North Bay is pulling all the players together to attract more film productions to the Gateway city. Last year, the city was the locale for three large productions and the city’s economic development department is setting the stage for more.
North Bay is pulling all the players together to attract more film productions to the Gateway city.
Last year, the city was the locale for three large productions and the city’s economic development department is setting the stage for more.
North Bay streets and surrounding communities were locations for a Kids in the Hall mini-series, psychological thriller Oliver Sherman and two productions of a sci-fi comedy sequel, Dark Rising.
The city views movie and television production as any other kind of potential growth industry.
"There’s a real buzz about Northern Ontario in the industry," said Erin Richmond, a City of North Bay economic development officer who works with the studios on all incoming film and TV productions.
In a short time, she’s able to secure all the permits and approvals and can call on a round-table of city staff to schedule road closures, parking plans, use of municipal facilities and answer questions such as using special effects and pyrotechnics.
Richmond, who had met some of the producers at a Music and Film in Motion (MFM) event in Sudbury, said it’s been a "tremendous learning curve."
"There’s always a rush to plan, then there’s a lull."
The city has posted an online guide, a sort of municipal approvals checklist, as information for film companies.
As a non-profit promoter of movie-making in the North, Sudbury's MFM does its best to showcase possible filming locations on its website but the choice comes down to a film’s script and the producer’s vision.
North Bay has a desirable small town urban look, combined with pristine wilderness just a few minutes drive outside the city.
There’s also a good theatrical talent base to draw upon and there are tax credits and money from Northern Ontario Heritage Fund that makes it attractive to shoot in the North.
Beyond just filling hotel rooms during the spring and fall, the city believes film-making can have lasting spinoffs. There’s momentum in the community to develop a film industry culture by giving young people opportunities to get some on-the-set experience in future film work.
Local actor Jim Calarco has started two talent and casting companies to supply a pipeline of Northerners with work in this emerging industry.
He’s collaborated with Dark Rising producer Brigitte Kingsley, originally of Sudbury, to start North Star Talent Agency to provide unionized actors for feature or commercial films.
"She told me a year and a half ago that North Bay was going to be on the map when it came to film. Lo and behold we ended up with four features here last year."
He’s shortly starting another company, Reel to Real Background Casting, which provides extras in non-speaking roles to film companies. The plan is to hold workshops and seminars to train people for commercial film work.
Calarco will be able to supply both ACTRA members (the film actors union) and EQUITY (the stage actors union) for speaking and non-speaking roles.
He saw the industry potential in 2005 when he acted in That Beautiful Somewhere, a film shot in North Bay and Temagami that involved 35 local actors.
This past year’s filming blitz spurred him to go into business.
"I thought why not take advantage of it?"
Calarco said Northern Ontario offers cheaper shooting locations than Toronto, allowing low-budget film productions to be done in relatively high quality.
When it comes to trade skills there are many carpenters and theatre workers who have built stage sets, but Calarco said there needs to be locally-trained grips, gaffers, lighting and sound technicians, and camera operators.
Lieann Koivukoski, director of the Near North Mobile Media Lab, agrees that North Bay can host even larger feature productions if local skills can be upgraded.
The Near North lab, a non-profit organization, leases film equipment and holds educational workshops on filmmaking.
"The lab is trying to foster this independent filmmaker, documentary spirit that we’ve been nurturing for last couple of years. But I think it’s amazing to have these larger productions come in and show us what this larger world looks like."
Because of her connections, she was recruited by the film companies as a production coordinator to help scout locations and find theatrical and technical talent.
Though many people didn’t have formal training, she identified those with the right aptitude. "I helped them choose people that would learn quickly."
On future film shoots, she would like to see a local production workforce of actors, technicians and contractors fill key positions, and maybe a film supply warehouse.
She plans to stage a film boot camp in North Bay this spring to talk about film production, terminology and protocol on a film shoot, and career possibilities.
"I’m looking at it as a real opportunity to grow as artists."
Canadore College wants to get in on the movie-making action with its proposed $12.5 million Centre for all Media. The 37,800-square-foot multi-media facility would develop a well-rounded graduate who’s adept in camera work, craft and design, and script-writing.
The college has a rich history of broadcast journalism alumni and has a theatre arts program.
Brad Gavan, Canadore’s director of advancement and alumni services, said the building renderings and design are finished and fundraising is set to begin.
The facility would not only train actors, but allow movie production teams to use their radio broadcast, television and video production studios.
In their dealings with the city, Gavan said they’ve made it known the entire campus is open for film companies.
"With our studio and different labs can help out the film industry location-wise."
Canadore’s nursing and dental labs are turn-key movie sets, with studio and editing suites available for pre- and post-production work.
www.thinknorth.ca/mfmwww.nnmedialab.comwww.investinnorthbay.ca
