BC's Film Industry on the North Shore T h e f i l m i n d u s t r y h a s b e e n a r o u n d in B C l o n g e n o u g h n o w t h a t m a n y o f us t a k e t h e t r a p p i n g s o f m o v i e - m a k i n g in s t r i d e ; w h e t h e r it's a m o v i e s e t in o u r p a r k s a n d c o m m u n i t i e s , a f a m o u s face s p o t t e d at a local restaurant, or a n e i g h b o u r h o o d landmark recognized o n the big or small s c r e e n , m o s t o f us h a v e c o m e t o e x p e c t t h a t t h e f i l m a n d t e l e v i s i o n i n d u s t r y is h e r e t o stay as p a r t o f o u r e c o n o m i c a n d c u l t u r a l landscape. N o w h e r e i n B C is t h i s t r u e r t h a n o n t h e Lower Mainland's North Shore, where the diverse natural l a n d s c a p e has a t t r a c t e d m a n y a m o v i e - m a k e r t o its l o c a t i o n s . More i m p o r t a n t l y t h o u g h , N o r t h V a n c o u v e r has a t t r a c t e d f i l m a n d t e l e v i s i o n p r o d u c t i o n in a m o r e lasting way, so that industry infrastructure - from studio space to production Meet Your Neighbours, driven by a rising C a n a d i a n dollar, a n d an u n s e t t l e d t a x e n v i r o n m e n t all c o a l e s c e d w i t h c h a n g i n g t r e n d s in f i l m a n d t e l e v i s i o n t o p u t t h e local industry o n s o m e shaky ground by 2004. It w a s a w a k e u p c a l l f o r s o m e p e o p l e i n g t h e i r l i v i n g in t h e i n d u s t r y . T h e Picture Production Industry Association BC (MPPIA) - a volunteer, non-profit with representation f r o m across t h e film & t e l e v i s i o n c o m m u n i t y - is w o r k i n g t o improve the industry conditions, to industry. provide a m o r e stable, sustainable future for the A n d they know that communities a n d n e i g h b o u r h o o d s are o n e o f t h e industry's m o s t v a l u e d assets b e c a u s e t h e y d o n ' t j u s t w o r k i n t h e m , t h e y l i v e in t h e m . makof Motion group Yet, w h i l e t h e industry's e c o n o m i c 'success a n d p o s t p r o d u c t i o n facilities, s o u n d stud i o s a n d e q u i p m e n t s u p p l i e r s - is all r i g h t h e r e in N o r t h S h o r e c o m m u n i t i e s , a l o n g w i t h m a n y o f t h e t h o u s a n d s o f p e o p l e it takes to m a k e the creative process of film and TV production work. s t o r y ' o f t h e p a s t t w e n t y - f i v e y e a r s is w e l l d o c u m e n t e d , t h e industry's workings, t h e p e o p l e b e h i n d it a n d t h e i r c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o c o m m u n i t i e s at t h e grassroots remain relatively u n e x p l a i n e d t o t h e public. Who are t h e faces b e h i n d t h e trucks, trailers, tents a n d lights, w h a t d o they d o a n d w h a t are t h e m e a n i n g f u l c o n t r i b u t i o n s o f this industry b e y o n d e m p l o y m e n t and output? economic BC's f i l m a n d t e l e v i s i o n p r o d u c t i o n c o m munity, including t h e five t h o u s a n d indust r y f o l k l i v i n g a n d w o r k i n g in N o r t h S h o r e neighbourhoods, grew up on expectations s p u r r e d b y an impressive 2 0 p e r c e n t a n n u al g r o w t h r a t e t h r o u g h o u t t h e 9 0 ' s . A s t h e talent pool and infrastructure quickly grew to m e e t the increasing d e m a n d , especially t o service f o r e i g n p r o d u c t i o n s , so d i d t h e b e l i e f t h a t BC's i n d u s t r y w a s p l a y i n g an i n c r e a s i n g l y i n d i s p e n s a b l e r o l e in N o r t h American film and television p r o d u c t i o n . The new millennium introduced some new O n June 20th, MPPIA kicked off a public awareness c a m p a i g n at Lions G a t e Studios in N o r t h V a n c o u v e r t o p a y t r i b u t e t o t h e communities throughout the province that have w e l c o m e d the film and television industry, a n d t o b e g i n t o tell t h e story of this industry at t h e c o m m u n i t y level. O v e r t h e n e x t f o u r m o n t h s , l o o k f o r t h e lesser k n o w n stories a b o u t the j o b s that p e o p l e d o t o contribute to the intricate process of film and television production.. MPPIA aims to d e m y s t i f y t h e industry, b u t also t o introd u c e i t s e l f as a c o m m u n i t y m e m b e r t h a t routinely makes contributions o n social, cultural, artistic a n d e n v i r o n m e n t a l fronts. " W e w a n t t o c o m m u n i c a t e m o r e closely w i t h t h e B C c o m m u n i t i e s w e w o r k a n d live i n , " says M P P I A C h a i r P e t e r L e i t c h . "All of u s a c r o s s t h e i n d u s t r y in B C a r e b u s y d o i n g our part t o g e t stories t o l d for film a n d television," Leitch adds. " B u t w e ' d also like o u r f e l l o w British C o l u m b i a n s t o k n o w us a little b e t t e r , a n d k n o w t h a t w e c o n t r i b ute to and support our collective c o m m u nity objectives." realities t o BC's s e e m i n g l y r o b u s t industry. Increased protectionism south of the border, stiffer c o m p e t i t i o n f r o m o t h e r C a n a d i a n , U.S. a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l j u r i s d i c t i o n s , h i g h e r c o s t s o f p r o d u c t i o n in B C l a r g e l y July | August 7