N.S. Government Will Build Soundstage, Create Content Creator Fund
HALIFAX—For years, it’s been the one thing keeping Nova Scotia’s burgeoning film industry from ascending to the next level. Now, the province will finally get it.
Premier Tim Houston announced on March 8 an $8-million investment to build a professional soundstage in Nova Scotia.
The long-sought-after production filming space has the potential to transform the province’s film industry from a seasonal affair into a year-round economic driver.
Laura Mackenzie is the executive director of Screen Nova Scotia. She says a soundstage could create 500 new jobs in the province’s film industry and attract as much as $100-million in production value every year.
“My colleagues and I are filled with many emotions: excitement, pride, and gratitude,” she said at a press conference announcing the investment. “This is a historic and pivotal day for us.”
An ‘Essential’ Milestone For Local Film Industry
Over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, the appetite for new content exploded. Meanwhile, health restrictions made it tough for studios to find a reliable place to film.
Nova Scotia, with its sound Covid policies, attractive locations, and experienced crews, became an ideal answer. Big-name productions like The Sinner, and The Curse of Oak Island were filmed here over the past two years.
Mackenzie says there were many more productions that wanted to shoot in the province but that our limited infrastructure kept them away.
“Everybody wanted to come to Nova Scotia,” she said. “But we can only supply so much demand.”
The provinces’ announcement today featured a slick video featuring the likes of Willem Dafoe and Robert Eggers singing the praises of filming in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia Has It All from Screen Nova Scotia on Vimeo.
Last year, production volume in the province doubled, pumping about $180-million back into the economy and giving good jobs to 2,000 Nova Scotians.
Mackenzie said a soundstage is “essential” if the province wants to capitalize on that momentum and push those numbers even higher.
It also means that filming will be able to take place in Nova Scotia all year long. That’s huge, because right now the business is still seasonal here, shutting down from November to March as winter sets in.
Mackenzie said she hopes to see the new soundstage complete in two years. Right now, plans are for a 50,000-square-foot space with two stages available at once. It will most likely be built in the HRM.
Premier Headed To Hollywood
At the March 8 announcement, Premier Tim Houston said it’s the “perfect time” for the provincial government to step up and support the industry.
Houston was pushing for more investment in the film industry when he was the opposition leader. He said he hopes Nova Scotians can see the same value in the investment that he does.
“I don’t think I’m that different from the average Nova Scotian who kind of knew there was a film industry in Nova Scotia and thought it was pretty cool,” he said. “But I really didn’t understand the economics behind it and what an economic driver it was for our provincial economy.”
Now, he says he’s seen “first-hand” what this investment could mean for that economy and that he wants the province to be a partner.
To that end, the Premier and Screen Nova Scotia representatives will also travel to Los Angeles from March 12 to 16 to meet with decision-makers from Disney, Netflix, NBC Universal, and other studios.
Content Creator Fund Returns
Houston also announced today a $15-million Nova Scotia Content Creator Fund to support local productions.
This new fund is meant to fill a role similar to the Nova Scotia Film and Television Equity Investment program, which was discontinued in 2015 along with the deeply-missed Film Industry Incentive Program.
Mike Volpe, the chair of Screen Nova Scotia’s board, said the loss of the tax credit in 2015 was a huge blow to the industry. The incentive gave crucial funding to productions like Call Me Fitz, This Hour Had 22 Minutes, and Trailer Park Boys.
“When that went away, getting projects like that made plummeted,” Volpe said.
Producers and directors were often forced to put their own money into their projects to get them done. Many didn’t get started at all.
“That’s changing as of today,” Volpe said.
Trevor Nichols is the associate editor of Huddle, based in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].
This story was last updated March 9, at 10:45 a.m.