'Pure professionalism': Winnipeg recording studio welcomed Mark Hamill for voiceover work

It’s no secret Manitoba’s film industry is in a golden age. Several high-profile productions are filming around the province this summer and Manitoba could see record-breaking revenues by the end of the year.

The ripple effect is being felt throughout the industry as post-production companies, like Precursor Productions, are reaping the benefits as well.

Earlier this month, Precursor welcomed in a Hollywood legend for some voiceover work.

Mark Hamill, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga, is also a seasoned voice actor. He’s voiced the Joker in several Batman cartoons along with countless other projects.

 

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Hamill has been filming 'The Long Walk' – a Stephen King adaptation alongside Judy Greer – here in Manitoba this summer.

According to Precursor Productions owner Andrew Yankiwski, Hamill stopped by the studio to do dub work for season two of 'The Sandman', a Netflix adaptation of a comic series by the same name. 

“He was recording a character called Merv for the show, which is like a pumpkin-head character,” Yankiwski told CTV News Tuesday.

In The Sandman, Mervyn Pumpkinhead is the main character’s “jaded, wise-cracking, cigar-smoking” janitor with; you guessed it, a jack o’ lantern for a head.

“When he came in, he was definitely ready to get down to business,” Yankiwski recalled. "We really try to be prepared for them, so that they can go straight into the booth.”

He described Hamill’s work in Precursor’s recording booth as remarkable and professional.

“I’m just impressed with how well their connection is with the directors and the people supervising the role,” Yankiwski said. “Because they’ve worked on these shows before, they already have a rapport. And it always impresses me how people on that level, Mark included, can just quickly respond to direction… I think we saw that with Mark’s session – just the pure professionalism and the ability to bring exactly what the role needed.”

Yankiwski said Hamill’s visit wasn’t Precursor Production’s first brush with Hollywood. Actors like Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, and Hilary Swank have all worked in the studio.

“I’m always impressed by how many projects they’ve got on the go,” he explained. “That often creates the opportunity for us because they have so many things they’re working on that are still in the post-production process. When they’re here filming something, it creates opportunities for us to actually record them for other projects.”

Precursor Productions has been a recording studio for about 25 years, but only started doing film audio and post-production work in 2009. Yankiwski said the company cut its teeth during a slower period for film production in the province, but he’s witnessed the surge first-hand over the past few years.

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“It's really accelerated in a noticeable way,” Yankiwski explained. “I mean, there were some exciting projects for us prior to that time, but we've really noticed an uptick in audio post-production related to film, TV and also interactive work as well too, especially over the last seven years.”

Yankiwski said he did have a chance to chat with the actor and his daughter, Chelsea Hamill, who works as an executive assistant.

“I know Mark’s here to work, but it sounds like she’s really exploring the city,” Yankiwski said. “That’s neat to see and it really humanizes the session. And obviously, as Winnipeggers, we want them to be exploring and enjoying the city.”

Mark Hamill salutes as he arrives at the world premiere of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in Los Angeles on Dec. 16, 2019. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Yankiwski said Winnipeg is still seen as a relatively “new commodity” in Hollywood. It’s a place with great shooting locations and a growing reputation for competent, hard-working film crews. However, he added actors, crew, and other industry folk are starting to talk about other things the city has to offer – including the Hamill family.

“They’ll talk about what they’ve been told, but then they’ll talk a bit about their perception of it as well,” he shared. “So we had that little opportunity to talk to Mark and his daughter… and it sounded like they were really engaging with the city and that’s very exciting.”