Village Gamer

British Columbia’s star power as a film-friendly production centre has received a boost from $275,000 in provincial government funding to help regional organizations attract and provide services to film and video producers from around the world.

British Columbia is the third-largest production centre in North America after Los Angeles and New York, with the local film industry directly and indirectly employing more than 25,000 people with overall 2010 wages adding up to approximately 450 million dollars.

The Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development distributed the funding to regional film commissions, as well as specific tourism associations and municipalities that work closely with the BC Film Commission to showcase and promote their regions to filmmakers and liaise with film production companies. If you would like to talk more with the BC Film Commission, they will be in Booth #889 at SIGGRAPH 2011, which takes place at the Vancouver Convention Centre next week, August 7th through 11th.

“Film in British Columbia represents a significant economic enterprise supporting good jobs and bringing substantial revenue to communities across the province,” said BC’s Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Ida Chong. “A visually dramatic landscape, a skilled film industry labour pool and a favourable tax regime established by the Province help attract film and video production, including projects in British Columbia’s regions.”

Every year, British Columbia’s regions provide locations for various film projects, including movies, television series, documentaries and commercials. Motion picture and television producers spent more than $1 billion in British Columbia during 2010. About 90 per cent of productions use the services of the BC Film Commission, including regional film commissions and offices.

“Since 1978, the BC Film Commission has successfully showcased the province as a motion picture production centre and filming destination. Regional commissions and organizations are instrumental in building and promoting B.C.’s inventory of locations,” added BC Film Commissioner Susan Croome. “They provide local production services and support required by visiting film crews and ensuring film-friendly procedures are in place through local regulatory authorities.”

Services provided in support of regional film include:

• Surveying and scouting film locations.
• Providing logistical support while filming is underway on location.
• Supplying information for producers matching scripts with possible locations.
• Offering production research, location expertise and technical support.
• Assisting with film permits, labour regulations and immigrant/work permits.

Contrary to popular belief, BC’s film industry, while largely located in the Lower Mainland region of the province, makes full use of the environmental and cultural diversity found throughout British Columbia:

· Since 1996, the Greater Victoria Film Commission (GVFC) has been the go-to agency for film productions doing business on southern Vancouver Island. Over the last decade, GVFC has supported the regional economy by helping to generate more than $165 million in direct spending in the Capital Regional District.

· The Vancouver Island North Film Commission has serviced film productions generating more than $80 million in economic impact for rural communities on Vancouver Island over the past 15 years.

· The Northern British Columbia Film region has played host to several Hollywood feature films including: Double Jeopardy, Reindeer Games, Insomnia, Dreamcatcher, Eight Below and most recently The Grey, filmed in Smithers for six weeks this past winter.

· In the last 10 years, the Thompson-Nicola Film Commission has worked with film projects resulting in $22 million in direct spending in the region, with a total estimated economic impact of more than $77 million in Kamloops and surrounding communities.

· Since 1990, film productions supported by the Okanagan Film Commission (OFC) have generated a multi-million dollar economic impact on the region. OFC has worked with international animation studios set to open offices in the region, including Bardel Entertainment / Nickelodeon, Lizard Brain and Disney. These new studios will employ young professional people at above-average salaries.

· In the fall of 2010, Nelson, Salmo and Ymir in the West Kootenays hosted filming of The Tall Man. The 42-day production generated $11 million in economic activity. More than 1,200 local people responded to an extras casting call.

The B.C. government provides between $130 million and $200 million in annual refundable tax credits for the film and television industry, depending on the level of production activity.

Even though it’s embroiled in a controversial referendum, the current HST assists in ensuring a competitive film industry in British Columbia. Under the HST, the 7% PST portion of the tax is now recoverable and provides significant savings on the purchases of goods and services such as catering and equipment.

The call for submissions to present lectures, roundtables and panel sessions at the 2012 Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is now open through Tuesday, September 6^th. Organized by the UBM TechWeb Game Network, GDC 2012 is the game industry’s most comprehensive and longest running professionals-only event where game developers converge for a week of learning, networking and inspiration. GDC 2012 will take place March 5-9 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California. Session proposals can be submitted via the official GDC website.

The GDC 2012 advisory board welcomes a slate of new members primarily aiding in the content planning for the Business, Marketing & Management, Production, and Visual Arts tracks including:

Chris Charla, Portfolio Director for XBLA, Microsoft Game Studios
Prior to joining Microsoft, Charla served as VP of business development at Foundation 9 Entertainment as well as editor-in-chief of Next Generation Magazine and launch editor of IGN.com.  In his new role at Microsoft Game Studios, Charla helps to shape Microsoft’s first party digital games portfolio.

