oo 22 - Sunday, July 29, 1990 - North Shore News Film industry booms Asked to respond to a newspaper story of his death, Mark Twain replied: *"Say the report is exaggerated.” Leaders of the B.C. film industry have one thing in com- mon: they all echo the precedjng sentiment when describing the health of their industry. The dire forecasts of recent media coverage have been unani- mously pooh-poohed by film rep- resentatives. “We're busier than last year,” says an enthusiastic Robert Dub- berely, executive director of the B.C. Motion Picture Association. ‘I would think we will have a year as big as or bigger than last year, which set a record at $202 million just on the — theatrical side.’’ (That figure does not in- clude expenditures on commer- cials, documentaries or corporate videos). As a cheap Canadian dollar and affordable, foyal crews continue “Part of the Community for 23 years” ALLIED | SHIPBUILDERS LTD. 1870 Harbour Road North Vancouver Shipbuilders — Ship Repai — Engineers — to lure North American producers to B.C., the local motion picture industry is growing by leaps and bounds — an average of 40 per cent a year since 1978. As of July 9, 1990, six feature films were being shot in B.C. — including Look Who's Talking Too and Hollywood Picture’s Run — five TV series, one mini-series and one made-for-TV movie. LOCAL PRODUCTION INCREASES Although it is difficult to estimate how much of chat $202) million has been injected into the North Shore economy, many industry experts say it is substantial and will continue to grow. According to North Vancouver City film clerk Beatrice Houston, the number of permits issued to film companies shooting in the ci- ty is up 50 per cent over last year. “It's a big year, a big, big year,’ said city clerk Bruce Hawkshaw, who sits on North Vancouver's film committee. “*Last year was a good year too. It's getting better all the time." The TV series MacGyver and made-for-TV movie Deadly Inten- tions Hl were only some of the productions to shoot on city streets this year. LOCAL BUSINESSES OPEN The North Shore continues to cash in on the local film boom, particularly since the shiny new $25-million North Shore Studios opened here last fall. The brainchild of Hollywood whiz Stephen J. Cannell, the stu- dios, a five-minute drive from the Second Narrows Bridge, is home to Cannell Films — creators of the TV series 22 Jump Street and Wiseguy. Since the studio’s opening about 20 film-related businesses have set up on the North Shore Studios grounds, such as high definition video services, audio-visual pro- duction, independent producers, a limousine service and B.C. Film — the film funding arm of the provincial government. And companies that service the industry — everything from acting schools to movie caterers — con- tinue to spring up. Not all of those businesses, however, are riding the tide of the industry’s success. Major fan Davidson-Newby, whose North Vancouver company, International Movie Services, has supplied military uniforms, equipment and props to such films as Airwolf If and Die Hard 2, reports business is down 75 per cent over the same period last year. “‘The motion picture business is way down compared to Jast year,’’ Photo submitted STEPHEN J. Cannell is the brainchild behind North Shore Studios, a $25 milfion state-of-the-art studio facility. he says, ‘‘We’re not getting the features we did, and the scale of production is down."’ Davidson-Newby also holds Canada Customs, which charges 25 per cent duty on all his im- ports, responsible for the loss of business. Canada Customs, he says, con- tinually hassles him with what he sees as time-wasting inspections at If you haven't dropped into C.G.M. lately, the pleasure & convenience of modern technology may be passing you by! The technology of home audio and video equip- ment has improved dramatically. From theatre- quality home movies to remote-control compact CJ disc plavers .. . from big-screen TVs to cordless telephones, C.G.M.'s knowledgeable staff is always pleased to demonstrate the features for you. Selling and servicing the finest brands for 34 years on the North Shore .. . that's the C.G.M. tradition. \: |C.G. OPEN 6 DAYS AWE 1285 MARINE DRIVE, NORTH VANCOUVER TRIDAYS TILG ee — ACROSS FRGAM SAVE-ON FOODS G87 3323 of O87-3421 the border that he says cost him business. ‘‘There’s a teeming amount of bureaucracy and paperwork you have to go through. It’s a humiliating experience,’’ he says, adding that the obstacles have forced him to consider looking south of the border to Washington State as a centre for future business. At the same time, other en- trepreneurs are looking forward to future growth on the North Shore. What excites Dubberley is the trend towards the establishment of a local post-production film sec- tor, previously unheard of in B.C. Last month sound editor Paul Sharpe announced plans for a new $1.2 million film sound studio across from North Shore Studios, which will include a staie-of-the- art 35-mm Dolby stereo sound mixer stage. Dubberley estimates that the creation of a post-production sec- tor will inject another $50 million annually into the B.C. economy, which, up until now, has been lost to distant studios in Toronto and L.A. EMPLOYMENT STEADY Since the early days of B.C.’s film boom, the percentage of local personnel employed on each pro- duction has jumped from 40 per cent to a remarkable 97 per cent, Don Ramsden, president of the 684-member International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees local 891, said that while business was “kind of slow’’ during the See Major Page 24