Hollywood North
Encyclopedia
Hollywood North, an allusion
to Hollywood, Los Angeles
, United States
, a notable film
centre in the world, is a colloquialism
used to describe film production industries and or film locations north of its namesake. The term has been applied principally to the film industry in Canada, specifically Vancouver
and Toronto
.
film and television production since the late 1970s, even appearing in the titles of books (i.e. Hollywood North: The Feature Film Industry in British Columbia) and films (Hollywood North
). The title has been claimed by both Vancouver
, British Columbia
and Toronto
, Ontario
, although it is also used generically as a description of the entire Canadian film industry.
Vancouver has been used as a filmmaking location for nearly a century, beginning with The Cowpuncher's Glove and The Ship's Husband, both shot in 1910 by the Edison Manufacturing Company
. Isolated by distance from the domestic film production communities in Toronto and Montreal, it became known as "Hollywood North" for its role as a production centre for US feature films shot in British Columbia. The provincial government first established a film development office in 1977 to market the province to the Hollywood community. In 2000, BC crossed the billion-dollar mark in production for the first time, and in 2002, 75% of all Canadian foreign productions were based in British Columbia and Ontario. That same year British Columbia led the country in foreign film production receiving 44% of the Canadian total.
British Columbia is the third largest production centre for film and television in the world, after Los Angeles
and New York City
, with over 246 motion picture projects and $1.5 billion dollars on production spending in 2010.
North Shore Studios - formally Lionsgate Studios - and Vancouver Film Studios
are among the two largest special effects stages in Canada. VFS being one of the largest production facility outside of Los Angeles
; Bridge Studios, in Burnaby, British Columbia
, has one of the largest special effects stages in North America. Mammoth Studios, a subsidiary of North Shore studios holds the largest film stages in the world, their largest at 123883 sq ft (11,509.1 m²).
The BC Film Commission reported that in 2005, more than 200 productions were completed in B.C.: 63 feature films, 31 television series, 37 movies-of-the-week, 15 television pilots, 5 miniseries, 20 documentaries, 16 short films and 24 animation projects. In 2006, spending on film and TV production in B.C. was $1.228 billion. . The Late-2000s recession or sometimes referred to as the December 2007 Recession, hit the film industry financially on all levels. By March 2008, the British Columbia film industry dramatically recovered with film spending at $1.2 billion, with foreign-film production increasing 146 percent and domestic animation by 79 percent. In total, 86 foreign productions including 40 feature length films, were completed in 2008. The city is also host to the Vancouver International Film Festival
and the Vancouver Film and Television Forum
.
Over the last few years, many states and provinces have increased their tax incentives matching and even exceeding the ones offered in British Columbia which has made it more competitive for the province. These states include Georgia (30% based on a minimum investment of $500,000 ), New Mexico (20% Refundable Tax Credit ), and North Carolina (25% Refundable Tax Credit ).
Vancouver is 1725 kilometres (1,071.9 mi) from Hollywood, a three hour airplane flight or a twenty-one hour drive. It is also in the same time zone
as Los Angeles. This relative proximity coupled with government subsidies is a major factor in the growth of Vancouver's production industry. Proximity reduces issues over operating hours, accessibility, travel time for principals, access to filmmaking infrastructure, and experience of crews..Another reason why foreign producers choose Vancouver to film is because of the consistent cloud cover as this weather naturally diffuses natural sunlight which makes it easier for technicians to add additional light.
One of the earliest Hollywood television series to shoot in Toronto was the 1957 production Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans
. The city has been associated with the nickname 'Hollywood North' since the late 1970s, due to its role as a production centre for both domestic and international film projects In 1979 Toronto mayor John Sewell
announced that Canada had become the third largest movie production centre after Los Angeles and New York.
In 2002 the year Toronto's Film and Television industry accounted for $1.16 billion towards the city's economy, former Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman
proclaimed "Toronto is Hollywood North". In 2003 the Toronto Ontario Film Office was established in Los Angeles to promote the benefits of filming in the city of Toronto and the province of Ontario. With the TOFO Ontario
is the only Canadian province to have an office in Hollywood. The province of Ontario had 230 film projects with $946 million dollars in production spending in 2010.