Rod Fergusson, Executive Producer, Epic Games
As executive producer for Epic Games’ blockbuster Gears of War franchise,
Fergusson led the production of Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360) and the 2006 Game of the Year, Gears of War (Xbox 360, PC), in addition to collaborating with creative talent on the Gears of War novels, comic books and film. During his 10 year tenure at Microsoft, Fergusson also produced a number of game projects including Train Simulator, Blood Wake and Counter-Strike (Xbox).

Lee Petty, Project Lead & Art Director, Double Fine Productions
Since 1996, Petty has worked in the game industry in a wide variety of art production and leadership roles.  Petty has shipped numerous console and PC titles at companies such as Accolade, Infogrames, and Crystal Dynamics. Petty is currently at Double Fine Productions, where he serves as art director and project lead; his work includes 2009’s Brutal Legend and 2011’s Stacking.

Justin Thavirat , Senior Art Director, Blizzard
Thavirat is a senior art director at Blizzard Entertainment and has been working in the video game industry since 1994. He has contributed game art, concept art, cinematics art and marketing illustrations for many of Blizzard’s games in the Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, and World of Warcraft series. Most recently, Thavirat served as lead artist on World of Warcraft, art director on World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, and is currently art directing Blizzard’s unannounced massively multiplayer online game.

Ru Weerasuriya, Art and Creative Director and Co-Founder, Ready at Dawn Studios
Weerasuriya is the art and creative director and co-founder of Ready at Dawn Studios. 2006 saw the release of their first game, Daxter, to critical and commercial acclaim, earning them a nomination for the BAFTA awards. Formerly a senior artist with Blizzard Entertainment, Weerasuriya initially worked on Starcraft: Brood War and then contributed to the blockbuster Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Weerasuriya’s work has been published in several books and magazines, including The Art of Warcraft, The Art of World of Warcraft, Dungeons & Dragons books and Monster Manuals.

“The GDC Advisory Board has made improving the quality of presented talks its number one goal,” said Meggan Scavio, GM, Game Developers Conference Events. “With our new board members and the introduction of a new submissions system, we are able to continue to present talks that are representative of interesting and current work happening in game development each year.”

via newsletter: The Digital Media and Wireless Association of British Columbia’s ( DigiBC) core focus is to help build a strong – globally competitive — digital media and wireless community. DigiBC has several members that are leading companies in the animation, special effects, video games, social and wireless industries. We currently have a number of initiatives underway to improve our value to all our members and sponsors in this community.

One of those initiatives include the launch of a brand new dynamic and interactive website powered by Vancouver-based SilkStart Technology Inc. This new website leverages the latest social networking technology to engage and empower our members.

Say goodbye to the old static website and say hello to a new website that will empower our members to engage and improve their connections in the digital media and wireless community. DigiBC members can now easily update their company profile for the membership directory, post relevant news and lead relevant discussions to engage the community. Other new features include:

• Members will be able to follow each other and get the latest updates on events, discussions, profiles, product updates and more. As a member you will have access to the membership directory, company profiles, events calendar, shared links, discussions, videos and documents
• Members can post their events under the discussions Community
• Integrated connections for member to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
• Dedicated space for digital media and wireless subgroups that will be able to create their own space to share within their community
• Member access to specialized industry reports
• Job board for members to post employment opportunities

In addition to the new website, DigiBC member benefits such as extended health, dental and life plan will soon be added.

The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) is pleased to announce the 2011 launch of the Atlantic Mentorship Program. Interested parties have until August 17th to get their applications in.

“It is important to the CMPA to offer regional programs and to support the retention of local talent,” said Susanne Vaas, VP of Business Affairs & Recording Secretary, CMPA. “We are grateful for our partners’ support of this important program and we look forward to another successful program year.”

Offering a total of six placements in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, the program provides local talent long-term, paid training opportunities in the film, television and interactive media sectors.

The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) and Bell Media have expanded their program to bring more diverse writers into the talent pool of Canadian screenwriting. The invitation is now open for interested writers in western Canada to answer a call for applications to take part in this intense hands-on educational program taking place in Vancouver this December.

This session is for writers who live west of Ontario, as they must apply to the Vancouver session, while writers east of Manitoba must apply to the Toronto session. More information for the Spring 2012 Toronto session will be released later this Fall. Out of town writers who are selected for the immersion program will be awarded bursaries to cover their travel and accommodation expenses. The application deadline for this session is September 6th.

The Bell Media Diverse Screenwriters Program (formerly known as The CTV Diverse Screenwriters Program) reaches out to offer emerging and mid-career writers from diverse backgrounds the chance to hone the skills they need to become successful professional screenwriters.  And one writer will come out of the program with a paid internship on a Bell Media TV series.

