Production volume in Saskatchewan dipped in 1999 to $27 million from $58 million the previous year. In particular, indigenous production dropped more than 50% to $20.2 million from $42.7 million in 1998.

Saskatchewan’s poor showing in the last round of the Canadian Television Fund is where most of the blame is being placed, although producers also note that in 1999 SaskFilm’s equity investment budget was cut in half and the transition to a tax credit-based industry came into play.

Valerie Creighton, the new ceo of SaskFilm, says one of her priorities is finding more equity money for the agency. ‘If we had an extra $500,000 last year we could have picked up some of those projects that did not get ctf support,’ she says.

The industry is also lobbying for a post-production bonus to be added to the tax credit although it appears that this will likely take another year of study and analysis before it will be passed by the provincial government.

SaskFilm is also bolstering its marketing and locations efforts to bring more production to the province.

As Minds Eye Pictures’ Kevin DeWalt and many other producers point out, the Saskatchewan industry would have far more stability if it had a continual stream of service productions.

‘We are trying to balance service with indigenous production – more service work will bring more consistency from year to year,’ says DeWalt, whose upcoming service projects include Legend Entertainment’s Ties That Bind, a psychological thriller starring Andy Garcia, set to shoot in early June in Moose Jaw and Regina.

Creighton says she is also looking at ways to increase the profile of Saskatchewan producers and assist their attendance at markets and in trade missions.

The low-budget feature program and the winter initiative for short drama are key programs to develop emerging talent. In the coming months SaskFilm will also be looking at how better to assist screenwriters, says Creighton.

‘My primary objective is getting production – offshore and indigenous – to the province and heightening the awareness of our producers,’ she says.

A potential lure to land production is a high-tech sound stage, and Minds Eye Pictures is currently spearheading such an initiative. DeWalt says the federal and provincial government have both shown interest in supporting such a facility and the Regina Economic Development Authority is driving the business plan. A feasibility study should be ready by June and will include the potential costs of the studio complex.

DeWalt says the game plan is to have a facility ready for fall 2001. Minds Eye will move its office and post-production house into the facility and another eight or more companies have also shown interest in taking production office space. Production suppliers are also being courted to move their shops to the facility. Two sound stages, which can be sub-divided into four studios, are being planned.

Despite past shortfalls, producers are optimistic about the volume of work slated for Saskatchewan this upcoming production cycle. Minds Eye alone is aiming at $50 million in production and numerous other producers are anticipating increased activity.

Michael Snook at WestWind Pictures in Regina has a 26-episode renewal of This Small Space for hgtv Canada and hgtv u.s., and an additional two new series pending full financing: Designer Guys for hgtv Canada, and Wild Lives for Discovery Canada and scn.

Plans are underway to expand WestWind’s Toronto office if Designer Guys shoots this summer, says Snook, including the addition of editing suites.

Edge Entertainment has completed a corporate refinancing and restructuring and has a second offering planned for May. The tv movies The Impossible Elephant and Now and Forever have both received lfp funding and are now in line for the eip. Two additional cable features – Dreamtime and Night Class may also go this year, which would mean more than $10 million worth of production for the Saskatoon-based company.

Edge’s distribution division is also looking to acquire between 10 and 30 programs this year for home video and some tv rights.

Over the past year, Partners in Motion has expanded into distribution and teamed up with an Internet-based company. ‘Increasing the volume of production for these various outlets is top of mind,’ says Partners’ Ron Goetz, who is anticipating approximately $5 million in production this year.

For the first time this year, the prodco has had the ability to self-finance two series for the international market, without going to any of the Canadian funds.

‘If you have the aspirations to work the international market, you have to find your own money,’ says Goetz.

Partners plans to continue a healthy mix of projects for Canadian broadcasters which access the ctf, as well as projects driven by the global marketplace.

Partners has nine hours of production slated for History Television this fall, including: a series on Canadian disasters of the century; three additional hours on World War II veterans (based on the format of the previous A Soldier’s Voice); and a 90-minute feature doc on Victoria Cross winners.

Goetz says the company has spent a lot of energy over the past few years targeting a few key broadcasters – in Canada and internationally – where it saw a potential fit, and slowly building upon these relationships.

‘You have to focus on where your company is, what you want to do and look at what broadcasters this would work with. Then you don’t waste time sending proposals and [taking] business trips that are a waste of someone’s time. You can’t build a relationship with a broadcaster until you have something particular to offer them.’