The attractiveness of Canada as a shooting location for long-format tv shows and feature films has pretty much become an accepted industry fact.

In the slightly more arcane world of commercial production, however, Canada has yet to reach the same degree of notoriety, and, business activity.

Toronto-based Roadhouse Productions sees this discrepancy as a big marketing opportunity and is beginning to actively represent itself to commercial production houses in the same way that it pitches itself to film and tv studios: as a turnkey operation that will provide full production services on incoming projects.

Heading this initiative is Albert Botha, a partner in Roadhouse and a veteran of the commercial production scene. Botha started in commercial production in South Africa and later, after moving to Canada in the late 1980s, helped establish The Partners’ Film Company division Stripes. Botha moved into long-format first as a line producer and two years ago became a partner in Roadhouse.

‘Providing service work for commercials is something that countries like South Africa and New Zealand have perfected,’ says Botha. ‘There’s no reason why we can’t do the same here and market ourselves not just to the United States, but to Europe as well. There is a lot of commercial work coming out of Britain, France and Germany.’

Last year, Botha’s Roadhouse handled four mows and a feature film for Los Angeles-based Paramount Studios and parent Viacom. He says his company would like to be working on as many as six mows, a feature and fill in between these projects with commercials.

‘Because of the volume of work we handle we are able to set up discounted rates that we can pass on directly to our clients, which, in addition to the low Canadian dollar, makes us an attractive location,’ says Botha. ‘Also, with our established crews and a basic infrastructure we can deal with all the complexities of shooting here as well as the logistics. That’s why the studios come to us.

‘There’s no reason why we can’t provide the same services to commercial production companies.’

Botha adds that since Roadhouse is strictly a service provider with no directors, it poses no threat to commercial production houses.

‘Also, I think it helps that about 99% of our crews come from commercials. It provides these u.s. and offshore companies with that little extra bit of comfort factor.’

Botha is heading the Roadhouse commercial operation. The division is being represented by Tanya Reuben.