Burnaby Village Museum wants to transport residents into the world of the movies - and it's looking for help from people in the film industry.
The museum is searching for people to contribute memorabilia and expertise for a Summer at the Movies exhibition planned to run at the village this summer.
"The exhibit overall is looking at the kind of experience of going to the movies in the '20s and '30s in Burnaby," explained Lisa Codd, the museum's curator.
As part of the exhibit, the museum wants to also explore the history of the film industry in Burnaby over the last 20 or so years.
"It is a neat place to really think about what filming was like 100 years ago and see how things have changed," Codd said.
Codd is hoping to hear from people who have worked on films or TV series that were shot in Burnaby.
She pointed out that many long-running, popular shows - 21 Jump Street, MacGyver, Stargate and Smallville, to name a few - were filmed in Burnaby.
She's hoping that people will have memorabilia from those and other shows - props, set pieces, costumes, photos, sketchbooks and the like.
And, she said, it's more than just the objects: they're also interested in people's memories of the filming.
"It doesn't just have to be stuff," she said. "We'd also just love to hear from people with stories."
The museum is also looking for people who have worked in the industry who would be willing to share their stories and demonstrate their skills on site, or who might have old equipment to demonstrate.
Codd noted they're looking for all kinds of skills, whether it's set design, costume design, special effects, stunts or makeup.
She said the museum's efforts to document the history of the film industry are, in fact, unusual.
"It's largely an undocumented history," Codd said, noting that once filming is over, all traces of the process tend to just vanish from the public eye. "A lot of the objects disappear into prop houses or people's private collections."
The museum is getting some expert assistance for the project - Mike Kaerne of Burnaby's HollyNorth studios is serving as an advisor for the exhibition.
Codd hopes the Summer at the Movies exhibit will help shed a light on an industry that many people simply don't have knowledge about.
"We want to lift the veil. We want to let people inside," she said, noting it's in keeping with the museum's mission.
"Part of our mandate as Burnaby Village Museum is to show Burnaby to itself."
Memorabilia would be taken on loan.
Anyone with objects to lend is asked to contact Codd, [email protected], as soon as possible - please provide a description of the memorabilia you would like to loan, along with a photo if possible. People who are interested in sharing their stories and expertise as on-site demonstrators or storytellers are also asked to email Codd.
