Okanagan Film Commission pitches budget

Jan 21, 2021 | 6:00 AM

Lights, camera, action brought in an estimated $48,830,000 in film and television activity in 2020, and the Okanagan Film Commission (OFC) indicates 2021 will be another stellar year, despite COVID-19.

The Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) has been asked to provide a $44,000 total contribution to a 2021 proposed $283,000 budget for the OFC.

Enderby makes a separate contribution and will be asked for $1,500, a bargain given the amount of feature filming done in that area, by native son Rick Dugdale of Enderby Entertainment.

Dugdale is opening a new office in Kelowna, with staff moving here from California and Sweden.

Due to COVID-19 issues in Utah, another Enderby Entertainment production might move to the Okanagan.

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“We now have an in house scout and bookkeeper, so we have grown up. The big companies are now calling us directly,” Jon Summerland OFC Commissioner said.

The OFC, in conjunction with WorkSafeBC, moved quickly to implement COVID protocols early in the pandemic, allowing filming to resume only a month into the B.C. state of emergency in spring 2020.

The three film commissions in the Thompson-Okanagan also pooled funds to do an advertising campaign to convince producers it was safe to film outside of Hollywood sound stages.

While productions don’t always share their expenditures with the OFC, the Association of Film Commissioner International (AFCI) has developed an on-location economic impact formula that is universally accepted for North American shot productions.

Feature Films

High-end budget motion picture full crew union scale $100,000 per day (USD)
Average budget motion picture full crew, mixed crew $75,000 per day
Low-end budget motion picture minimal crew, non-union $ 35,000 per day

TV Movie/Series Network

Cable/Broadcast$ 85,000 per day

Commercials, Music Videos

Commercial Event (expensive director, helicopters, misc. F/X and special equipment) $100,000 per day
High-end budget full crew, union scale $ 75,000 per day
Average budget full crew, mixed or non-union $ 50,000 per day
Low-end budget minimal crew, non-union $ 25,000 per day (*all dollar amounts are in US currency)

Okanagan productions ranged from the $11 million Dangerous to a $25,000 Dick’s Sporting Goods commercial.

“A film commission’s primary responsibility is to attract film and video production to their area in order to accrue locally-realized benefits from hiring local crews and talent, renting local equipment, using hotel rooms, rental cars, catering services, or any number of goods and services supplied on location,” Summerland said.

The capacity locally continues to expand, as crews get more experience on low and medium budget films, combined with a friendly tax credit regime.

by Kevin Rothwell

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