Report says films, TV work brought $23.8M to Valley
Film commissioner says $300,000 spent to attract productions to Okanagan represents good value
Production of movies, TV shows and commercials in the Okanagan last year contributed $23.8 million to the Valley’s economy, local politicians will hear today.
The economic impact comes in the form of wages paid to Okanagan residents as well as spending on local suppliers and at hotels and restaurants.
Film commissioner Jon Summerland says the impact represents good value for his office’s annual budget of $300,000, almost half of which comes from Kelowna-area property owners.
In his newly released annual report, to be considered by Central Okanagan politicians, Summerland says the film commission doesn’t sit around waiting for the phone to ring.
“At the Okanagan Film Commission, we are aggressively looking for new clients,” he writes.
“There is no time spent waiting for the next client. We follow many companies in film, animation, book, graphic novels. We are always the first to know if a book has been optioned for film or an animation or company is expanding,” he writes.
“We will contact any and all leads using individually designed marketing, all built especially for the project,” he writes.
Summerland acknowledges determining the precise economics of any production can be difficult. But he says he uses industry-accepted averages in his calculations.
For example, a high-end film intended for wide release made with a full union crew has an economic impact of US $100,000 per day, he says. At the other end of the spectrum, a low-end commercial with a non-union crew has a daily impact of about $25,000, he says.
Some notable productions last year, along with their estimated economic impact:
— “The Last Victim,” starring Ron Perlman, best known for his portrayal of the comic superhero Hellboy, $5 million
— “Love in Winterland,” a Hallmark Films love story starring Italia Ricci, $2.2 million.
— A Japanese TV show featuring Ogopogo, $140,000.