FYI: Toronto "small" as far as infrastructure goes??? North America's third largest production centre with almost a million square feet of production space and Pinewood, N.A.'s largest purpose-built soundstage. Over 25,000 trained workers, 1300 projects in 2012, 87 feature films 2011-2012, $1.2 billion in 2012 including Pacific Rim, Carrie, Robocop, Total Recall, The Mortal Instruments, plus 20 TV series or movies filming this month alone.
I spoke to a producer on the beach here when they were filming the pilot (at the Leuty boathouse). He said the series would likely be shot in Van. The time zone is a big consideration, you're right. He loved filming in T.O. The move had nothing to do with lack of skilled crews unless T.O. was actually too busy to handle any more series. Even Vancouver's Krisen Kreuk is here filming.
Saying "the ONLY reason anything films in Toronto at all is because of their obscene tax breaks". Sorry, this is nonsense. Guillermo del Toro (Mimic, Pacific Rim, Mama, The Strain all here)films here all the time because he loves the city, crews, locations, FOOD! and studios. He says we have the best cinematheque in the world and one of the biggest film festivals. The tax breaks are vital to producers. This King and Maxwell producer told me they could count on the consistent tax credits in B.C. and Ontario. They want to know their credits, their costs. In the U.S. states keep changing their rules. The B.C. and Ontario are complicated, but fairly close, something like 35% plus for ON. and slightly less for B.C.(33%?) I can see American workers complaining about our tax breaks, but it's partly each state's fault for changing the rules every year. Tax breaks are standard for locales to attract business capital.
There's enough filming to go around. Let's work for Canadian production and not bicker between provinces. I love Vancouver and B.C. Beautiful. Enjoy!
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