacular virtual worlds that are integral to the show. The visual effects used to realize these worlds, which were initially produced in-house by Stage 3 Media, showcased the impressive capabilities of the camera.
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