Why Trade Matters
Success Stories
When Canada celebrates film
The opening of the Montreal World Film Festival on August 26, 2004, will mark the beginning of Canada's coast-to-coast celebration of film. In fact, from August 26 to October 8, movie buffs from Montreal, Toronto, Halifax and Vancouver will flock to theatres to take in as many movies as they can. It will also be an opportunity for Canada's film industry to establish a presence in the many film markets presented each year in conjunction with the festivals.
The Toronto film market, the second most important in the world after Cannes, is the preferred gateway for foreign film and television professionals entering the North American market. Distribution agreements for Canadian and foreign films worth millions of dollars are concluded there each year.
International Trade Canada through the Trade Commissioner Service in Toronto, and the Canada-Ontario Export Forum in cooperation with the Trade Routes program in Ontario, are supporting the Industry On-line initiative at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Industry On-line will allow international and Canadian distributors to research film producers by computer.
In 2002-2003, total exports of Canadian film productions were valued at $2.37 billion, and exports of independent Canadian productions reached $474 million. Co-productions with partners such as the United Kingdom, France, China and Australia totalled $635 million at year-end.
Despite a very competitive international film and television market heavily dominated by national productions, particularly in the United States, the expansion of television channels available by cable or satellite brings many attractive opportunities for Canadian producers.
This issue of Success Stories features some of the Canadian film and television production companies that have distinguished themselves in export markets.
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Unravelling the Mysteries of the Ocean Depths
Eco-Nova Media Group, Halifax, Nova Scotia
From the wreck of Carpathia (the ship that rescued passengers of the Titanic) to doomed 13th-century Mongol fleets, Eco-Nova Media Group has seen it all. The Halifax-based company specializes in finding, exploring and documenting shipwrecks.
With its internationally acclaimed Oceans of Mystery and Sea Hunters series currently airing in more than 150 countries, Eco-Nova is also in the business of exporting Canadian expertise in ocean-mapping technology. "The reputation of our high-quality underwater images means that when maritime museums around the world require video surveys of new wreck sites, we are the ones that receive the call," says John Davis, President of Eco-Nova. The company's broadcasters include History Television, National Geographic Channel–Canada, Discovery Networks International, National Geographic Channel (International), National Geographic Channel (U.S.), Outdoor Life Network (U.S.A.) and television stations in France, Italy, Russia and the United Kingdom.
Eco-Nova has forged partnerships in Barbados, Bermuda, Finland, Germany, Malta, Poland, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom and the United States, many of which were facilitated by Canada's Trade Commissioner Service. "When your work involves diving to and filming important marine artifacts, it really helps to be introduced in foreign countries by Canadian Embassy staff who have taken the time to get to know you and what you do," adds Davis.
Founded in 1994 as a dive survey and eco-tourism company, Eco-Nova has grown to become Canada's largest producer of underwater documentaries. In 2002, the company garnered a Nova Scotia Export Achievement Award, while John Davis received the Ernst & Young 2003 Entrepreneur of the Year Award for media and entertainment.
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Manitoba's Biggest Production Studio
Frantic Films, Winnipeg, Manitoba
The evil, viscous blob in Scooby Doo II: Monsters Unleashed came from the studios of Winnipeg's Frantic Films. To bring the Tar Monster to life, the award-winning company relied on the in-house talent of its artists and computer programmers and its proprietary Flood™ software. Designed by Frantic's own R&D; division with the support of the National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program, Flood™ is one of the world's leading tools for animating all kinds of fluids, from water to asphalt.
Frantic, which was behind the breathtaking, 3-D animated pyrotechnics and live-action visual effects seen in films such as X2, Swordfish, Paycheck, The Core and The Italian Job, also animated hordes of spiders for Hangman's Curse and worked on the DVD re-release of the sci-fi classic, Aliens. "We love bringing this kind of work to Winnipeg," says Frantic president Chris Bond, who founded the company in 1997 along with CEO Ken Zorniak. The company has two ABC mini-series to its credit as well: Stephen King's Storm of the Century and Rose Red.
Now Manitoba's largest production house, Frantic employs 65 people serving a growing roster of clients that include Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, ABC Television, History Television, Life Network, and W (formerly WTN). The company also provides its cutting-edge techniques and resources for the creation of world-class commercials.
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Academy and Emmy Award Winning Productions
Rhombus Media Inc., Toronto, Ontario
Since its founding at York University's film department in 1979, Rhombus Media Inc. has won critical acclaim worldwide—not to mention an Oscar, seven Emmys and countless nominations—for its film and television productions in the performing arts. Along the way, Rhombus has picked up scores of awards at festivals in Banff, Cannes, Prague, Berlin, Montreux, San Sebastian, Sydney, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, San Francisco and Toronto.
Rhombus' productions have been shown in more than 30 countries and already number over one hundred. These include Last Night, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Thirty-two Short Films About Glenn Gould, Beethoven's Hair, September Songs and Academy Award-winning The Red Violin. The six-part series Inspired By Bach, produced in collaboration with internationally renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and other artists, has been screened on television and in festivals from Istanbul to Los Angeles and garnered trophies in Brazil, Italy and France as well as two prime-time Emmys and the prestigious Rose d'Or.
Rhombus often collaborates with networks such as Germany's ZDF, France and Germany's Arte, England's BBC and Channel 4, NHK in Japan, TVE Madrid and DRS Zürich. Although commercially oriented stations have taken over the European market in recent years, the company is uncovering more opportunities closer to home. "Much to our surprise, studios in Los Angeles are looking for cultural content and treat our productions with enormous respect," says Niv Fichman, Rhombus Producer and Founding Partner. Among the company's most recent productions are Guy Maddin's The Saddest Music in the World, Don McKellar's Childstar and the hit TV comedy series, Slings & Arrows.
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Top-Notch Canadian Animation
Bardel Entertainment, Vancouver, British Columbia
Bardel Entertainment has been providing award-winning animation production services to the international entertainment marketplace for more than 16 years. Among its high-profile clients are Warner Brothers, Disney, DreamWorks SKG, Fox, Nelvana, Turner Broadcasting System and Electronic Arts.
The studio is about to launch Dragons—Fire & Ice, its first proprietary animated movie using computer-generated imagery (CGI). Based on the mega-successful line of toys from Montreal's Mega Bloks Inc. (Canada's Exporter of the Year in 2003) the 72-minute mediaeval fantasy will debut on TELETOON on September 11, 2004 and will be released internationally on DVD for Christmas. Another television production, Silverwing, soared to the top ten in Denmark in December, 2003, while multi-award winning The Christmas Orange has been sold in eight countries.
Running a production company in Canada, particularly in Vancouver, has its advantages, according to Cathy Schoch, Bardel's Vice President, Development and Productions. "We are very competitive, even with the strong dollar," she says. "Canadians are sought after as international co-production partners, thanks to our government subsidies and excellent tax credit programs. These co-productions are a mainstay of the Canadian film industry and have has kept us prominent on the world stage."
To date, Bardel has worked on 11 animated feature films, 3 home videos, 35 television series and specials, 15 interactive media projects as well as numerous web sites and commercials. The company also promotes its properties through brand merchandising and licensing.
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