Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

Thompson-Nicola Film Commissioner hopeful new photo database draws production to region

Jun 18, 2019 | 4:39 PM

KAMLOOPS — According to a report from the Canadian Media Producers Association, film and television production in Canada increased by nearly six per cent in 2018.

The industry is worth $8.92 billion, with 40 percent of the total production in Canada taking place here in British Columbia. But how much of that economic benefit is felt here in our region?

From the rolling grasslands of Knutsford to the snow-covered fields of the Nicola Valley, there are some beautiful and unique views throughout the Thompson Nicola Regional District. According to Creative BC, it’s views like those that can determine where a film or TV series will be produced.

“Places like Kamloops have a certain look that a project may need,” Creative BC’s vice president Robert Wong says in a phone interview from Vancouver. “That’s what they’re going to be coming up to the region to look for.”

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That look can change over time. Which is why the TNRD, through the Thompson-Nicola Film Commission, has applied for and received a grant to expand its digital portfolio.

“What we want to do is establish a photo library that will be free to non-profits, First Nations, and also for [TNRD] staff and stakeholders,” Thompson-Nicola Film Commissioner Victoria Weller explains. “What we’re finding is that the landscape has changed significantly over the last few years.”

Weller believes that having an updated database of images would help showcase the wide variety of locations available to filmmakers who are considering the region for their production. It would also make it easier for film commission staff.

“We’re responsive, in terms of if [productions] want something, we go out, and we get it,” Weller says. “We really scout according to what the needs are. For example, we’re scouting for five different projects, and one of them is huge.”

While we’re blessed with some beautiful locations in our region, there are some limiting factors when it comes to producers making a choice to shoot in the TNRD.

“Limitations are really going to be based on things like studio facilities if a production needs them, and the abundance of crew,” Wong explains.

Image Credit: CFJC Todey

Thanks to the rise of big-budget series produced by companies like Netflix or Amazon, there are more and more productions looking for a place to happen. Weller is hoping that might mean more of those productions might choose our area.

“The big fat feature films that we attract aren’t coming as much,” Weller says. “TV series, whether they’re limited or whether they go on for years and years are really dominating the landscape in terms of productions for B.C.”

The hope is by making our beautiful locations more accessible through the updated photo library, more and more of those productions choose our area as their backdrop.