Vancouver: B.C. film and television crews worked on all or part of 205 productions in 2002, according to official statistics published by B.C.’s Ministry of Competition, Science and Enterprise May 15. That represents an increase of 4% in overall titles in B.C., but direct spending was $993.6 million, the first time B.C.’s annual production revenues have dropped below $1 billion since 1999, as Playback reported in its May 12 issue.

In 2002, there were 37 feature films, 38 MOWs/pilots/miniseries, 19 TV series, 20 animation projects and 91 documentaries/shorts. Of these, 140 were Canadian productions worth a total of $163.6 million, and 65 were foreign productions worth $830 million. Overall, the B.C. industry dropped 10% from 2001 when 197 productions generated $1.1 billion.

Foreign-owned feature films, such as X2: X-Men United and The Lizzie Maguire Movie, numbered 15 in 2002 (compared to 22 in 2001), but spending increased 27% to $413.7 million.

Foreign television series also dropped in number (12 in 2002 compared to 19 in 2001), and in value (down 24% to $242.7 million), a situation blamed on the proliferation of reality TV shows.

The value of domestic production is down 35% from $251.6 million in 2001 and down 61% from the industry high of $419.4 million in 2000, however, the number of domestic productions actually increased 24% over the 113 recorded in 2001.