CBC drama Heartland films for a week at Ag Society
By: Cori Lee Miller
For five full days the Cochrane and District Agricultural Society (CDAS) was transformed from a quiet riding arena and gathering place, to a hustling, bustling set for one of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporations (CBC’s) biggest shows, Heartland.
- Actress Amber Marshall (right) looks at director Steve DiMarco (left) on the set of Heartland at the Cochrane and District Agricultural Society Dec. 10. Photo by Patrick Price
From Dec. 7 to 11, the buildings were jam packed with extra’s, actors, producers, directors, animals wranglers, horses, camera operators, and many others all working making sure everything from the lighting to the props were just perfect.
More from the set: Photo Gallery
The set was hot and hectic, with the smell of horse definitely in the air, but no one seemed to mind as the cameras rolled capturing the images for what will be Heartland’s last episode of its third season.
Heartland is a generational drama that follows the Fleming family through the high and low points of life on their working horse ranch.
The drama is watched by an average of one million Canadian viewers each week, making it the second most-watched drama on Canadian television.
To save money and time, two episodes of Heartland are shot over a 15-day period and many long hours of hard work go into creating the hour of heartfelt and compelling television.
Screen writer Leila Basen, who wrote the episode being filmed at the CDAS, as well as Heartland’s pilot episode, along with partner David Preston, said the third season is “the year of the horse.”
The writers researched to make sure the scenes of horses being ridden, or trained are always accurate.
Basen said writing for a season begins with the five characters’ story arcs.
“That’s where the characters start at the beginning of the season and where they end up,” she explained. “We just talk about what would be good, what would be dramatic.”
For the story to be believable, Basen said they have to think like the characters and not create a story that is far removed from the Heartland universe.
“Whatever happens has to come out of the reality that you’ve created for that particular character,” she said.
Basen said she’s never “worked on a show with such a rabid fanbase,” and that sometimes what the fans want to see isn’t what ends up on screen.
“Some times what an audience wants to see is not what they need to see,” she said, adding if the characters had an easy go of things “that would be deadly boring.”
While the set was a hive of activity after the director yelled cut, during filming the multitude of people became very quiet, watching the actors and animals on camera, with only the clapping of the extras during the scene breaking the silence.
Over 700 extras were needed for the final two episodes, and extras casting director Marcy Hershon said many were Cochranites.
“We do local casting calls and we use a lot of local agencies and independent people from my own rosters and a lot of fans from Heartland are on this one,” she said, adding there’s no shortage of those willing to be extras. “We have people write us everyday that want to come on the show.”
Being an extra requires long hours of doing whatever is required, and it’s not just about having a pretty face.
“The right faces are important but more importantly is the right attitude and the right set etiquette to be on set.”
For a drama portraying life in Alberta, location is another very crucial aspect of Heartland’s charm and appeal to audiences.
“We looked at several locations throughout the area . . . and this one was the best one that fit.”
—Assistant location manager Jason Nolan
The main set of Heartland is located near Millarville, while other reoccurring set’s are located in High River and Morley.
Assistant location manager Jason Nolan said the CDAS just fit what the script called for.
“We looked at several locations throughout the area . . . and this one was the best one that fit,” he said, adding they had narrowed it down to three locations before the final decision was made. Heartland does most of it’s filming south and west of Calgary, allowing the show to stay true to it’s fans and always maintain an authentic Alberta feel.
With a dedicated fan base and viewership rising, much of the adoration of fans is aimed at 21-year-old Amber Marshall, who plays Amy Fleming on the series.
During a quick break from shooting, Marshall said over the duration of Heartland she and her character have grown together.
“I’ve definitely noticed myself maturing as a person and a character.”
As for her character Amy, Marshall said they are quite similar, and that the writers let her have input, although she doesn’t always get the final say on what Amy ultimately does.
Lest anyone think Marshall can’t really ride the horses featured on the show, she’s an experienced horse owner and rider.
“I’ve got five horses at my place,” she said, adding though she’s busy she tries to get into the saddle whenever she can.
As for why the show has captured such a large number of Canadian’s hearts, Marshall believes it’s because Heartland is unique.
“I think that there’s nothing else like it on television right now,” she said.
New episodes of Heartland will air on CBC in January, on Sunday nights at 7 p.m., and the episodes filmed in Cochrane will air sometime in March.
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Editor’s note:
The online version of this story has been altered to correct the stated ratings and popularity figures of Heartland. We apologize for the error. A correction will appear in the December 23 edition of the Eagle.
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[...] CBC drama Heartland films for a week at Ag Society “For five full days the Cochrane and District Agricultural Society (CDAS) was transformed from a quiet riding arena and gathering place, to a hustling, bustling set for one of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporations (CBC’s) biggest shows, Heartland.” Read more. [...]
Well said, Phoebe. AWESOME to have it filmed in Cochrane! Waiting and waiting and WAITING for January to come. And can’t wait to see the one filmed in Cochrane. I ride at that arena a lot!
Merry Christmas to the Heartland cast & crew!!!
Yeah! Go Heartland! Nice to see it in Cochrane :)
Keep up with the amazing work you are doing! Looking forward to January (will it ever come?)