Total production expenditures by domestic and foreign producers in Ontario hit $1.293 billion in 2014, an increase over 2013 driven by increased foreign TV movie/miniseries and domestic TV production, according to the Ontario Media Development Corp’s (OMDC) annual production report.

The year-over-year growth can be partially attributed to a 57% increase in foreign TV movies and miniseries production in Ontario, from $28.7 million in 2013 to $45.1 million in 2014. In addition, Ontario saw big-budget TV series such as Reign, Beauty and the Beast, Suits and The Strain all shooting in the province in 2014.

As in 2013, domestic TV production remained the main driver of production expenditures in Ontario, contributing $684.4 million, up significantly from last year’s $641 million. The number of domestic series in production also went up, from 117 to 127. However, the number of domestic TV movies, miniseries, specials and pilots decreased from 69 to 61 projects, while budgets declined by 25.6%.

On the film side, the number of domestic feature films increased to 43 in 2014 from 29 a year earlier, but the budgets for these projects decreased by 21%. Fifteen foreign feature films shot in Ontario in 2014, the same number as 2013. Budgets, however, grew by 42.6% due to two big-budget Hollywood productions that shot in the province: Sony Pictures’ Pixels and Legendary Pictures’ Crimson Peak. The production spend in Ontario for foreign feature films in 2014 was $139.3 million, compared to $97.7 million a year earlier.

The overall production expenditure increase seen in Ontario in 2014 can be attributed to a falling Canadian dollar, which continued to weaken throughout the year, said Donna Zuchlinski, Ontario film commissioner at the OMDC.

“The lower dollar adds one more incentive for foreign productions to shoot here. If there was one factor, I would probably have to say the exchange on the dollar,” Zuchlinski told Playback Daily.

Foreign animation activity was up by 37.5% in 2014, with budgets up 76%. Service production for international broadcasters drove the increases, with Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse and Thomas and Friends from Arc Productions both contributing in 2014. Domestic animation activity took another hit in 2014, dropping by 20% to $48.2 million from $83 million in 2013.

As of early February 2015, 19 productions were shooting or in prep, including the tentpole Brace 14 from Warner Brothers, the new TV series Damien from Fox TV and The Girlfriend Experience from Starz.

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