(Toronto) The American writers’ strike is also affecting Canadian productions, while many Hollywood productions are shot in Canada, such as Prime Video’s The Boys in Toronto and Netflix’s A Personal Matter in Vancouver.
Posted 11:49 am Updated 11:49 am
Cassandra Szklarski The Canadian Press
Last week, the Writers Guild of America called its strike after negotiations with film and television producers broke down over a variety of complex issues, including salaries and workforce levels.
Patti Henderson, a costume designer in Vancouver, notes a precipitous decline in shoots that employ local crews.
The Writers Guild of America’s decision last week to drop its pens for the picket prompted immediate uncertainty over the status of current and upcoming US productions being filmed in Canada, with Henderson noting a precipitous decline in filming in Vancouver , where local teams are employed.
“There is literally nothing on our list of upcoming productions, if you will. And that hurts a lot here,” she says, pointing out that the situation is particularly difficult for young professionals.
The Vancouver Film Bureau reports a drop in filming permit applications, while the Toronto Film Bureau reports less scouting activity.
“Productions were slower and more cautious with the green light or the start of production, the start of production, because they didn’t know whether or not they would be disrupted by the strike,” says Toronto Film Commissioner Marguerite Pigott.
At least “one major production” has been put on hold since the May 2 strike, she said, revealing nothing about the project except that it has “employed many, many people over time.”
Vancouver Film Commissioner Geoff Teoli estimates that permit applications have fallen by 40-50% in the last 90 days compared to the same period last year.
He adds that the drop isn’t unique to Vancouver or solely due to the strike, suggesting it’s part of a broader shift in the global market as broadcasters and producers reconsider the way they create content .
In Vancouver, he’s seen little impact so far, as most American productions already in progress can continue with scripts already completed that don’t require the work of a screenwriter. But “the longer the strike lasts, the greater the risk that they will run out of the material they need to keep going”.
Victoria Shen of the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) says no production has been halted and Canadian guild members – many of whom have dual WGA and WGC membership – do not have the right to accept work affected by the strike. WGA members residing in the United States are also not permitted to work on a Canadian show while the dispute is ongoing.
Meanwhile, more labor disputes could soon arise as the Directors Guild of America and American artists’ union SAG-AFTRA both have contracts that expire on June 30.
An economic report from the Canadian Media Producers Association, released last week, found that overseas productions – almost all of which originated in the United States – between Jan.