Filmmaking Adventures : So You Want to Shoot in Canada?

So You Want to Shoot in Canada? (Link)

Canada is now offering three major production centers. They are located in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. The biggest stage is located at Mel's Cite du Cinema which is Montreal's leading studio facility. This Sound Stage measures 36,000-sq. ft. (300' x 122') There is a 40 foot clearance between the floor and the fixed lighting grid which provides 7200 amps of power capacity. This Sound Stage is soundproofed and has Air Conditioning. Films shot at this location include "The Aviator", "Mummy 3", "Pluto Nash", and "A White House Down" which is currently being filmed there now.
The Next Sound Stage is located in Toronto and it is property of Pinewood Studios, they call it "The Mega Stage" at Mel's Cite du Cinema. This is Montreal's leading studio facility. It measures 36,000-sq.-ft. (300'x122') Pinewood Studios Toronto opened its first phase in 2008 in the Port Lands area, bringing 250,000 sq. ft. of production space. It has 8 Film and TV stages which feature green initiatives like insulation and an instant hot water system. The studio's star attraction is the soundproofed 45,900- sq.-ft. Mega Stage (256' x 180'; height to grid 60')" according to Variety. This stage offers four 30-ton heating and A/C units with an automated control system, supply ducts that are located above the truss, they have drop-down attachment points to hang tubes for ground level spot tempering. "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World", "Total Recall", "The Thing", and "Pacific Rim" were shot on this and several other sound stages.
The Final Sound Stage is located in Vancouver at Mammoth Studios a subsidiary of North Shore Studios . This stage offers span of 123,882 sq. ft. and is 40 ft. tall. The stage is located in Vancouver's suburbs of Burnaby. Recently 2 Million Dollars has gone into upgrading the electrical system to support the big features, and the ability to distribute power throughout other Sound Stages. No big budget films has been shot at this location.

Well the reason that I picked this article was because there are opportunities for Filmmaking outside of Hollywood. This for me generally breaks the wall between the misunderstanding and stereotype that to be a Filmmaker, you have to live in Hollywood and if your a filmmaker who doesnt work or live in Hollywood automatically your not a Filmmaker. Well this (Hollywood) is where it all happens but that does not mean that film should be confined to the realm of ONLY Hollywood. Here is a perfect example on how you don't need to live in the Hollywood hills and work for Steven Spielberg to be a filmmaker plays a key part. Two of the three sound stages listed have been home to the sets of several big budget films like "Scott Pilgrim" or "The Thing" which not alot of movie goers know about. This really impacts me as a student because it opens up new opportunities not only for jobs but as as something to bring up when looking for a mega sound stage to shoot at. Yes, its located in Canada but in the world of Film we have to learn to adapt to certain situations or we wont get hired for the job. This also opens up new doors for people who live in Canada because Filmmakers are not only in Hollywood, they are also in Canada and most Places around the globe. As a consumer, it really helps to know where the movies are shot. Most people think that all movies are shot here in Los Angeles and edited to look like certain places. In the most part they are wrong. Sometimes its cheaper to shoot a film in Canada or England than it would be to shoot it here in Los Angeles. As a future filmmaker, well this can kill my job but at the same time, it can enhance it by being more diverse and available in more locations but that's where it probably kills it. Something similar to exporting jobs to other places but that's a totally different subject. New questions are being raised by the industry, those would be, "Can We Shoot our films there?" I don't blame them, some stages have really cool and neat features like a 7200 amps of power and air conditioning with ultra high ceilings. my question is, How can we as not only future filmmakers and current filmmakers benefit from this?

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