In this regular feature, we dissect the current commercial production scene in markets across Canada.

B.C.

One Vancouver-based producer proclaims Vancouver is in the midst of ‘one of the longest continued slumps I’ve seen. I’d say it’s the worst in 10 years.’

The producer has worked on a few roadhouse productions, but locally generated work is unquestionably down compared to years past. ‘[I’ve seen only] one board locally in the last while and it was telecommunications. I’ve just never seen such a sustained slump. This has been sustained since last November,’ he says.

On the other hand, another Vancouver producer maintains the market began to pick up in mid-October.

‘Locally, I’ve been getting boards over the last couple of days,’ says the producer. ‘It seems like things are picking up for the Christmas rush. I’m hoping there will be a lot more, but presently there is increased board flow in the Vancouver market.’

PRAIRIES

After a slow-to-moderate pace this spring and summer, one Manitoba-based producer reports an increase in both commercial board flow and corporate work, and that the fall has been ‘the best part of 2001.’

‘There is no telling what Sept. 11 and all the ‘doom and gloom’ economic news is going to do, but at the moment we’re pretty busy,’ says the producer.

A reason the Prairies are hopping with work now, according to a producer in Alberta, is the recent green light on previously postponed jobs.

‘A lot of the stuff that had been talked about and awarded earlier in the year but hadn’t gone to the next stage is all happening suddenly,’ says the producer. ‘So we’ve had a pretty busy September and October, doing work that should have been done during the summer, which was pretty weak.’

A lot of government and institutional boards as well as some retail jobs are cited, with a heavy dose of high-end local work.

ONTARIO

Many production houses report a decrease in the amount of work coming in.

‘It’s a script here and a script there, but not as busy as usual,’ says one producer. ‘There is still some U.S. work coming up here, but I think that has petered off too.’

Boards circulating are in the packaged-goods, telecommunications and fast-food categories.

Another producer, who remains more optimistic, says: ‘There isn’t a lot of big, amazing stuff going on right now, however, the board flow is starting to accelerate.’ The producer, who has fiscal issues to air, adds, ‘Agencies still have quite unrealistic budgets for what their wish lists are. In the past year they have been writing creative with inappropriate price tags, and production companies have eaten their mark-up and lost money. We do anything to try to keep working and keep the agencies happy, but that’s a loser’s game.’

The producer says this is starting to change, as production companies are telling agencies their directors are not available at those prices.

‘When things are this brutal, it can get pretty dirty.’

QUEBEC

Despite its more insular nature, the slumping economy has hurt the commercial production market in Quebec as well. According to one producer, it’s very slow given the time of year, compared to last year when business picked up in early November and continued on until the middle of the spring.

‘I’m hearing that it is dead from freelance production managers, too, so I don’t think it is just us,’ the producer says. ‘From what I can gather, the approval process from the client is getting longer.’

Another Montreal producer states concern over the decreased frequency of roadhouse productions coming to town, due to the current situation in the U.S.

ATLANTIC

Halifax continues to prove itself as the little region that could, as commercial production continues to pick up in the small market.

‘The consensus out here is that it is booming,’ says one producer. Word is many local advertisers are opening their wallets, and with the East Coast commercial infrastructure continuing to develop and foreign advertisers journeying eastward to take advantage of locations, the outlook is positive.

One producer says Halifax has so far avoided the business slowdown experienced by its central and western competitors.

‘We are almost our own little world out here,’ says one producer. ‘It didn’t touch us as much as everyone else.’

Another industry pundit in Halifax agrees, saying the current work falls mainly in the telecommunications, car, tourism and food categories, adding that a lot of the creative is staying in Atlantic Canada, except one category: ‘All the beer work leaves the province. Otherwise, agencies really want to keep the work local, and the service companies are rising to the occasion. Atlantic people like to feed Atlantic people.’