Ontario's film & television production up more than 40 per cent
Industry contributed $946.4 million to Ontario's economy in 2009
TORONTO, Feb. 17 /CNW/ -
NEWS
Ontario's film and television industry contributed $946.4 million to the provincial economy in 2009 - up by 41 per cent over 2008 - see attached backgrounder.
Ontario held its competitive edge, marking a return to production levels not seen since 2002 - despite the continued strength of the Canadian dollar, aggressive competition from other jurisdictions and a global economic crisis.
Increases were seen in all genres -- foreign and domestic -- compared to 2008. Ontario's strong domestic film and television sector continued to experience growth in 2009. The increase in foreign productions was in part attributed to the Ontario Government's enhancements to the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit (OPSTC) announced on June 30, 2009. The OPSTC was expanded from 25 per cent of eligible labour to include all eligible Ontario production costs. The tax credit enhancement added an important incentive to the many other advantages Ontario offers film and television producers.
Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) (http://www.omdc.on.ca/Page3283.aspx) programs also support the book and magazine publishing, music and interactive digital media industries - all of which experienced growth in 2009. The entire entertainment and creative cluster produces $15 billion in revenue and over 200,000 jobs, contributing $12.7 billion to the province's GDP.
QUOTES
"This tremendous show of strength from Ontario's film and television industry helps demonstrate the enormous competitive advantage that cultural industries give us in the global economy. These industries have had a significant impact on Ontario's economy and continue to show impressive upside potential."
- Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture
"We are delighted that Ontario's film and television industry has come back so strongly in such a globally-competitive environment! Despite economic challenges and a strong Canadian dollar, Ontario has consistently demonstrated that it has the right mix of government support, financial incentives, world-class infrastructure, superb talent and skills and diverse locations to attract outstanding foreign and domestic productions. Early indications point to 2010 being another strong year."
- Karen Thorne-Stone, President & CEO, Ontario Media Development Corporation
QUICK FACTS
- Ontario's 2009 film & TV production activity contributed $946.4
million to the economy -- an increase of 41 per cent over 2008
- Total domestic production spending increased by $129.8 million, or
23.8%, contributing $674.4 million
- The number of domestic productions was similar to last year, but
budgets were up in all categories - with the largest increase
occurring in domestic feature films, whose average budget spending
was up by 99.8 per cent
- Total foreign production spending increased by $145.5 million or 114
per cent
- Foreign feature spending increased from $79 million to $161.8 million
-- a 104.5 per cent increase
- Foreign television series spending spiked in 2009 contributing $58.0
million in 2009 compared to $16 million in 2008 (a 262 per cent
increase) with the average foreign television series production
budget increasing by 201.6 per cent from 2008
- Ontario's entire creative cluster includes: book and magazine
publishing; sound recording; film and television; interactive digital
media; performing arts; radio; advertising; architecture and design
LEARN MORE
2007-09 Ontario Film and Television Production activity chart broken down by format with foreign and domestic levels. - http://www.omdc.on.ca/Page5698.aspx
1989-2009 20-year graph showing Ontario production levels comparing foreign and domestic activity. - http://www.omdc.on.ca/Page3417.aspx
Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) is an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture that facilitates economic development opportunities for Ontario's cultural media industries including: book and magazine publishing, film and television, interactive digital media, and sound recording industries.
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BACKGROUNDER
Ontario Media Development Corporation
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Ontario Film and Television Production 2007 - 2009
By Format
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2009 2008 2007
as at as at as at
Dec. 31, 2009 Dec. 31, 2008 Dec. 31, 2007
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Number Production Number Production Number Production
of $ left in of $ left in of $ left in
Projects Ontario Projects Ontario Projects Ontario
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Production $ = millions of dollars
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Domestic
Feature Film 28 99.2 15 26.6 25 75.7
Television
Series(1) 106 488.3 127 453.5 79 326.0
Television
Movies,
Mini-series,
Specials,
Pilots(2) 63 86.8 58 64.5 60 96.9
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Total Domestic 197 674.4 200 544.6 164 498.6
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Foreign
Feature Film 9 161.8 9 79.0 14 224.9
Television
Series(1) 6 58.0 5 16.0 6 16.1
Television
Movies,
Mini-series,
Specials,
Pilots(2) 13 52.3 9 31.6 15 51.5
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Total Foreign 28 272.1 23 126.6 35 292.4
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TOTAL 225 946.4 223 671.2 199 791.0
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Animation vs. Live Action
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Domestic
Animation 16 49.5 23 86.4 N/A N/A
Live Action 181 624.9 177 458.3 N/A N/A
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Total
Domestic 197 674.4 200 544.6 N/A N/A
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Foreign
Animation 4 63.1 4 15.8 N/A N/A
Live Action 24 208.9 19 110.8 N/A N/A
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Total Foreign 28 272.0 23 126.6 N/A N/A
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TOTAL 225 946.4 223 671.2 N/A N/A
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Data represent expenditures of all productions using OMDC-administered
incentives and services. Data do not include television commercial, corporate
video, music video, or broadcaster in-house production. Figures include live
action and animated production. Data reflect the production expenditures in
Ontario during the year and do not always reflect the total budgets of the
projects. There may be productions that shot in Ontario that are not included
in these totals due to the timing of project applications.
