MovieChat Forums > Broken Trail (2006) Discussion > Why are so many new westerns shot in Can...

Why are so many new westerns shot in Canada?

posted 18 years ago by kholmes39
18 replies | jump to latest

LEGENDS OF THE FALL, OPEN RANGE, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, and now BROKEN TRAIL.

These are good westerns all (among the best in recent years), and Canada surely offers tax breaks and with the Canadian Rockies, some of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet.

But why aren't these stories, whose plots deal with the American west, shot in New Mexico (which also offers tax breaks), or Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana...? The San Juans in southwestern Colorado have scenery to equal anything in Alberta. See TRUE GRIT or THE NAKED SPUR.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] CGSailor 18 years ago

I Agree . I don't think too many people want a western with a bunch of cellular towers, powerlines, Jet contrails, vehicles on a distant highway, etc...
Even in states with lots of open spaces, there are too few locations that wont have SOMETHING modern in the background. Canada still has lots of open space where nothing modern can be seen at all. What few places we have left here if they were to shoot here in the states would soon become so common that everyone would all too easily recognise the same piece of land.
Think of that slanted diagonal wind eroded sandstone formation that has been in just about a MILLION (only a slight exageration there but you know what I mean) films and TV shows. The same place Captain Kirk fought the gorn to CHiPs.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Gorn_Rock.jpg

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park is a 905 acre (3 km²) northern Los Angeles County, California USA park acquired by LA County government in the 1970s. It is in the Agua Dulce vicinity between the Antelope Valley and the Santa Clarita Valley just north of Los Angeles and seen easily by motorists driving the Antelope Valley Freeway. Vasquez Rocks have been used innumerable times in motion pictures, various television series and in moving and still photography advertisements, and continues to be used in them today.

In films
The Vasquez Rocks have been used as the setting for key scenes in a relatively large number of motion pictures produced by many Hollywood filmmakers, including:

Star Trek (film) (2009)
Alpha Dog (film) (2007)
Cars (film) (2006)
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Joe Dirt (2001)
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Planet of the Apes (2001)
Bubble Boy (2001)
Very Bad Things (1998)
Free Enterprise (1998)
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
Guns of El Chupacabra (1997)
Jingle All the Way (1996)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995)
The Flintstones (1994)
In the Army Now (1994)
Army of Darkness (1993)
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)
The Rapture (1991)
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988)
Hell Comes to Frogtown (1987)
Short Circuit (1986)
Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983)
Parasite (1982)
Hearts of the West (1975)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Apache (1954)
A Thousand and One Nights (film) (1945)
Werewolf of London (1935)
Dracula (1931)

In television
Television series productions which have used the Vasquez Rocks include:

"From The Earth To The Moon - episode 10: Galileo Was Right"
"Twilight Zone - original TV series"
"Have Gun Will Travel"
"The Rifleman"
"Broken Arrow - the opening credits"
Mission: Impossible
24
Airwolf
Alias
Bonanza
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ("Restless")
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (The episode 'The Ninja Quest' was filmed here. It was referred in the show as the ('Desert of Despair'.)
Roswell
Star Trek: The Original Series (notably the episodes "Arena", "The Alternative Factor", "Shore Leave", and "Friday's Child")
Star Trek: The Next Generation ("Who Watches the Watchers")
The Wild Wild West
S Club 7:Back To The 50's (one off special for ITV)
The Outer Limits
Korg: 70,000 BC
Alias (episode #3.9, "Conscious")
Mr. Show with Bob and David (episode #203 "The Biggest Failure In Broadway History")
The Fugitive (TV series)
Alien Hunter
Alias Smith and Jones
Hunter
Helltown
The Invaders
MacGyver
The Rat Patrol (episode "The Darers Go First Raid")
Space: Above and Beyond (episode #1x06 "Ray Butts")
Charmed
Sliders (episode #3x03 "Electric Twister Acid Test", #4x09 "Slidecage", #5x16 "Dust")
Friends
Fear Factor
Lassie
Las Vegas
Logan's Run (Episode 1.13 - "Turnabout")
Zorro
Voyagers!
Daniel Boone
Alien Nation
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
The Big Valley
Buffalo Bill Jr.
Cimarron Strip
The Cisco Kid
Stories of the Century
Stories of the Century
The High Chaparral
Johnny Ringo
The Range Rider

In music videos
Music video production done at Vasquez Rocks include:

Black or White (song) by Michael Jackson
High and Dry (UK version) by Radiohead
S Club Party by S Club 7
Mind's Eye by Wolfmother
Heaven Is A Halfpipe by OPM
Mobscene by Marilyn Manson
Just Wanna Be With You by Enrique Iglesias
Turnaround by Stealin Horses
The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades by Timbuk3

The Rocks were even drawn into the animated series Futurama, depicting various alien landscapes as they did in the other science fiction shows, and they were also animated in Shrek.

