Vancouver: cd-rom producer John McLean wants to shoot the live action for his current us$3.5 million project in Vancouver but can’t find the studio space he requires. And he’s not alone: demand for production facilities here is outstripping capacity.

McLean, an associate producer at Origin Systems (an Austin, Texas-based subsidiary of computer games giant Electronic Arts), says he needs two side-by-side stages totaling 16,000 to 20,000 square feet for Silverheart, a 3D fantasy-adventure interactive movie.

While McLean has a tenuous option on Spelling Television’s Vancouver soundstages, he can’t secure a facility for the four-week spring shoot and may have to go to Toronto.

‘The people in Vancouver are really friendly,’ says McLean. ‘I’d really like to work there because of the great environment and economics. But in Toronto there are six different sites available to us with lots of negotiating potential (on the leases).’

Vancouver is suffering from a critical shortage of studio space, says B.C. Film Commissioner Pete Mitchell. ‘Clearly we are losing production because of studio space,’ he says. ‘The extent of the loss is only anecdotal at this point. (But) the big features are being turned away and we’re having trouble accommodating series that require two 25,000-square-foot stages.’

It’s a problem that will only be exacerbated if Vancouver attracts more work because of the recent Section 41 labor ruling, which is intended to rationalize b.c.’s difficult film union issues blamed for stemming growth in 1995.

With large soundstages like The Bridge Studios in Burnaby or the North Shore Studios in North Vancouver, the Lower Mainland boasts about 280,000 square feet of space, all of it booked, says Mitchell.

He applauds provincial government initiatives to expand The Bridge Studios last year with a new $3 million soundstage, but says purpose-built facilities are ‘a big deal with difficult economics.’ Mitchell would rather see property owners of existing buildings open their doors to film crews.

‘The best source of studio space is unused warehouse space,’ Mitchell explains, ‘but because production companies sign only for short-term leases (three to six months), there is not money in it for the commercial real estate agents.’

David Canning, associate vp for industrial sales and leasing at Royal LePage Commercial Real Estate Services in Vancouver, says his office is frequently approached by production managers inquiring about warehouse vacancies.

He says vacancy rates in the Lower Mainland warehouse space range between 3% and 3.5%. That available space becomes even more sparse when the specific requirements of a shoot are factored in: high ceilings, large open spans with no posts, low noise, location and good parking.

‘If someone is confident enough about the marketplace, they should set up a warehouse and dedicate it as studio space,’ Canning suggests.

Unused properties within a 20-minute drive from downtown Vancouver are more suited to the film industry, says Mitchell, since Screen Actors Guild players require a 12-hour break between shooting periods and drive time cuts into production time.