All dollar figures are in millions of Canadian dollars. Dollar figures
have not been adjusted for inflation.
Totals may not add due to rounding.
(1) The number of television series does not include cycles which began
production in the previous year.
(2) Productions with fewer than six episodes.
2009 PRODUCTION ACTIVITY NOTES
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- Ontario's domestic production remained strong in 2009 contributing
$674.4 million, a 23.8 per cent increase over 2008. Although the
total number of domestic productions remained similar to the previous
year, their overall budgets were significantly larger in 2009.
Domestic feature film activity rose from 15 to 28 productions, seven
of which received direct support from the OMDC Film Fund. The average
domestic feature film production budget increased by 99.8 per cent
over 2008. Despite the number of domestic television series
decreasing from 127 (2008) to 106 in 2009, overall budgets of many of
these series were larger, contributing $488.3 million. Television
Movies, mini-series, specials, pilot activity all remained steady
with an overall spend increasing from $64.5 million in 2008 to $86.8
million 2009, a 34.6 per cent increase in budgets.
- In 2009, overall foreign production spending increased by $145.4
million to $272 million -- up 114 per cent. This increase was in part
attributed to the Ontario Government's enhancements to the Ontario
Production Services Tax Credit (OPSTC) announced on June 30, 2009.
The OPSTC was expanded from 25 per cent of eligible labour to include
all eligible Ontario production costs. The total number of foreign
productions increased from 23 to 28.
- Foreign feature numbers remained stable compared to 2008, but budgets
increased, contributing $161.8 million -- a 104.7 per cent jump from
2008. Foreign TV series production activity also saw a similar number
of shows compared to 2008 but with significantly larger budgets,
contributing $58.0 million - an increase of 262 per cent total spend.
Television movies, mini-series, specials and pilots increased from
nine to 13 representing a 34.6 per cent jump in production dollars
spent, leaving $52.3 million dollars in the province's economy.
- Among the foreign productions that led to the big increase in 2009
were: Universal Studios' Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, set in Toronto
and starring Brampton native Michael Cera; ABC Studios' new
television series Happy Town, which will be airing this spring; and
the fourth installment in the Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil:
Afterlife, shot in Stereoscopic 3D.
- On the domestic side, seven OMDC Film Fund-supported projects shot in
2009 including: Oliver Sherman and Longfellow (both shot in Northern
Ontario); The Bang Bang Club; A Beginners Guide to Endings; Barney's
Version; The Love Child of Andy Warhol and Yoko Ono and The Untitled
David Suzuki.
- On the television front a number of series, both domestic and
foreign, are returning for 2010, including: CTV's Flashpoint;
NBC/Universal TV's Warehouse 13; Shaftesbury's Connor Undercover for
The Family Network and CBC's Sophie. In addition, several brand new
series, including Shaftesbury's Baxter, USA Network's Covert Affairs
and the Cartoon Network's Unnatural History, have already announced
they will be shooting in Ontario this winter/spring, and numerous
other productions are close to making announcements or are actively
scouting for spring shoots.
- Ontario's world-class facilities and competitive tax credits also
attracted a number of productions shot outside the Province to do
their post-production and visual effects here. The Ontario Computer
Animation and Special Effects Tax Credit (OCASE) helped Ontario's
computer animation and visual effects companies show a strong
performance during the year
- The outlook for 2010 is already promising: OMDC's Film Commission
division is scouting a number of projects for 2010. A number of high-
profile productions are currently up and running for winter shoots.
These include the foreign features: Red (Summit Entertainment,
starring Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman); Dream House (Morgan Creek)
directed by Jim Sheridan; the seventh installment in the hugely
successful Saw series shooting in 3D and Universal's prequel of The
Thing. The OMDC-supported domestic feature film Score: A Hockey
Musical began shooting in early February.
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For further information: Contact for OMDC: George McNeillie, OMDC Communications, (416) 642-6619, E-mail: [email protected], Cell: (647) 286-3979
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