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British Columbia Film Industry Facts and Figures
The
history of filming in BC is longer and more complex than most people
think. The industry began in 1913 but had its first big Hollywood boom
in 1930. This was when producers came to make what became known as "quota
quickies". The parade of Hollywood celebrities began and it wasn't
out of the ordinary to see Bob Hope or Ginger Rogers strolling around
downtown Vancouver.
The arrival of television brought new ideas to the industry. The show
"The Littlest Hobo" was the first series shot here (1963-1965)
and ended up being syndicated around the world. Since then, Vancouver
has been home to many popular productions. BC is a place where business,
government, labour and the community work together to support the province’s
billion-dollar film industry.
The film industry in BC has experienced tremendous growth over the past 20 years, leading to the development of a broad and prime base of support and services, consisting of skilled professionals, crews and companies dedicated to the film industry.
In
1978, B.C.'s film/TV industry spent over $12 million
In 1998, B.C.'s film/TV industry spent over $807 million
In 1999, it's reached $1 billion
In 2000, the film /TV industry spent approximately $1.18 billion, creating
an economic impact of $3.3 billion.
In 2000,192 film/TV productions were shot in BC.
These
included:
- 56 feature films
- 48 movies-of-the-week/pilots/mini-series
- 36 TV series
- 10 animation projects
- 42 documentaries/broadcast singles.
In 2001, 197 productions were shot in the province in 2001, according
to numbers compiled by the British Columbia Film Commission. Of that
number, 113 were Canadian productions, worth $251.6 million; and 84
were foreign productions, worth $856.8 million.
Foreign production reached a record high of $856.8 million - a 12.5
per cent increase from the previous.
Domestic non-theatrical productions (corporate videos, commercials)
accounted for $ 62 million
Foreign non-theatrical productions, such as corporate videos and commercials,
accounted for at least $167 million in additional spending.
The industry has grown at an annual rate of 21 percent over the past
10 years
According to BC Film Commission statistics, 35,000 people in BC are
employed in the film industry- with 97% of production crews being made
up of local people.
