For mid-sized production companies based in Vancouver, the advantages of their location seem to outweigh the disadvantages.

Maryvonne Micale, writer, director and partner of Vancouver prodco Insight Film & Video Productions, says, ‘The main challenge is not being in Toronto; being on the West Coast and not being in close communication with the broadcasters, who are mainly based in Toronto, that’s something that we recognize. We can’t just have lunch with History tv and wtn. We have to deal with that – we make lots of phone calls and e-mails and visits to Toronto.’

However, the West Coast remains an area rich in opportunity from Insight’s viewpoint: ‘It seems like we’re growing like crazy and there’s lots of work,’ says Micale. The company, which has grown to 14 fulltime employees from three four years ago, also has the goal of ‘25% to 30% growth a year. We’ve done it for the last three years,’ says Kirk Shaw, executive producer and president of Insight.

Shaw, who Micale says is ‘quite a risk taker,’ has driven this growth with initiatives like the company’s approach to the series Driver’s Seat, currently in its seventh season on Global: rather than selling the series to the broadcaster for the standard licensing fee, the company buys a block of time and then takes responsibility for selling the advertising.

‘It’s a risky thing – it’s a big responsibility. It’s much easier to just go to a broadcaster, get a licence fee and let them do that. We pay them for a spot and then we have to finance the whole show by contacting sponsors, which is very complex,’ says Micale.

Diversification is the name of Insight’s game with cd-roms, for example, in the works – one recently produced for Simon Fraser University, one done for the Canadian Bankers Association and one in production on the subject of office ergonomics.

Insight is also a partner in a computer game company called Cyber Cinema. ‘Twenty-five percent of our business is now involved with computer games,’ says Micale.

And that’s not all.

‘The Internet represents a whole new world of opportunity for those who own the content and the libraries,’ says Shaw. ‘My library is now worth a six-figure amount, which a year ago I wouldn’t have been able to imagine.’

Shaw spoke to Playback fresh from a trip to the u.s. where he participated in negotiations that will see an Internet broadcaster working with a tv broadcaster in a deal that will also bring in a magazine and website.

‘We will use the tv show to drive the site, and the site will have all of our past series as content. It was sitting on a shelf and now can sit on the site and earn money. The value of that inventory has increased.’

Also in the works is a ‘cyber documentary’ on the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alta., for which the Internet broadcaster will pony up half the production costs.

Mickey Rogers, ceo and partner of Vancouver-based Forefront Entertainment Group, is quick to point out the advantages of a b.c. base. ‘Being on the West Coast we have the same time zone as l.a. and it’s just a flight away. Americans are always looking for new ways of financing and we’re in the business of producing great shows.’

As for the disadvantages of being based in the west – there aren’t any, according to Rogers. ‘For us as a smaller production company, it’s an issue in terms of capitalization, of competing. We’re lucky; we have incredible talent in the company so we’re fortunate. Certainly it’s a challenge as a smaller Canadian company.’

In fact, physical proximity to American productions drawn to b.c. by favorable conditions has proved to have its upside. ‘We have benefited from people who have worked on very expensive productions, so they have the training. A lot of people have trained with us and gone on to other projects, so it works both ways. We attract those who want to work on Canadian productions – we don’t have the money to pay those [u.s.] rates.

And like Insight, Forefront sees new media as the way of the future.

‘We’re making some inroads; [we’re] working on strategic alliances here and working to ensure our website’s updated and has the kind of information that young viewers are interested in – we’re looking at those opportunities. It’s a question of who do you align yourself with?

‘I think that we have to be nimble. I think one of the things [we have] going for us is the ability to change our direction. We’re aware of webcasting and the opportunities available – as a smaller company we’re able to make those changes more quickly.’