Though I steer clear of celebrity news, I have a soft spot for spotting celebrities in my city. I’ve speculated in the past that avid celebrity hunters and paparrazi (happily, I am neither) should devise some kind of online celebrity tracker for the city. Jaunted has gone ahead and built one using Google Maps mashed up with photos and YouTube videos:
So for the next couple of months, right before your very web eyes, this Chasing Vancouver map will become illuminated with hot points thrice weekly–many sent in by you…For those of you on the ground in Van, you have an important role in all of this–you make this work. How? You help us keep track of local sightings, filming locations, cool photos, wanderings, and any Vancouver places we should know, and send this fodder over to us at tips@jaunted.com. We thrive on your tips, and no pressure, but the folks in Toronto kicked some serious ass at this a couple months back.
Dane Cook, Halle Berry, David Duchovny, Rachel McAdams, Benico Del Toro, Renee Zellweger and Andy Samberg are all slated to be shooting features in Hollywood North over the next couple of months.
Hang on, Rachel McAdams? I may have to kick my celebrity stalking up beyond the ‘hey, isn’t that what’s-his-name?’ level while wandering around downtown.
What I’d really like is a Google Map-enabled site called VanShootingSchedule.com or WhosShootingWhere.com. I walk past film and TV shoots all the time, but rarely know what they’re for. I’m curious, but can’t be arsed to harass the orange-vested, walkie-talkie-clutching PA to ask.
I did witness somebody else asking a PA this very question yesterday. The guy was an incredible stoner, walking his little dog. The PA was seated against a wall on the sidewalk, waiting for something to do:
STONER: Hey, man, like what’s shooting here?
PA: (Dog investigates his crotch) Oh.
STONER: Sorry about that, man. Just typical dog stuff.
PA: No worries. We’re shooting The L Word.
STONER: Cool. So what’s shooting here?
Not a word of a lie.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
Ah Darren. If only you read Metroblogging Vancouver, where Matt covered this question deeply in March. The Vancouver Metblog: it knows everything.
Yes, I know. My encyclopedic knowledge of the posting history there scares even me.
While I’m at it, a point of usage: “North Van,” but never “Van.” Douglas Coupland explains this in his “City of Glass.” When quoting someone who uses this abomination, please put a mean-spirited “[sic]” after it to indicate that the quotee is not to be trusted with heavy equipment or light verse.
Kindest Rgrds.,
Not A. Kook
Ryan: The problem with those lists from Metroblogging is that none of them specify exacting where and when crews are shooting. Yesterday I walked by a shoot on Seymour Street. I want to be able to go home, look at some site, and see what’s shooting there.