Application for Filming Information

Information for Filming at VanDusen Botanical Garden

Open 12 months a year

  1. Location scouts may enter the Garden any time during opening hours free of charge upon presentation of your business card to the cashier.
  2. VanDusen is jointly run by two partners, The Vancouver Park Board and the VanDusen Botanical Garden Association. All film permitting is done through VanDusen Garden administration (Nancy Wong, Marketing Director, 604.257.8670, email media@vandusen.org). Please contact Nancy to receive an Application for Filming form.
  3. Fees:
    1. $5,000.00 deposit cheque (payable to Vancouver Park Board, GST # R121 361 042) must be attached to your Application Form and delivered with the Application Form and copy of Insurance (see below) to Nancy Wong at VanDusen’s administration office. The deposit cheque will not be cashed, it will be returned to you upon payment of your invoice following completion of filming.
    2. the rental fee is $1,735.00 per calendar day or portion thereof applicable to all prep, filming and wrap days for the Garden. There is a $300 per day surcharge to film in the new Living Building Visitor Centre (daily rate to film there $2,035). This applies to one unit filming in one area at a time. If multiple units wish to film simultaneously in different areas, double rental fees apply. Fees are payable to Vancouver Park Board (HST # R121 361 042) c/o VanDusen Botanical Garden.
    3. hold days are billed at 50% of rental rate.
    4. $150/hour for supervision if filming takes place before 7 a.m. or after 3 p.m. Monday thru Friday, or anytime on Saturdays, Sundays and Statutory holidays.
    5. The equivalent of one day filming ($1,735.) cancellation fee plus any scheduled supervisory charges if filming is cancelled for any reason without 24 hours advance notice.
  4. The City of Vancouver requirement for insurance must be met and a copy of the insurance policy must be attached to the Application for Filming when it is submitted.
  5. Application & Contract Process:
    • Tentative bookings are not accepted.
    • Please allow 3-5  business days to process an Application for Filming and allow sufficient time for possible delays caused by your legal department etc.
    • PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT APPLICATION UNTIL YOU HAVE FINALIZED ALL YOUR LOCATIONS, DATES AND TIMES. The Application for Filming form must be submitted with a map of the Garden indicating the requested locations and detailing all days required (set-up, filming and wrap), a copy of your insurance and the damage deposit cheque for $5,000 made out to Vancouver Park Board. Please deliver the complete package to Nancy Wong.
    • If your application is approved, VanDusen Garden will draw up a Contract based on the information provided in the Application Form.  Two copies of this Contract will be sent to you for signature.  We must receive back a signed copy no later than 48 hours prior to commencement of filming.  No filming can take place until we have received the signed contract. Delays can occur when contracts must be sent to legal departments for review, please allow enough time for this process. VanDusen does change, amend or add to, its filming contract. If you wish to film here, please alert your legal department, that there will be no changes to our contract.
    • Following wrap, you will be invoiced for your rental fee plus any damage and supervision charges (as outlined above). When you drop off the cheque in payment of this invoice, your damage deposit cheque will be returned to you.
  6. There are three areas in which filming is not allowed at all:
    • Meditation Garden in the Sino-Himalayan Area
    • Former reservoir under the Stone Garden in the Sino-Himalayan Area
    • Stand of Douglas Firs on the south side of Heron Lake west of the Heather Garden

Conditions of use:

  1. Film credit noting ‘VanDusen Botanical Garden’
  2. The User will inform all residents of the adjacent street in advance of the days of shooting.
  3. Some limited parking will be allowed in our parking lot -- in the south west quadrant and/or the west end curve. This must be negotiated with Nancy Wong. All other parking must be on West 37th Ave. (City permit required). Some limited parking may be available in the Service Yard at the discretion of the Garden Foreman or his designate.
  4. During prep and filming a sign must be placed on the pathways informing Garden visitors that filming is in progress.
  5. A small truck or golf cart will be allowed for transport of equipment. Vehicles may not leave the roadways without being on plywood sheeting.
  6. The main roadways must be kept clear of vehicles to allow our regular work vehicles to move about.
  7. All delivery trucks, making deliveries for the User and not part of the regular crew, or contracted to outside suppliers, must know exactly where they are going before entering the Garden and must be escorted in and out of the Garden by a crew member.  There are no exceptions to this regulation.
  8. Refreshment area location will be chosen by mutual consent with the Garden Foreman or his designate. Catering vehicles must remain on paved areas or on plywood sheeting.
  9. All stipulations under Sensitive Area Protection must be adhered to.
  10. Crews are NOT ALLOWED to enter planted beds.  Do not remove any silver plant tags which are wired on.  Black plant labels may only be removed with permission of the Garden Foreman or his designate.
  11. There is to be no digging in the Garden because of possible damage to the Garden’s extensive irrigation system.  Spikes or sunken poles are NOT ALLOWED.  All structures must be secured above ground (with blocks).
  12. No plants will be pruned without permission and under the supervision of the Garden Foreman or his designate.
  13. User must ensure that there is no damage done to the Garden nor droppings left behind as a result of the presence of live animals on the shoot.
  14. The damage deposit will cover restoration of any disturbed areas to the condition in which they were prior to filming.  In the event of a disagreement, the Park Board will decide in its reasonable judgment.
  15. Filming can only take place in one area of the Garden at a time. If multiple units wish to film in the Garden simultaneously in different areas, then double rental fees apply.
  16. Garden Foreman or designate must be present in the Garden during all filming.

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