The economy may be stagnant but Canada’s film and television production industry was buoyant in 1993. Production levels were up everywhere last year.

Toronto remains the largest production centre in Canada followed by Vancouver.

In Ontario, production expenditures increased 3.5% to reach a level of $337.8 million, according to the Ontario Film Development Corporation. The jump was primarily due to the expenditure increase by foreign productions, from $58.5 million in 1992 to $69 million in 1993. Although the number of foreign projects remained the same, the money spent increased, according to Gail Thomson, executive co-ordinator, location promotion services for the ofdc.

Domestic production increased slightly, from $267.9 million in 1992 to $268.8 million last year, which was surprising considering five television series shot in the province were cancelled after their 1991/92 season.

The numbers do not include projects shot in-house at tv stations.

In total, 29 feature film projects were logged in Ontario, 27 tv series, and 52 miniseries, mows and documentaries.

Once again, b.c.’s production industry reported a banner year. Total production budgets broke the half-billion dollar mark for the first time, tallying up at $508.315 million.

A record 73 film and television productions were shot in b.c. in 1993, injecting $285.965 million into the economy. That was 12 more productions and $74.746 million more than in 1992.

The production of feature films showed the greatest improvement, almost doubling from 16 features in 1992 to 26 in 1993. Among those features were such big-budget films as Intersection starring Richard Gere and Sharon Stone, Look Who’s Talking Now, Stakeout II, Legends of The Fall and The Tool Shed starring Ellen Barkin and Laurence Fishburne.

Television series production remained constant with 11 series completed in 1993, the same as 1992, while tv movies and pilots showed a slight improvement, increasing from 34 in 1992 to 36 in 1993.

Increased input

Dianne Neufeld, director of the B.C. Film Commission, which compiled the figures, says: ‘If you were able to pick apart each one of the films shot here last year, one of the most significant developments that happened was the increase in the involvement of our b.c. producers in the creative elements of many of these projects.’

Neufeld cites as examples Arctic Blue, an American project that was coproduced by New City Productions of Vancouver, and Young Offenders, the first Hong Kong/Canada coproduction, produced by Holiday Pictures of Vancouver.

‘The basis of our industry in b.c. previously has been location services, which have certainly given us a strong reputation and expertise,’ says Neufeld. ‘But now we are seeking more input at the feeder ends, be it at the front end through the financial packaging and creative components or at the other end through the value-added side of post-production, animation, versioning and titles. This is where we have been seeking more growth in our industry, and this year I think we’ve seen a lot more interesting developments in our participation in the front end of the deals.’

The Quebec freelance film technicians union – Syndicat des techniciennes et techniciens du cinema et de la video du Quebec – reports the combined salary mass of its membership reached an all-time high in 1993. Last year, its representatives received $17.87 million compared to only $13.3 million in 1992.

The bulk of the earnings – $15.5 million – came from feature films and television. Income from commercial production was $2.3 million. Twenty-one Quebec features were the source of $9.7 million in membership earnings, while seven US films and mows shot in Quebec last year brought in $5.8 million. Nine tv series and 175 commercials were also shot in the province. The stcvq services more than 95% of all Quebec-based film production.

Additional figures from Quebec agencies were not available.

Spending in the Prairies was also up. The Alberta Film Development Corporation reports expenditures of $30.6 million for five Canadian projects, two of them series, Destiny Ridge and North of 60. In 1992, Canadian producers spent $14.2 million in the province.

In addition to indigenous production, foreign producers spent over $36 million in 1993, according to Lindsay Cherney, Alberta film commissioner. Production in 1993 was higher than 1992, but was about the same as 1990 and 1991, says Cherney.

Saskatchewan

Saskfilm reports $12 million in tv and film production expenditures in 1993, of which $5.5 million involved Saskfilm participation. The agency estimates that 40 projects were produced. In 1992, approximately $9 million was spent in the province on 30 projects.

Manitoba’s Cultural Industries Development Office reports the combined production budgets of Canadian productions shot in the province was $9.7 million, of which $1.5 million was invested by cido. In addition, off-shore projects spent $147,000 in the province.

Features and tv movies shot in Manitoba include Heads, directed by Paul Shapiro and starring Jon Cryer, Ed Asner and Jennifer Tilly; Harvest, an Atlantic Films/ Credo Group coproduction; John Kozak’s Strays; and the Credo/ Kicking Horse Productions coproduction Rich & Strange.

Although the Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation had less money to spend in 1993 – $713,000 to be exact – the province benefitted tremendously from the big bucks spent on the Disney feature Squanto, Indian Warrior, which shot six weeks in Cape Breton. Production budgets of shows shot in the province totalled $6.89 million.

In addition to Indian Warrior, there were two tv series, two features, a tv pilot and a cbc special.

Roman Bittman, president of the nsfdc, predicts indigenous production will be higher in 1994 because his agency has not already committed its entire budget. The only project already earmarked for financing is the feature Glace Bay Miner’s Museum, which will star Helena Bonham Carter and is based on the life of a woman in the ’20s who lost her father, husband and brother in mining accidents.

In early February, Bittman will present the Nova Scotia government with a proposal for either a new tax credit system or rebate system. He is hopeful the government will implement a new program in its next fiscal year. ‘If it happens, it would dramatically increase development here,’ says Bittman.

with files from karen mazurkewich in Toronto, leo rice-barker in Montreal and joanne morgan in Vancouver.