T.O. Film and TV Office reports ‘almost inconceivable’ growth

Toronto Film and Television Office head David Plant estimates production spending for the first six months of 1995 has hit $199 million, up about 7% over the same period last year. The number of permits for the same period is up more than 15% over last year and the tally of shooting days for the first half of 1995 hit 3,527 as opposed to 2,981 by the end of June 1994.

‘It is almost inconceivable to me that we would have that much growth,’ says Plant. Currently, about 30 productions – not including commercials – are rolling or in prep in town.

‘Running at 30 shows is about as much as we would be likely to sustain on an ongoing basis,’ says Plant. ‘I would never say we are too busy because that’s not true, but a lot of people are wanting to know when certain shows are wrapping because they are looking for crews.’

The first quarter of 1995 did not match the powerful first three months of the previous year when a number of American winter features came to Ontario for snowy locales, but Plant says 1995’s second quarter was ‘extremely strong.’

Overall, Plant estimates 1995 is up about 11% over 1994, which was a record year with a 47% increase in production over 1993. Last year, in-province production spending hit the $500 million mark.

Plant is looking ahead to a promising fall. August, September and October are traditionally the strongest months for production. At press time, 26 potential projects were in the tftvo pipeline – 11 features, three series and 12 tv movies.

For now, Canadian series production is down – what with the disappearance of TekWar and Robocop – but American service production – especially in tv movies – is up.

Sullivan launches into new series

Sullivan Entertainment’s The Wind at My Back is a new series to replace Road to Avonlea on cbc in the fall of 1996 or winter ’97. Season seven of Avonlea, currently in production, will wrap the series because, as executive producer Kevin Sullivan says, the show ‘has reached its zenith.’

Loosely based on two books – Never Sleep Three in a Bed and The Night We Stole the Mountie’s Car – by Max Braithwaite (Why Shoot the Teacher?) as well as Ten Lost Years, The Wind at My Back is about the hard times faced by a family and their relatives in the dirty ’30s.

Sullivan wrote the bible for the first season and is story editor, producer and executive producer (with Trudy Grant). He says the new series is, in tone, ‘much more real and poignant’ than Avonlea. Sullivan aims to broaden the audience for the family hour slot on cbc with Wind.

The 13 episodes start shooting in August and continue through to December. Locale is being scouted now. As far as key creatives, Sullivan says it’s too early to discuss names.

Full slate at Alliance

Due South is in prep on 13 season-two episodes for the CTV Television Network. With sales to over 52 countries, a deal with ctv, Telefilm Canada and the Cable Production Fund, Alliance Communications was able to pull the series from the rubble of discarded American net dramas this summer.

Plans are to go into production mid to late August in Toronto with the usual suspects – actors Paul Gross and David Marciano, key creatives Paul Haggis and Kathy Slevin, co-executive producer Jeff King – on board. Word is the writing team and crew from season one will be back. Directors have not been signed yet.

Content-wise, Due South will look much the same, says one source, but a little sexier with ‘hints of romance’ decorating the odd-couple scenario.

In the meantime, Gross – in full Mountie regalia – and his canine companion Diefenbaker were recently seen at the Calgary Stampede in the capacity of parade marshals. The other marshal couple was Minnie and Mickey. Coincidence or conspiracy?

Also at Alliance is The Boys Club, a Canadian feature in the $1.5 million range which goes to camera July 10 to Aug. 14. It’s a coproduction between Alliance and O’B & D Films, with Tim O’Brien and Greg Dummett producing.

Chris Penn (Reservoir Dogs) plays a fugitive who takes shelter in the clubhouse of three adolescent boys (Dominic Zamprogna, Stuart Stone and Devon Sawa, who did the voice of Casper). Penn appears to be a good Samaritan in the first half of the movie, but then the tables turn and he takes the boys hostage.

Also starring are Amy Stewart and Gerrad Blanchard.

John Fawcett (Half Nelson) is directing his first feature. Peter Wellington wrote the script based on an original screenplay by Doug Smith. dop is Thom Best (Half Nelson). Art director is Taavo Soodor. Production manager is Rob Iveson.

Locations are Georgetown and a conservation area near Kleinberg. Alliance is distributing worldwide.

Last but not least on Alliance’s slate are two new Harlequin mows for cbs (and still in negotiations with ctv). At the Midnight Hour and The Awakening are slated to roll this August with Midnight shooting Aug. 7-25 and Awakening lensing directly after. Producer on both tv movies is Norman Denver (Due South) and casting is being handled by Claire Walker. Jana Ververka is creative executive on both.

Midnight is a contemporary story in the Gothic tradition, says Alliance executive Noreen Halpern. The ingredients are a young (and no doubt, pretty) widow/nanny, a bright but withdrawn young boy, the lad’s papa – also widowed – who is nothing less than a brilliant, rich and stoic scientist, a playboy, a murder mystery, a mansion with turrets and – gasp – you get a love affair between the two bereaved adults.

The script was written by Joe Wiesenfeld (Princes in Exile).

The Awakening is another Harlequin classic premise, this time with the fated lovers coming together on that most romantic of road adventures, a bounty hunt. The mismatched lovers are a mercenary and a sheltered innocent who comes to an ‘awakening’ (of her senses?) through her new-found amour.

The script was written by Maria Nation. The movie shoots Aug. 28 to Sept. 15.

Mink tale

The James Mink Story, an mow for cbs and Global Television, goes to camera July 24 in Toronto, Port Hope and Upper Canada Village and continues shooting through Aug. 25.

The story, based on a true Canadian tale of the mid 19th century, is about a wealthy black man (Lou Gossett) and his white wife (Kate Nelligan) who take great pains to marry their daughter to a suitable young man only to have her sold into slavery as soon as the parents aren’t looking. The betrayed bride has yet to be cast.

Bruce Pittman (Where the Spirit Lives) is directing, Wendy Grean (Catwalk, Senior Trip) is producing and executive producer is Dorothea Petrie. dop is Michael Storey (e.n.g.), production designer is Bill Beeton (Getting Gotti) and production manager is Tony Thatcher. Casting in Toronto is being handled by Claire Walker.

The script, written by Americans Brian Bird and John Wierick is based on the original story by our own Brian White.