Regina man struggles as freelance editor
Regina man considers leaving business as it becomes harder to make ends meet in Saskatchewan, as Ashley Martin explains.
Many believe the provincial government killed Saskatchewan’s film industry when it eliminated the film employment tax credit. Almost seven years later, we talk to a few industry “survivors” in this four-part series.
REGINA Tim Thurmeier began shooting his sci-fi movie Terminal Life in Regina in September.
As far as he knows, it’s the only feature-length film to be shot in Saskatchewan in 2018.
Creative Saskatchewan half-funded his $100,000 budget. The other half, Thurmeier borrowed from friends and family, and saved from his work as a freelance editor.
“This is the first year that I haven’t worked on a film that was brought in or that had a budget of $1 million,” said Thurmeier, who began working in film after graduating with a University of Regina film-production degree in 2007.
“Yes I shot my film, but we’re talking micro budget, and it’ll probably end up being a 15-day shoot, which isn’t that much anyway,” added Thurmeier.
“People can’t survive on 17 days a year. Like, imagine if you worked 17 days, can you pay rent? Can you buy groceries?
“Anyone who worked on it, if that even covered their bills for a month, I would be surprised.”
As a child growing up in north Regina, his older brother inspired his interest in a film career.
Mike Thurmeier has animated and directed the Ice Age movies since 2002.
“It’s mostly because of him that I got interested in the film side and then when I realized I wasn’t great at drawing, I kind of pivoted to live action,” said Tim Thurmeier. “I wanted to direct.”
He started editing corporate videos for 306 Productions and Living Sky Media, with the goal of segueing into creative and feature films.
It didn’t happen the way he expected.
“In 2012, it all went south,” said Thurmeier, when the government cut the film employment tax credit.
“Right when we were getting into (creative work), making a bigger push, everything kind of went down and the company I worked for, they closed.”
Meeting director Lowell Dean led to new connections in creative filmmaking.
Thurmeier landed a job with Minds Eye Entertainment, editing a documentary TV series. Around The Next Bend premiered in 2012 and followed two Regina men on a rafting adventure through India.
That led to an opportunity editing a feature film, Adventure Club, which was released in 2016.
“I’ve been fortunate enough that every year since then … I’ve cut a feature. I think I have five features I’ve cut so far,” said Thurmeier.
The most recent was Supergrid, a post-apocalyptic film shot in the Regina area in summer 2017.
“I have conflicted feelings about the tax credit,” Thurmeier explained. “In my case, the only reason I’m at the place I’m at, in terms of having the opportunity to cut films, is because there was no one around. So it’s been good for me, experience-wise, in order to get the credits, but obviously it’s not sustainable to have a career here in feature films.”
This is because, after the film tax credit was cut, work quickly dried up and many people left the province.
Creative Saskatchewan, which was meant to replace the tax credit as an industry incentive, offers funding “so low it’s like you can’t entice anyone to come here,” said Thurmeier.
In shooting his own feature film, Thurmeier shared a crew with a series, I Lived With a Killer, because there are so few crew members left.
It was a challenge to schedule around another production; as a result, filming Terminal Life is on hiatus until spring.
Most of Thurmeier’s work is through Adam Burwell and Burwell Productions. As a freelance editor, Thurmeier edits corporate shoots for companies like Dupont Pioneer, and recently edited Unbroken, a 2018 TV movie about Mark Mcmorris.
“The only way I’ve been able to survive is because (Burwell) keeps giving me work, which is great, but it’s separate from the feature film side,” said Thurmeier.
“I have been able to make a living now within the past four to five years, enough that I’m comfortable — and that’s different to a lot of people — but I can pay my bills, let’s put it that way.
“A lot of people who are in film, at least in Saskatchewan, aren’t able to do that. They’ll have to supplement, have other jobs and work.”
Thurmeier said he thinks about leaving the province “almost every day,” and considers leaving film altogether.
“I don’t want to give it up, but at what point is it a sunk cost fallacy, where you keep putting time in but you’re never going to get better than what it is right now? I suppose I won’t know until I leave Saskatchewan, if I stay in the industry, if it can get better.”
I’ve been fortunate enough that every year since then … I’ve cut a feature. I think I have five features I’ve cut so far.
PART 3, FRIDAY: DAN CROZIER LIVES IN REGINA AND WORKS IN THE FILM INDUSTRY, BUT THOSE TWO FACTS ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.