As the U.K. prepares to roll out new film incentives this spring, B.C.-based film and TV producers are looking to get in on the action.
A group of local producers have just returned from co-production forum in London where they’ve been meeting – and talking deals with – U.K. producers and broadcasters.
The trip, spearheaded by the B.C. branch of the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA-BC), included approximately a dozen B.C. production companies, plus a group of Toronto-based broadcast executives.
Brian Hamilton is chairman of CMPA-BC and principal and executive director of Vancouver production company Omnifilm Entertainment.
He said the timing of the trip proved “very wise.”
“The U.K. production community is just ramping up and coming to terms with the new incentives, which are particularly well suited to international co-productions,” he said.
Co-productions allow a film project to draw on financing and film incentives – as well as creative content – in two or more jurisdictions to increase the viability of projects.
Hamilton said the trip provided a great opportunity for local producers to rub shoulders with key U.K. broadcasters and production companies.
He added that, beyond building contacts and getting a better sense of what the U.K. market is looking for, the trip has sparked deal discussions for Omnifilm with some U.K. players.
“I’ve had active discussions in the last two weeks with three U.K. production companies and two U.K. broadcasters about new projects, so we’re definitely following up.”
Hamilton added that Omnifilm has already collaborated with the U.K.’s Impossible Pictures on the popular television series Primeval: New World and views the U.K. as “one of the most attractive and important co-production partners” globally.
“They have a very high-quality and world-renowned reputation for making some of the best programming, whether it’s feature films or television drama or documentary series,” he said.
“We are eager to work with their producers and their talented writers and actors.”
Hamilton said producers paid their own travel expenses to attend the forum – so he said the participation levels indicate the value that B.C. producers saw in the trip.
“We weren’t going to go if we didn’t think it was good for our bottom line.”
Andrew Williamson is head of production and digital media at Vancouver-based Lark Productions. Williamson said the trip for Lark, which has yet to do any co-productions, provided an opportunity to explore their potential.
He said the U.K.’s new film incentives look “promising” and will help promote a global trend for more international production partnerships in a tough financing climate.
Williamson added that he’s hoping to see the trip bear fruit for Lark.
“We’re already in discussions on one possible project that came out of the trip, so we hope to have a couple co-productions start up out of that. That would definitely be the goal.”
Rob Bromley, president and partner of Vancouver-based Force Four Entertainment, said that, like Lark, Force Four hasn’t done any international co-productions and wanted to learn about opportunities with U.K. partners.
He said that while the new U.K. incentives target larger budget productions, rather than some of the smaller factual programming that Force Four focuses on, the trip has kick-started some discussions about a potential project.