Each session of the Program will offer up to eight writers a one-week intensive workshop, featuring lectures, guest speakers, screenings, and more.  This immersion phase will launch the writers’ development of their original script.  After the workshop, each writer will partner with an experienced screenwriter mentor to hone their script and pitch, finishing the program with a polished calling card to the industry.  In addition, one writer will be selected by jury for a paid internship in a writers’ room on a Bell Media conventional television or specialty service show.

Eligibility Requirements in Brief:

• Not currently be enrolled in any full-time school or university program.
• Demonstrate ownership of all underlying rights to the project with which they are applying.
• Be a Canadian citizen or Landed Immigrant.
• Demonstrate in their support material an understanding of the fundamentals of screenwriting such as story arcs and character development.
• Be able to make a commitment to the one-week intensive training and the subsequent 10-12 week mentoring process.
• If chosen, be in a position to accept a paid internship on an existing television series.

Please visit the program’s web pages for a full list of requirements, FAQs and the application package (PDF). The Bell Media Diverse Screenwriters Program presented by the WGC is made possible through the CTV-CHUM tangible benefits. Contact Elizabeth Stewart if you have further questions.

My two cents’ worth: I hope that those of you who are contemplating this program bite the bullet and apply. If I had had access to, or even known about, the myriad of programs available in this country for creative people, especially writers, when I was much younger – granted, there are more programs now than there was back in the stone-age – and had I been encouraged to follow my creative tendencies, I would have a very different career history from the one I have now. When you see an opportunity like the one above, take it – whether you are successful in your application or not – make the attempt.

The Winnipeg Film Group (WFG) will be able to upgrade its equipment, thanks to support from the Government of Canada. This was announced today by Rod Bruinooge, Member of Parliament (Winnipeg South), on behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.

The funding will enable the WFG to purchase a suite of digital support equipment, including a specialized computer system and digital editing software. These enhancements will increase the WFG’s capacity to create jobs and support the training of new artists in Manitoba.

“Our Government received a strong mandate from Canadians to invest in important projects like those of the Winnipeg Film Group,” said Minister Moore. “By supporting these activities, our Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen our the local economy and support arts, culture, and heritage.”

“The Winnipeg Film Group is a key resource for Winnipeg- and Manitoba-based independent filmmakers and video artists because it offers resources and support for training, and creates jobs for residents of Winnipeg,” said Mr. Bruinooge. “This organization provides a valuable service to our community and makes a vital contribution to the city’s economy and cultural life.”

“The Government’s contribution towards our digital equipment will help ensure that Manitobans continue to have access to modern digital tools in the production and presentation of locally created works in film and video,” said Cecilia Araneda, Executive Director of the WFG. “This investment will have an important impact on the development of a new generation of Manitoba directors.”

The WFG, founded in 1974, is an artist-run organization dedicated to promoting the art of cinema. They serve as a resource for Manitoba filmmakers and video artists and provide access to affordable training, mentorship, production funding, experimentation opportunities, production and post-production equipment and facilities, and local, national and international programming and distribution.

The Government of Canada has provided funding of $50,000 through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. This program seeks to improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and arts presentation or exhibition. It is also designed to increase access for Canadians to performing, visual, and media arts, and to museum collections and heritage displays.

A comprehensive study of Canadian industry commercialization practices and the effectiveness of various support programs will be undertaken shortly by Canada’s largest high-tech business organization, supported by partners in the Industry, the Public Sector and the Academia.

The Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) is working with the University of Waterloo (UofW) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), with funding support from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), the Export Development Canada (EDC), the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation (MRI) and the Sustainable Chemistry Alliance (SCA) and in partnership with the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises of Public Works Canada (PWGSC- OSME), the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC), the Conference Board of Canada (CBoC), ACCT Canada, Springboard West (SBW), the Centre of Excellence in Energy Efficiency (C3E), the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), BioTec Canada and the Rx&D (Pharma) associations.

While there is no doubt that Canada is doing well in matters of academic research, concern has arisen that the translation of this research into ‘bankable commerce’ is lagging. The performance of Canadian firms in commercializing innovation is a more important economic factor than quantity of innovation, if a large percent of innovations are left sterile in the labs or do not make their ways into tangible economic benefits, according to study director Dr. Sorin Cohn, who stated that “there is a perception that Canada is not doing so well when it comes to commercializing its products, services and processes into the global marketplace. Canada is a nation of SMEs, with over 99.8% of the more than 1 million companies in Canada having fewer than 500 employees, and the SMEs need better ways and means to enhance their positions in the global marketplace.”

CATA and its partners are urging enterprises and organizations to take an active part in this survey in order to acquire a meaningful understanding of what works and what does not for Canadian companies in matters of commercialization. The results will help Canadian executives — in Industry as well as in Government — to benchmark their organizations’ success in commercialization of innovation and to develop better practices and programs for ensuring competitiveness on the global scale.