Toronto ranks second as an exporter of television programming in North America
and $903.5 million dollars were spent by production companies on 209 major production film and television projects in 2010 in Toronto. It is the home base for Alliance Atlantis
, the largest distribution company in Canada, and the 12th largest film and tv distribution company in the world, which distributes films and television across all of North America and parts of Europe
. Toronto is also the headquarters of Nelvana
, the largest animation company in Canada and one of the largest animation/children's entertainment studios in the world.
Pinewood Toronto Studios located in Toronto
, Canada
is Canada's largest film and television production complex, with more than 250000 sq ft (23,225.8 m²) of production space. It contains the largest purpose-built sound stage in North America, capable of accommodating large blockbuster movies.
The Toronto Film and Television Office reported that in 2005 some 200 productions were completed in Toronto: 39 features, and 44 movies made for television, 84 television series, 11 television specials, and 22 MOW's (movies of the week). The Toronto Film and Television Office issued 4,154 location filming permits for 1,258 projects totalling 7,319 days of shooting.
As with Vancouver, government tax incentives at both the provincial and federal level promote Toronto as a destination for many US film productions. The city is often used as a stand in for New York City
and Chicago
in film.
In addition to being a productions centre, Toronto is the home to the Toronto International Film Festival
, which is considered by many in the film industry to be second only to Cannes
in terms of influence or in instances actually rivaling it. It attracts numerous high-profile actors and film makers form around the globe to premiere their Films in Toronto and is generally considered the tip-off point to which the Oscar races begin.
Toronto is home to Canada's Walk of Fame
, similar in appearance to the Hollywood Walk of Fame
, honouring notable Canadians.
Toronto is the headquarters to the majority of Canada's national media outlets including: CBC Television
, CTV
, Global Television Network
, MuchMusic
, YTV, and entertainment programs ETalk
and Entertainment Tonight
. The city is the traditional host for the Gemini Awards, honouring the Canadian television industry.
Allusion
An allusion is a figure of speech that makes a reference to, or representation of, people, places, events, literary work, myths, or works of art, either directly or by implication. M. H...
to Hollywood, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, a notable film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
centre in the world, is a colloquialism
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
used to describe film production industries and or film locations north of its namesake. The term has been applied principally to the film industry in Canada, specifically Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Canada
The term "Hollywood North" has been used to describe aspects of CanadianCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
film and television production since the late 1970s, even appearing in the titles of books (i.e. Hollywood North: The Feature Film Industry in British Columbia) and films (Hollywood North
Hollywood North (film)
Hollywood North is a 2003 feature film, starring Matthew Modine and Jennifer Tilly. It is a mockumentary detailing the struggles of two Canadian movie producers in Toronto circa 1979.The title is a reference to the colloquialism "Hollywood North"....
). The title has been claimed by both Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, although it is also used generically as a description of the entire Canadian film industry.
Vancouver
- See also: :Category:Films shot in Vancouver, :Category:Television series produced in Vancouver, List of filming locations in the Vancouver area
Vancouver has been used as a filmmaking location for nearly a century, beginning with The Cowpuncher's Glove and The Ship's Husband, both shot in 1910 by the Edison Manufacturing Company
Edison Studios
Edison Studios was an American motion picture production company owned by the Edison Company of inventor Thomas Edison. The studio made close to 1,200 films as the Edison Manufacturing Company and Thomas A. Edison, Inc. until the studio's closing in 1918...
. Isolated by distance from the domestic film production communities in Toronto and Montreal, it became known as "Hollywood North" for its role as a production centre for US feature films shot in British Columbia. The provincial government first established a film development office in 1977 to market the province to the Hollywood community. In 2000, BC crossed the billion-dollar mark in production for the first time, and in 2002, 75% of all Canadian foreign productions were based in British Columbia and Ontario. That same year British Columbia led the country in foreign film production receiving 44% of the Canadian total.
