Vancouver should set up film hubs downtown
Photo from http://flickr.com/photos/hamfisted/61153845/
Film crews and executives need to be more sensitive to neighbourhood issues, and the City of Vancouver will establish film hubs in downtown Vancouver to provide parking, electrical power, water and Internet hookups for film shoots, a task force on filming in the city reported Friday.
The report by the task force, created by Mayor Sam Sullivan and chaired by Brightlight Pictures CEO Shawn Williamson, contains 17 recommendations that will streamline activities for the industry and for the city.
These include:
- Using vacant City of Vancouver properties for film parking and staging to reduce setup times and operating costs.
- Reducing the number of trucks and amount of equipment used by film companies in residential and business areas.
- Making temporary direct connections to the electrical power grid to reduce idling vehicles and generators.
- Creating location-specific guidelines for areas with unusual issues, such as horses in the Southlands district.
- Identification by the city of “hot spots” for filming, and issuing temporary moratoriums and filming restrictions.
- Establishing film hubs in downtown Vancouver where crews can get essential supplies.
The task force included representatives from residential organizations, the Business Improvement Association, Canadian and American production associations, the Vancouver Police, Vancouver Park Board, the city’s engineering and real estate services, a location manager and an independent film producer.
The report also recommended that the city not shut out film production during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and to inform producers how the Games will affect their operations.
The task force recommendations will go before city council on Tuesday, where Mayor Sullivan will recommend all be passed by council.
“Ensuring Vancouver’s economic success is one of the five goals we have established for our government,” Sullivan said in a statement. “The film industry contributes significantly to our economic well-being.”
The idea behind the task force was to find ways that the city and the film industry can work together to keep the industry vibrant, but also to respond to the concerns of residents and businesses.
Councillor Elizabeth Ball, a member of the task force, said the report represents “a series of practical measures that can make a successful industry even stronger.”
Other recommendations include more timely installation and removal of “no parking” signs, providing timely and accurate information to residents and that the City of Vancouver review the level of staff resources in its film office, parks and engineering services to respond to industry needs.
The city’s filming and special events office currently employs a supervisor, four film liaison officers, a manager and a clerk, and issueed more than 4,000 film permits in 2006.
Sullivan may also travel to Los Angeles with representatives from the B.C. Film Commission and the Motion Picture Production Industry Association to meet with studios and producers.
