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film by Leanne Campbell Lights! Cameras! Action! - On the North Shore been withdrawn (from the mark e t ) . . . It makes sense n o t t o have t o o m u c h m o n e y tied up in real estate, so t h e idea was t o sell it for cash and e n t e r i n t o a lease-back situation. W e ' v e g o n e ahead of that, a n d , w i t h o u r success in t h e m o v i e - m a k i n g business, I t h i n k they're r e c o n s i d e r i n g it. B C n e e d s this i n f r a s t r u c t u r e to Stephen R e i d , hit the headlines last s u m m e r w h e n he r e t u r n e d t o his d r u g - i n d u c e d , b a n k - r o b b i n g ways. O f c o u r s e , many local businesses benefit f r o m all this activity. A s i d e f r o m h o t e l s and f u r n i t u r e a n d h a r d w a r e s t o r e s , several c o m p a n i e s are providing industry-essential services. L i o n s ' G a t e S t u d i o s t e n a n t Sim V i d e o W e s t is o n e of t h e largest s u p p l i e r s o f v i d e o c o m p u t e r and e d i t i n g e q u i p m e n t t o t h e l o c a l film industry. Production co-ordinator Byron D r i n k l e says, " A t t h e t i m e [it d e c i d e d t o m o v e s o u t h ] , X-Files was o n e of o u r largest c l i e n t s . T h e r e was a small lull w h e n it p u l l e d o u t but, s i n c e t h e n , business has b e e n d o i n g n o t h ing but i n c r e a s i n g . W e are c u r r e n t l y w o r k i n g o n several large features a n d s e r i e s , a n d w e ' r e b u s i e r than ever." T h e L o w e r M a i n l a n d has c a r v e d o u t s o m e w h a t of a n i c h e , says D r i n k l e . " V a n c o u v e r ' s b e c o m e a sci-fi t o w n , w i t h all t h e s h o w s t h a t have b e e n d o n e h e r e -- O u t e r Limits, Poltergeist, Mission to Mars, Sliders-- W hen the X-Files pulled up stakes and d e c i d e d t o get o u t of t o w n , the B C film i n d u s t r y n e r vously t o o k n o t i c e . T h e hugely successful series had s p e n t five years at N o r t h S h o r e Studios ( n o w k n o w n as L i o n s ' G a t e Studios) and had p r o vided steady e m p l o y m e n t t o h u n d r e d s o f local a c t o r s and t e c h n i cians. A f l u r r y of m e d i a activity f o l l o w e d the s h o w ' s d e p a r t u r e , a t t r i b u t i n g the m o v e t o e v e r y t h i n g f r o m local w e a t h e r t o stars w a n t i n g t o be c l o s e r t o t h e i r L o s A n g e l e s based h o m e s and families. M a n y t h o u g h t this c o u l d be t h e e n d of Hollywood North. B u t judging f r o m t h e slate of films recently calling L i o n s ' G a t e S t u d i o (the S t u d i o ) h o m e , the panic was c o m p l e t e l y u n f o u n d e d . In fact, biggerbudget feature films have taken precedence over television productions. A n d t h r e e of t h e s e big budget m o v i e s are c u r r e n t l y being s h o t right h e r e o n t h e N o r t h S h o r e : Antitrust, featuring T i m R o b b i n s and Ryan Philhppe; Along Came a Spider, s t a r r i n g M o r g a n F r e e m a n ; a n d , the biggest o f all. On the Sixth Day, t h e latest A r n o l d S c h w a r z e n e g g e r vehicle. T e r r y Edge, t h e S t u d i o s ' facilities m a n a g e r says, "I've g o t t o say that w e ' v e b e e n v e r y successful. W e ' r e b o o k e d up until t h e e n d o f May, t h e n w e have o n e o r t w o T V pilots c o m i n g t h e m o n t h after that. If t h e y get a l o n g r u n , they may stay w i t h us a year o r t w o , o r even five y e a r s , like X-Files did." Besides the o b v i o u s , w h a t s o r t of ancillary business d o e s t h e s t u d i o bring about? " T h e actual d o l l a r that w e g e n e r a t e f o r the local trades value is p h e n o m e n a l . " c o m m e n t s Edge, " a s w e l l as the p e o p l e w e e m p l o y , w e p u r c h a s e w o o d t o build t h e sets, and r e n t o r lease e q u i p m e n t as n e e d e d . " F o r many m o n t h s , t h e S t u d i o s ' p r o p e r t y was f o r sale. B u t , Edge o b s e r v e s . " A s far as I'm a w a r e , it's a t t r a c t the business. W e are the only p u r p o s e - b u i l t s t u d i o in C a n a d a -- t h a t is t o say, t h e building was built f o r the specific p u r p o s e of m a k i n g m o v i e s -- e v e r y o t h e r facility has been an adaptation." Edge s e e m s v e r y p o s i tive a b o u t the future. " T h i s s t u d i o has a family a t m o s p h e r e , s o p e o p l e have a sense of belonging. P r o v i d e d w e k e e p o u r rates at a m a r k e t value, I can see us always being in a p r o s p e r ous mode." T h e p r o d u c e r s at N o r t h Vancouver's C a d e n c e Entertainment are also d o i n g v e r y w e l l , riding the waves they m a d e w i t h t w o w e l l r e c e i v e d features: Rupert's Land a n d Tail Lights Fade. T h e i r latest c o u p is a c q u i r i n g the rights t o p o e t Susan Musgrave's life story, w h o s e h u s b a n d . and a w h o l e slough of o t h e r s h o w s . It's g r e a t f o r us."