DJ Tanner lands gig with Cineplex
When Tanner Zipchen was a kid, people made fun of him for having a large head. They didn’t know how right they were.
Zipchen’s face will be two storeys high on movie screens across Canada thanks to the Cineplex Casting Call, a contest to become a host on the theatre chain’s pre-show.
His win was announced on Friday and Zipchen, best known in Saskatoon for his work on radio as DJ Tanner, was still waiting for the news to sink in.
“It might register this weekend. Maybe people will just find me crying in the movie theatre and that will be really embarrassing,” he said. “But it’s incredible.”
Zipchen will be part of the Cineplex Pre-Show, a monthly 25-minute show that runs before movies at the chain, for one year.
Zipchen was chosen from hundreds of YouTube submissions across Canada. He finished first in fan voting and was named one of three finalists. After completing a series of challenges, he was chosen by a panel of Cineplex judges.
During the voting, the Saskatoon native felt the local support.
“We do a really good job here of promoting our own, whether it’s the Sheepdogs on the cover of Rolling Stone or whatever. People like to get behind the home team,” he said, adding even Premier Brad Wall tweeted about the contest. “I’d like to think they believed in me enough and thought I would do a decent job.”
His first official appearance on the big screen will be as part of the October pre-show.
He will keep his job with Saskatoon Media Group while acting as host, but will likely travel to film his segments.
He’s not sure yet what he’ll work on, but with movies such as Star Wars: Episode VII and a new addition to the Marvel franchise coming up, he’s excited about the possibilities.
Zipchen said he looks forward to the chance to learn new skills and take advantage of any opportunities that arise.
“I just sort of got used to hearing myself on the radio. Now, I have to get used to this,” he said.