goes

1994

As the Canadian dollar plummets, overall production spending across the country has never been so good.

In 1994, Ontario proved the leader with $501 million in total production expenditures, up from a record $338 million reported in 1993. Canadian production in the province was up 34% from the previous year to $359.3 million, while foreign production increased a substantial 105% to $141.7 million.

A total of 128 productions were shot in Ontario – 34 features and 94 television projects. Canadian productions accounted for 92 of the total – 69 tv projects and 23 feature films.

These figures, compiled by the Ontario Film Development Corporation, do not include commercials, corporate or music videos, or most in-house broadcast production.

In Toronto, $488 million was spent in production, up from 1993’s $320 million. The number of major productions increased from 113 in ’93 to 133 in ’94. Commercial production climbed to an estimated $200 million last year, up from $132 million in 1993.

The final three months of 1994 accounted for as much business as the first six years (from 1979 to 1985) of the Toronto Film and Television Office’s history, says David Plant, head of the tfto. He estimates film and tv production injected about $1.5 billion into the local economy last year.

Montreal’s production expenditures climbed to just over $300 million on 407 projects in 1994. That figure includes everything but in-house production by broadcasters, says Montreal film commissioner Andre Lafond. About half the total was spent on 42 features, of which 28 were domestic and 14 were foreign productions. Comparatively, 1993 production spending was $275 million on a total of 372 projects.

The number of productions shot in British Columbia last year was up but production budgets were down. British Columbia Film estimates 1994 brought in between $350 million and $375 million in production expenditures on 85 productions (32 features, 38 mows and 15 series). In 1993, over $500 million was spent on 73 productions. These figures do not include commercial production.

In Alberta, production spending more than doubled over the one-year period – from $30 million in 1993 to $62.2 million in ’94. Three series alone – Alliance Communications’ North of 60, Atlantis Communications’ Destiny Ridge and Telegenic Programs’ u.s. series Lonesome Dove – accounted for $37.4 million of the total.

Domestic production, all tv projects, accounted for $25.2 million of total spending in the province last year.

Garry Toth, general manager of the Alberta Motion Picture Development Corporation, says he and his colleagues are anticipating a further increase in 1995.

‘There are more and more links (here) with foreign coproducers, both from the States and in Europe,’ he says, adding that Song Spinner, a children’s drama for Showtime and the first Alberta-Quebec coproduction, is expected to open more doors and result in more productions.

Toth says he is also expecting an additional Canadian tv series in 1995, as well as Nobody’s Business, a sitcom pilot produced by Jasper-based Wacko Entertainment for WIC Western International Communications.

Saskfilm reports spending on feature film and television projects in Saskatchewan increased from $6.1 million on 18 projects in ’93 to $7.5 million on 16 projects in ’94. Feature films accounted for $3.1 million of last year’s total, compared to $1.8 million the previous year.

Overall production budgets for Manitoba in 1994, as compiled by the Manitoba Cultural Industries Development Office, came to $19.5 million, up from $9.7 million in ’93. Last year’s numbers include about $12 million for commercial productions and the rest for 15 film and tv productions.

TheYukon Film Promotion Office reports all-inclusive production spending of $1.2 million, down from the 1993 tally of $2 million. Patty Howlett of the promotion office says the bulk of production is commercials and documentaries.

Overall entertainment software production in Canada during 1994 is estimated by Robert Morrice of The Royal Bank at $1.5 billion.

With files from Leo Rice-Barker in Montreal and Joanne Morgan in Vancouver.