[–] JimsomWeed 16 years ago

plus canada is cheep.

[–] Petie3-2 16 years ago

Add Mormon Rocks in Cajon Pass and much of Joshua Tree National Monument and the area of Anza Borrego for locations. Vazquez Rocks are just close to LA.

[–] Burning_Sosobra 16 years ago

I agree with the O.P. While Canada certainly is a good place to shoot an American western because of its landscapes, there are still U.S. states that fit the bill. I live in Oregon, and there's plenty of open land you could film a western in and have it look authentic with no cell phone towers or anyting modern like that around. Arizona, Washington, and many other places can still look like 19th century America, so long as you stay away from the suburban areas.

"Living is easy with your eyes closed."

[–] madmadrid 12 years ago

California is TOO expensive.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] rogerscorpion 16 years ago

True. I live in Houston, TX. In the late 70's & 80's we got a flurry of fim work here, because we underbid California.
In the last 5 years, both the Enron film (set in Houston) & 'Jasper, TX', were filmed in Vancouver, even though we bid on them.
The Vancouver Film Commission DID 'borrow' Texas license plates from us, though.
It's all about the Benjamins.

Carpe Noctem

[–] kristy007l 16 years ago

They shoot in Canada to get away from the unions.

[–] IwasSquidly 16 years ago

Sedona and Santa Fe are too developed. Monument Valley and Kanab are too expensive with too many RVs in the background. What happened to Durango?

I'm not saying we won't get our hair mussed!

[–] BKinzeys 14 years ago

Most of the film community in Canada is unionized. Usually cheaper rates but unionized just the same

[–] smokehill retrievers 11 years ago

Absolutely right !

If you've ever been around union crews (and this is in a lot of fields, not just film), the union rules murder your schedule and your budget. You have to have far more people than you need, and they're there all the time whether they're needed for that particular scene or not.

One director I saw interviewed said that he estimated he saved about 25% of his budget by filming outside the US, or in one of the Southern States where the unions have far less power than in, say, the Rust Belt or California. And he estimated it also knocked about 20% off his blood pressure, and the overall schedule.

When you "look for the union label," get out your wallet.

[–] Texas-Jack 14 years ago

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN a good western are you for real? Two queers doing the business in a tent. What a lame excuse for a western.

[–] mel-pearce47 14 years ago

What on Earth does it matter where they are filmed?

[–] s-r-warner 14 years ago

Although the advantage of a weak Canadian dollar is gone, production companies are often lured with tax breaks, and these can reduce costs by a substantial margin. Canada has built up an experienced and capable film work force, which is an attraction too. I suspect the crews may not be as union featherbeddy (if you know what I mean by that).
Plus, that southern Alberta foothill country is some of the sweetest landscape in the world.
Also, film crews need modern facilities close by, which is why many of the beautiful, American wilderness locations are unacceptable. Drive a few miles from an Alberta city and make sure you point your camera in the right direction.

[–] rjm2238 10 years ago

While we do have quite a few movies made around my home town, Jemez Springs, Los Alamos, many more are shot up in Canada to avoid the costs associated with union labor and union rules.
If I may insert a slight political rant here I will state that I find that labor practice sufficiently hypocritcal to be an accurate representation of the leftist nature of the Hollywood Crowd with their ultra leftist, elitist mentality and especially in light of their unabashed accepting of countless millions of dollars withheld from union employee paychecks and given to democrats, by union bosses, in an attempt to purchase undue influence at the expense of the rest of us due to increased costs for everything produced, marketed or transported with union labor.
This is the type of hypocrisy which kind of reminds me of Al Gore flying in on a private 737 with other three people and an open, free bar, while burning who knows how many thousands of gallons of per hour of JP5 jet fuel, to tell us we are responsible for the creation of the Third World and it's impending end because we didn't ride a bicycle to the gala global warming mass so we might worship at the feet of Messiahs Gore and Obama etal.
I'd say don't get me started but alas, too late, so at least allow me to stop, right here.
In short though that has been the main reason I have heard for moving productions not only to Canad but elsewhere when practicable and fitting of course.
I apologize for cluttering this board?, with politics but I couldn't help myself, really, I tried, I really tried!!!
Rich in New Mexico.

[–] blkhwk41 9 years ago

Good for you. Absolutely right.

the current resident of Our White House has a liberal socialist agenda which is Killing Our Country

[–] VastWastrel 10 years ago

Beer & BC bud.