British Columbia is the third largest production centre for film and television in the world, after Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, with over 246 motion picture projects and $1.5 billion dollars on production spending in 2010.
North Shore Studios - formally Lionsgate Studios - and Vancouver Film Studios
Vancouver Film Studios
Vancouver Film Studios is a film production centre located in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the largest production facility outside of Los Angeles in North America and is operated by the McLean Group of Companies...
are among the two largest special effects stages in Canada. VFS being one of the largest production facility outside of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
; Bridge Studios, in Burnaby, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, has one of the largest special effects stages in North America. Mammoth Studios, a subsidiary of North Shore studios holds the largest film stages in the world, their largest at 123883 sq ft (11,509.1 m²).
The BC Film Commission reported that in 2005, more than 200 productions were completed in B.C.: 63 feature films, 31 television series, 37 movies-of-the-week, 15 television pilots, 5 miniseries, 20 documentaries, 16 short films and 24 animation projects. In 2006, spending on film and TV production in B.C. was $1.228 billion. . The Late-2000s recession or sometimes referred to as the December 2007 Recession, hit the film industry financially on all levels. By March 2008, the British Columbia film industry dramatically recovered with film spending at $1.2 billion, with foreign-film production increasing 146 percent and domestic animation by 79 percent. In total, 86 foreign productions including 40 feature length films, were completed in 2008. The city is also host to the Vancouver International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
and the Vancouver Film and Television Forum
Vancouver Film and Television Forum
The Vancouver Film and TV Forum is an annual event produced by the Vancouver International Film Festival in Vancouver, Canada. Held from September 27 - September 30, 2011 and New Filmmakers' Day on October 1, it is now in its 26th year.- Overview :...
.
Over the last few years, many states and provinces have increased their tax incentives matching and even exceeding the ones offered in British Columbia which has made it more competitive for the province. These states include Georgia (30% based on a minimum investment of $500,000 ), New Mexico (20% Refundable Tax Credit ), and North Carolina (25% Refundable Tax Credit ).
Vancouver is 1725 kilometres (1,071.9 mi) from Hollywood, a three hour airplane flight or a twenty-one hour drive. It is also in the same time zone
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
as Los Angeles. This relative proximity coupled with government subsidies is a major factor in the growth of Vancouver's production industry. Proximity reduces issues over operating hours, accessibility, travel time for principals, access to filmmaking infrastructure, and experience of crews..Another reason why foreign producers choose Vancouver to film is because of the consistent cloud cover as this weather naturally diffuses natural sunlight which makes it easier for technicians to add additional light.
Toronto
- See also: :Category:Films shot in Toronto, :Category:Toronto television series, List of filming locations in the Toronto area
One of the earliest Hollywood television series to shoot in Toronto was the 1957 production Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans
Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans
Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans is a 1957 Western television series made for syndication by ITC Entertainment and Normandie Productions. It ran for one season of 39 half-hour monochrome episodes...
. The city has been associated with the nickname 'Hollywood North' since the late 1970s, due to its role as a production centre for both domestic and international film projects In 1979 Toronto mayor John Sewell
John Sewell
John Sewell, CM is a Canadian political activist and writer on municipal affairs; he was the mayor of Toronto, Ontario from 1978 to 1980.-Background:...
announced that Canada had become the third largest movie production centre after Los Angeles and New York.
In 2002 the year Toronto's Film and Television industry accounted for $1.16 billion towards the city's economy, former Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman
Mel Lastman
Melvin Douglas "Mel" Lastman , nicknamed "Mayor Mel", is a former businessman and politician. He is the founder of the Bad Boy Furniture chain. He served as the mayor of the former city of North York, Ontario, Canada from 1972 until 1997. At the end of 1997, North York, along with five other...
proclaimed "Toronto is Hollywood North". In 2003 the Toronto Ontario Film Office was established in Los Angeles to promote the benefits of filming in the city of Toronto and the province of Ontario. With the TOFO Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
is the only Canadian province to have an office in Hollywood. The province of Ontario had 230 film projects with $946 million dollars in production spending in 2010.
