News
August 6, 2013
August 2nd News Report from your Los Angeles Representative
TORONTO ONTARIO film office - A partnership of the Ontario Media Development Corporation, City of Toronto and FilmOntario.WEEKLY UPDATE August 2, 2013
from Kelly Graham-Scherer, Los Angeles Representative - torontoontariofilm@gmail.com
Happy Friday everyone,
Last week in this space I brought to your attention the story of the Fantastic Four's flight from Vancouver to Louisiana: this week, to provide a little context, a story in The Wrap below details how film and television stakeholders in Louisiana successfully fought against proposed changes to the state's incentives program and have managed to preserve its "Hollywood of the South" moniker. http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/louisiana-hollywood-south-survives-threat-film-incentives-106071
The Fantastic Four's flight from Vancouver has reignited calls for more industry support in British Columbia. New Democrat MLA George Heyman wrote an editorial piece in the Vancouver Sun this week calling on the government to revisit its stance against raising the province's film and television tax credits. http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Province+film+industry+deserves+support/8720132/story.html
Here in Los Angeles there was bad news for the local industry this week. As reported in the L.A. Times below, figures compiled by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp show employment in L.A. County's motion picture and sound recording category -- which covers the bulk of employment in the local film, TV and music industries -- fell to 107,600 wage and salary jobs in June, down 6.6% from June 2012 and 5.5% from May. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-hollywood-jobs-20130729,0,3414783.story
The VFX industry here in L.A. and indeed the world over, is keeping a close watch on this next story. An industry-funded study reported a few weeks back that there was a possibility that foreign subsidies on visual-effects work may be enough to trigger World Trade Organization “anti-subsidy duty” rules that would impose a tariff on those vfx when they’re imported into the U.S. Although the possibility is an acknowledged long shot, as detailed in Variety below, it was presented and debated at the Siggraph conference last week. http://variety.com/2013/biz/news/wto-cvd-duties-visual-effects-1200568359/
I'm sure at least some of you are enjoying the CBS hit Under The Dome this summer and if so, it appears you have company on Wall Street. As reported in the L.A. Times below, a groundbreaking deal between the network and Amazon ensured that the show would be profitable before it even aired. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-wall-street-cbs-under-the-dome-20130731,0,675384.story
It has also been a good summer for Dreamworks Animation. As reported in the L.A. Times below, the company's summer hit The Croods, helped it exceed profit expectations for the second quarter. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-fi-ct-dwa-earns-20130801,0,994528.story
And finally this week, Toronto-shot Pacific Rim is feeling the love from China: according to the Hollywood Reporter below, the film earned $9 million on its opening day there, which represents Warner Brothers' biggest opener ever, eclipsing the opening day of the final Harry Potter film by 23 percent. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/guillermo-del-toros-pacific-rim-597310
Please feel free to distribute this e-mail widely and to get in touch with me with comments or links for inclusion.
Warmest regards,
Kelly Graham-Scherer
Los Angeles Representative
Toronto/Ontario Film Office