People encouraged to list properties on film industry site
Few listings from this area in Screen Nova Scotia’s location database
There was a lot of interest in the ‘new’ lighthouse – which was constructed to look old – during last year’s filming of the The Lighthouse movie in Cape Forchu, Yarmouth County.
A representative with Screen Nova Scotia would like to see more location listings from Yarmouth County.
Yarmouth municipal Councillor Patti Durkee spoke with Screen Nova Scotia industry services and locations manager Melanie Solomon last month and says the organization does not have many listings for this area to show directors and producers.
“Solomon encourages us 100 per cent to get the ball rolling,” said Durkee, who hopes to have more films made in the area. “Those that were here to film The Lighthouse were really happy with the services here, the people they employed and where the crew stayed and ate.
“What I’d like to see people do is list their houses and their business properties, and have municipal units add their assets to the Starring Your Property website through Screen Nova Scotia.”
At Yarmouth municipal council’s Jan. 9 committee of the whole meeting, she suggested the Municipality of Yarmouth prepare a registry of location assets and/or upload photos so producers and directors would know what was available.
She added if a website or information on locations was available, Screen Nova Scotia would be able to share the information when they travelled to other parts of the world.
The municipality’s CAO, Victoria Brooks, said she had many questions about the proposed project.
“I’m thinking of our priorities, our action item register, the scope … if we’re talking about the whole county then it’s a dialogue with our partners on where an idea like that might fit in their priorities, it’s defining which assets we would like to capture, it’s a budget, who would do it and when is it going to get done? This is a large project and it has to be done with excellence in order for it to be successful,” she said.
She added she could work with the municipality’s economic development officer and EDOs in other units to get a sense of the interest from partners to see about possibly doing it on a county level.
Town of Yarmouth EDO Natalie Smith says staff has just started doing some preliminary investigation on the project.
“I’m sure there will be opportunity to bring this forward to council for discussion and direction,” she said.
Durkee says she’d like to see the area marketed as having potential film sites.
“Let’s build the momentum. We have an opportunity. It’s a new industry and we’re always looking for something like that,” she said.
Screen Nova Scotia’s current locations database holds more than 1,000 images. The organization is looking for a wide array of properties that might attract a producer’s attention – from warehouses to condos, newly built homes to rustic farm houses – all properties are valuable in attracting productions to the province.
Film projects include films, television series, music videos and commercials.
“Let’s build the momentum. We have an opportunity.
It’s a new industry and we’re always looking for something like that.”
— Yarmouth municipal Councillor
Patti Durkee