High-end TV series no doubt represent a sort of Holy Grail for many Canadian post-production shops. But the reality is that many facilities, except for the very largest and even some of those, take on whatever projects they have to, including corporate videos and infomercials, to keep busy. This is especially true with an increasingly fragmented broadcasting industry and shrinking licence fees for high-budget production.

But even within this climate, some shops juggling different forms of work are experiencing success landing long-form jobs.

Montreal’s Bureau de Post Productions is one shop that knows about diversification.

‘We’re working in different types of markets,’ says Renaud Cote, VP of finance and development. ‘It’s split – 50% is commercials and 50% is television, film and documentary.’

In long form, Bureau de Post is currently working on the public affairs and news parody series Infoman, produced by Stephane Laporte and Zone3 for Radio-Canada, along with several variety shows that air in Quebec.

Roy Clute, VP of market development for Toronto’s Post Producers Digital, admits that it is difficult for a smaller shop to make the jump into higher-end projects.

‘We don’t have a reputation for doing the big shows,’ says Clute. ‘It’s very difficult for me to attract someone who has a big drama-based series. They may not recognize our editors as being able to do that. There’s a certain perception out there if you’re not one of the 10 guys in town who have their own systems.’

Nonetheless, Clute reports that PPD is steadily growing. It has seen an increasing number of documentaries and reality-based work as Canadian broadcasters move in that direction. Among its long-form post projects that have aired are 13 half-hours of the Kaleidoscope Entertainment series The Star Treatment for Star TV and 26 episodes of the Red Cap Productions children’s educational program Backyard Bug Adventures for TVOntario. Clute believes that demonstrating the ability to do a variety of projects will help PPD eventually establish its place in the long-form market.

Toronto’s Bullet Digital Post has experienced similar hurdles in making the transition to long form, according to executive producer Janine Harris. She says that offering a broad range of services on site is one way not only to attract clients, but also to continue to move forward with established relationships. Bullet has recently added a shooting studio on its premises to accommodate its customers.

‘It definitely helps when I’m touring a client to have everything available to them – audio, post, video, cameras and now the studio,’ says Harris.

Bullet is currently cutting the series Feng Shui Life from Keep It In The Family Productions for Life TV and BTL TV’s Behind the Lens for diginet FashionTelevisionChannel. The explosion of digital channels has not, however, led to a work bonanza for most post shops, as diginets lack the budgets and initial commitment to original programming.

‘They’re doing a lot of acquisitions, buying shows that have already been produced,’ says Clute. ‘And for producers who are going out there trying to do a show for them, the licence fee is so small that they’ve got to spend a good deal of time shaking funds. When they get that money, the budget is tight so they’re out.’

Al Pinvidic, editor at Vancouver’s Finale Editworks, likewise has not seen the diginets breaking his door down. Pinvidic has been busy on a couple of long-form projects directed at the major Canadian nets. His most recent works include the picture-locked Raincoast Storylines documentary Parkinson’s Enigma, featuring Michael J. Fox, and Infinity Films’ Guinea Pig Club, about plastic surgery experiences during World War Two. Finale is one of several Canuck post shops that have been able to make series, reality TV and doc work its bread and butter.

Pinvidic, Harris, Clute and Cote all agree that strong word of mouth remains the most powerful marketing tool.

‘Ultimately you’ve got to go on what you can stand up and show as your product and your people,’ says Harris.

Price-slashing, another tool that rears its head when the economy is suffering, may not be the best way to ensure a steady flow of business in this service-based sector.

‘I think there was always competition with prices, but that’s not where we try to distinguish ourselves in the market,’ says Cote. ‘We’re going for the quality of the service and the quality of the product. We’re not trying to play that [price war] game, because in the end I don’t think anybody will benefit from it.’

Technology has also played a major role in redefining the role of the editor, particularly with the introduction of Avid’s nonlinear digital editing systems more than 10 years ago. The editor is now looked upon as more than just the last stop in the production process. Shops are maximizing the functionality of systems such as Avid’s high-end finishing solution, Symphony, and Discreet’s fire, smoke and edit to offer clients a wider range of services. For example, whereas in the past graphics and special effects might have been contracted out to a design or F/X shop, there is greater demand on editing houses to handle each of these aspects.

But since most shops are equipped with comparable systems, hardware and software cannot be relied upon to give one facility a competitive edge, unless you’re geared up to deal with an even higher-end format such as HD, which is still struggling to find its way in the market. For now, with producers’ budgets constricted, the best way for post shops to thrive is to do it all and do it well.

-www.bureaudepost.com

-www.ppd.on.ca

-www.bulletdigital.com

-www.finale-editworks.com

-www.avid.com

-www.discreet.com