Last August, a crew member on the Citytv police procedural Hudson & Rex tested positive for COVID-19. She had received a travel exemption to fly to St. John’s, where the series about a cop and his canine sidekick is shot. The crew member was isolated after arrival and, because she “never came into contact with any other crew member,” according to show producer Paul Pope, production was shut down for just a few hours.
The positive test involved an out-of-province worker and it marked the first new case in Newfoundland and Labrador in more than a week at that time. Not surprisingly, Pope and his team received public backlash.
“It was short-lived, though, because these are all decent jobs and I think people understand that the show is worth doing,” Pope said. “It was an example of the system working and things have only been refined and improved since then.”
Although the safety-first commitment is strict, one exception to protocol has been allowed on the set of Hudson & Rex, where workers can briefly lower their masks when approaching the co-star pooch. “Just so he recognizes them,” Pope said.
TAX CREDITS
The industry is thriving not just in the traditional production centres in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, but also in Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
“The numbers anticipated this year in Alberta are unprecedented,” said IATSE’s Lewis, who cites the provincial government’s enhancement of tax credits, as well as the elimination of funding caps, which had traditionally been an obstacle to large-budgeted productions shooting there.
GOVERNMENT-FUNDED INSURANCE
Last fall, the federal government stepped in with a $50-million Short-Term Compensation Fund (STCF) to help film and TV productions insure against COVID-19-related shutdowns after private insurers began inserting COVID-specific exclusion clauses into their policies. “The people who finance shows would not have been willing to do so without that coverage,” CMPA’s Mastin said. “The fund has been essential to getting Canadian productions back up and running.”
As of May 17, the fund administered by Telefilm Canada had received 369 applications for the policy since its introduction last November. Seven claims submitted because of production interruptions caused by COVID-19 are currently under review. No payouts have been made thus far.
Even though Ottawa doubled the STCF coverage to $100-million for this year, there was initial concern the fund would be oversubscribed heading into the industry’s high season. Last week, however, the Ministry of Canadian Heritage announced an additional $49-million in coverage.
INFRASTRUCTURE
An influx of infrastructure spending has resulted in new sound stages opening in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary and Winnipeg, allowing for an expansion in production capacity. A mammoth motion-picture facility with three new sound stages is currently being built in Winnipeg. Big Sky Studios is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of this year.
MONEY TALKS, SMALL BUDGETS WALK
On-set health and safety protocols involve everything from personal protective equipment, to regular testing, to the hiring of third-party medical service providers, to extra security staff and cleaners, to more food servers because communal eating is no longer allowed. According to a 2020 report put together by Film Ontario, the costs for the new measures and extra staff can take up as much as 15 per cent of a production budget.
The COVID-19 team with Hudson & Rex is led by a doctor contracted by the producer. “He’s not on set, but he’s available on a moment’s notice,” Pope said. COVID-19 costs were an estimated $1-million for the season’s shooting in St. John’s. Coroner producer Prupas, who hired a nurse as an on-set COVID-19 supervisor, says the additional expense for his Toronto-shot show approached $2-million.
“The producers would rather spend money on ensuring compliance and ensuring the protocols, because it’s cheaper than shutting down for two weeks,” ACTRA’s Hepburn said.
Although a domestic network television show such as Coroner or a big American studio filming in Canada can absorb the additional costs, many smaller productions have been shelved for the time being.
AUDIENCES WANT THE PRODUCT
The film and television industry has not been declared an essential industry, but try telling that to stuck-at-home audiences who crave screen-based entertainment. Add to that the seemingly endless number of networks around today, all needing fresh content to justify their existence and subscription fees. It all amounts to a deep demand – one that is being met.
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Editor’s note: (May 27) An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the value of the Short-Term Compensation Fund (STCF). It is now worth $149-million. This version has been updated.