Discover Vancouver

The BC Film Commission

Even though the film industry is one of the fast growing and most lucrative sectors in the British Columbia economy, the province has to compete with locations in Los Angeles, New York and elsewhere. The BC Film Commission, established in 1978, is faced with marketing Vancouver at a time when there’s growing pressure, especially in California, to keep American productions filmed in the States.But that’s only one challenge. The Commission also plays an important role in providing location services, community liaison and published information.

Before selecting an area to shoot a film, production companies break down scripts into specific locations. The Commission often provides photographs and assistance in identifying appropriate buildings, topography and other location services to the company’s scouts.The locations library can be searched when these scouts arrive in town. New photographs are provided when production companies identify the need for a unique venue. Companies deciding to shoot in BC spend an average of $7 million and create 113 jobs. Many major motion pictures are worth $100 million.

Production activity may often disrupt the normal operation of a given community. There’s always potential for friction between a production company and business owners, residents and community groups. For this reason, a community liaison manager monitors the activity that arises from a film shoot. Few problems exist in Vancouver, however there have been a handful of notable incidents where productions faced extreme opposition.A merchant in the suburban fishing village of Steveston was once faced with police arrest in a confrontation arising from a shoot outside his store. The community liaison manager strives to avoid such incidents by serving as a mediator, ombudsman and information source. At a time of growing community opposition to shoots in Los Angeles, the Vancouver area film industry still remains a welcome part of the local economy.

And as far as information is concerned, the Commission considers itself the primary provider of industry statistics and facts. Those who work in film and television have grown to rely on the BC film list that’s updated each Wednesday and available on the Internet. This tool provides details such as names and phone numbers associated with current productions. The Commission also produces the annual production and budget guide, School Directory for Film Careers and Property Owner: Your Place in the Picture.

The BC Film Commission and its ten member staff exist today as a branch of the provincial government’s Ministry of Small Business, Tourism and Culture. As such, the branch is funded by provincial taxpayers and publicly accountable. At a time when the motion picture industry spends over $1 billion dollars in the province, the Commission continues to play an integral part in maintaining an annual 21% growth rate. This role has been embraced while many of British Columbia’s public bodies face fiscal restraint.