Many assumed that 2020 would be a write- off when the pandemic swept across North America, shuttering film sets and sowing unprecedented chaos.

Shows were indefinitely paused or cancelled altogether, deals fell apart, network revenues took a drubbing and even the brightest minds in the industry were at a loss over how to safely produce content in a socially distanced environment.

For large parts of last year, getting back on track seemed like an insurmountable task. But the Canadian screen industry was able to make sense of the chaos, with many companies posting production levels comparable to prior years, and some even exceeding their historical averages as shown by the findings from Playback‘s Indie Report, a pulse-taking snapshot of an entirely unconventional year, ahead of the next official Indie List which will call for input in the spring.

Of course, it’s untrue to say 2020 was a stellar year; some companies were unable to shoot anything, and the overall production volume for the Canadian production sector was down. What is accurate is that many of Canada’s top production companies weathered the storm and engineered a dramatic comeback in the second half of the year.

Among the noticeable trends is that some larger kids-focused production companies made significant gains.

Sinking Ship Entertainment handled $38.2 million in production spending, up from $26.3 million the prior year, as its live-action business flourished. Meanwhile, marblemedia made even steeper gains, jumping to $41.5 million, from $20.4 million in 2019, a stunning increase made possible by the continued growth of its unscripted business and the production of its interconnected family sitcoms, The Parker Andersons and Amelia Parker.

Guru Studio also hit $34.1 million in production spending, up from $28.6 million the year prior, as its animation business grew through the pandemic, while kids-entertainment juggernaut 9 Story Media Group racked up $131.8 million, compared with $150 million the prior year.

Sat atop this year’s chart is Boat Rocker Media, while has put its foot to the floor on its North American strategy in recent years, racking up $248.6 million in production spending across its global operation. After going public earlier this year, raising around $170 million in the process, that investment looks set to increase in future years.

Scripted powerhouses Shaftesbury and SEVEN24 Films posted impressive totals once again, made all the more impressive given the never-ending succession of curveballs lobbed their way. Muse Entertainment hit $66.6 million, and continued to invest heavily in development with more than $2.5 million invested in that area. The Montreal company also handled an enormous $127.2 million in service work.

Film-focused companies also managed to regroup and turn in strong performances in 2020. After its formation in 2013, Elevation focused on distribution in the first three years of its existence, before branching into service production and later producing its own IP. That directional shift appears to be paying off now, with the company generating $15 million in production spending. Meanwhile, Regina’s Minds Eye Entertainment hit $10.2 million and Scythia Films posted $2 million, with the latter also handling $10 million in service production.

Factual-focused production companies such as Cream Productions and Alibi Entertainment also had solid years, with Cream handling $22 million in production spending and Alibi $9 million, while Winnipeg-based Farpoint Films clocked $7.9 million with projects including the second season of Ice Vikings, in addition to handling $10 million in service production. Meanwhile, fellow Winnipeg-based company Eagle Vision continued to generate significant production activity through a combination of documentary, unscripted and TV projects, namely the final season of Burden of Truth.

For as long as there has been an independent Canadian production industry, people have been forecasting its demise. In 2020, once again, the domestic screen sector proved that an economic catastrophe – even one as unthinkable as a months-long, industry-wide production shutdown – could be weathered with ingenuity, hard work and collaboration.

With the worst of the pandemic hopefully in the rearview mirror, the Canadian production industry will look to build in 2021 and the years ahead, potentially with the help of new legislation that would bring more money into the domestic funding system.

This story originally appeared in Playback’s fall 2021 issue