“This is unique research into how companies bring products and services to market in the face of global competition,” said Paul Day, VP of the Information Communications Technology sector at Export Development Canada. “We hope to use the findings to understand how we can better serve the needs of innovative Canadian companies as they pursue International Trade.”

The study is starting with a survey of thousands of small, medium and large size enterprises throughout Canada. The survey addresses questions pertaining to product, service and process innovations that have been commercialized in the past 5 years, the strategies and cooperating arrangements pursued to achieve effective commercialization, the factors for success, the problems and obstacles encountered , the Federal, provincial or municipal programs that were used and were most effective in aiding commercialization, the financial aspects of commercialization, the relevant intellectual property issues and the roles played by lead customers and/or “anchor” companies in achieving successful commercialization of innovations.

Interactive Ontario, in partnership with the Ministry of Economic Development & Trade, is conducting a short survey of the interactive digital media industry in Ontario.

In an effort to monitor the evolution of the industry, IO will be requesting your cooperation on a periodic basis to help us improve our knowledge of key trends. The information collected will be used in aggregate in order to improve programs and policies that serve the industry.

Please note: these questions may best be answered by the person most familiar with key financial, human resources, and other strategic issues with your company. All responses will be kept strictly confidential, and your participation in this survey is of the utmost importance and is greatly appreciated.

If you have questions about this survey, please feel free to contact Astrid Rosemarin at Interactive Ontario either via email or by phone at 416.516.0077 extension 232.

Alliance numérique (AN) and the Canadian Interactive Alliance (CIAIC) have announced the launch of the Canadian Game Development Talent Awards, a gala event which will be held on November 2nd, officially closing out the Montreal International Game Summit.

“We are very happy to launch the first edition of the Canadian Game Development Talent Awards” said Pierre Proulx, General Manager of Alliance numérique. “Our goal is to recognize the creative talent in Canada, which is now the third most important cluster in terms of video game development in the world.’’

The Canadian Game Development Talent Awards will focus on recognizing the achievements of talent from across Canada in all the major disciplines of game creation. Alliance numérique has also launched the recruitment campaign of the Canadian Interactive Academy, whose role will be to evaluate the nominations and select the finalists and winners.

This national committee will be chaired by game business consultant Jason Della Rocca. Experienced game developers wishing to join the Academy and participate in the Awards process may view complete details and submit applications from now until the end of July.

Key Dates and Deadlines:

- July 5^th – August 1^st – Academy applications accepted
- August 1^st – September 15^th – Award nomination process
- October 15^th – Award finalists announced

Blue Ice Film and Hot Docs are delighted to announce that they have entered into a partnership to operate the recently acquired Bloor Cinema, the landmark, century-old film house located in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood. Currently undergoing renovation, the historic Bloor Cinema will reopen this fall under Hot Docs’ management, revitalized and ready to welcome Toronto’s film-loving public.

“Independent cinemas like the Bloor are vital to the city’s vibrant film culture,” says Chris McDonald, Hot Docs executive director. “Blue Ice Film and Hot Docs want to see them thrive.”

“It’s a dream come true,” says Carm Bordonaro, the now former owner of the Bloor Cinema. “The business model has completely changed and we need visionary investors and organizations like Hot Docs to protect these neighbourhood cinemas. I want to thank the community and our avid supporters who have kept the Bloor alive all these years.”

Bordonaro has been involved with the Bloor Cinema’s operations since 1979, when it was part of the Festival Cinemas chain. He had been managing the venue with his family since 1999, and they purchased it in June of 2010 in an effort to ensure its survival as a cinema. Since then, the family has held off selling the venue, turning away numerous property developers until a like-minded buyer could be secured.

Under a joint venture agreement, Hot Docs as lease holder will assume responsibility for managing and programming the Bloor Cinema year round, in addition to utilizing the venue for its annual Festival and monthly Doc Soup screening series. Documentary films will be predominantly featured, but the Bloor Cinema will continue to host many of Toronto’s popular film festivals and also offer programming of interest to the rep cinema’s loyal following. In addition to Hot Docs, the Bloor regularly hosts the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, the After Dark Film Festival and the Images Festival, among many others.

“It’s a remarkable opportunity, and we are ready for the challenge,” says McDonald. “The Bloor Cinema has been a cherished home to Hot Docs for the past 12 years and we’re excited to be a part of the revitalization of this much-loved venue. It’s fantastic for Hot Docs, film lovers and the entire neighbourhood, which will continue to enjoy its own independent film house. This new chapter wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering dedication of Carm, Paul and their family, and the vision of Blue Ice.”

The current renovations will see upgrades to the cinema’s technical equipment and sound system, audience seating, façade and lobby areas. During this time, Hot Docs will be conducting industry stakeholder and community consultations around proposed plans for the cinema. A feedback address has been set up so that interested parties can begin sharing their feedback.