Toronto ranks second as an exporter of television programming in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and $903.5 million dollars were spent by production companies on 209 major production film and television projects in 2010 in Toronto. It is the home base for Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. was a Toronto-based media company that operated primarily as a specialty service operator in Canada. Alliance Atlantis also had offices in Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Shannon and Sydney.Alliance Atlantis was acquired by Canwest...
, the largest distribution company in Canada, and the 12th largest film and tv distribution company in the world, which distributes films and television across all of North America and parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Toronto is also the headquarters of Nelvana
Nelvana
Nelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
, the largest animation company in Canada and one of the largest animation/children's entertainment studios in the world.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
is Canada's largest film and television production complex, with more than 250000 sq ft (23,225.8 m²) of production space. It contains the largest purpose-built sound stage in North America, capable of accommodating large blockbuster movies.
The Toronto Film and Television Office reported that in 2005 some 200 productions were completed in Toronto: 39 features, and 44 movies made for television, 84 television series, 11 television specials, and 22 MOW's (movies of the week). The Toronto Film and Television Office issued 4,154 location filming permits for 1,258 projects totalling 7,319 days of shooting.
As with Vancouver, government tax incentives at both the provincial and federal level promote Toronto as a destination for many US film productions. The city is often used as a stand in for New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in film.
In addition to being a productions centre, Toronto is the home to the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
, which is considered by many in the film industry to be second only to Cannes
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
in terms of influence or in instances actually rivaling it. It attracts numerous high-profile actors and film makers form around the globe to premiere their Films in Toronto and is generally considered the tip-off point to which the Oscar races begin.
Toronto is home to Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
, similar in appearance to the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
, honouring notable Canadians.
Toronto is the headquarters to the majority of Canada's national media outlets including: CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
, CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
, Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
, MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
, YTV, and entertainment programs ETalk
ETalk
etalk is a Canadian entertainment news show hosted by Ben Mulroney and Tanya Kim. It airs weekdays weeknights at 7 p.m. ET on CTV, at 1:30 p.m. ET on CTV Two and at 6 p.m. ET and 11:30 p.m. ET on E!...
and Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight Canada
Entertainment Tonight Canada is a daily entertainment newsmagazine show that airs primetime on Global Television in Canada. Encore presentations can also be found on the Slice and TVtropolis channels, both of which are part of the Shaw Media network...
. The city is the traditional host for the Gemini Awards, honouring the Canadian television industry.
See also
- List of filming locations in the BC Interior
- List of films shot in Toronto
- List of films set in Toronto
- Cinema of Canada
- Canadian pioneers in early HollywoodCanadian pioneers in early HollywoodMotion pictures have been a part of the culture of Canada since the beginning.-History:Around 1910, the East Coast filmmakers began to take advantage of California winters and after Nestor Studios, run by Canadian Al Christie, built the first permanent movie studio in Hollywood a number of the...
- Nicknames of VancouverNicknames of VancouverThere are many nicknames for the city of Vancouver, the largest city in British Columbia and third-largest metropolitan area in Canada. Some reflect the city's climate, its geography, its economy, and its demographics. Others have their origins in cultural aspects of the city and its inhabitants...
- Nicknames of Toronto
- Runaway productionRunaway productionRunaway production is a term used by the American film industry to describe filmmaking and television productions that are "intended for initial release/exhibition or television broadcast in the U.S., but are actually filmed in another country."...
Further reading
- Gasher, Mike (2002). Hollywood North: The Feature Film Industry in British Columbia,
- Spanner, David (2004). Dreaming in the Rain: How Vancouver Became Hollywood North by Northwest,
- Spencer, Michael (2003). Hollywood North: Creating Canadian Film
- Trumpbour, John (2003). Hollywood North: The Feature Film Industry in British Columbia: An article from: Business History Review.
External links
- Vancouver.ca - City of Vancouver
- Main Page - BC Film Commission
- Toronto Film and Television Office TFTO
- Toronto.ca- City of Toronto
- Ruling the Airwaves: The CRTC and Canadian Content - CBC Digital Archives
- Robert Altman's Vancouver - Pacific Cinémathèque