15 things to know before you go and sign your house up for a Hollywood North TV/film production.
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Social media has been abuzz recently with photos of Vancouver’s post-apocalyptic makeover for the hit HBO show The Last of Us.
This big-budget series is just one of many TV/film and commercial productions up and running around Vancouver as Hollywood North is building back after last year’s actors and writers strikes.
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While 2023 was far from normal, the City of Vancouver’s Film Commission office says, in a good year, there are 1,000-1,200 filming days in the city (‘filming days’ means numerous productions filming each day). That equates to three to four production permits for each day.
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According to the City of Vancouver, 245 productions utilized 1,342 locations in 2022. Currently, there are approximately 15 TV/film productions up and running with a handful more set to start in the next few weeks, according to Creative B.C.
This ramping up is good news as the B.C. TV/film business employs around 90,000 people — 50,000 of those full-time jobs — and, in 2022, production spending in the province came in at $4.4 billion.
While organizations like Creative B.C. track the numbers, probably the most noticeable sign of a return is the increase in TV/film trucks and location signs in neighbourhoods around Vancouver. With that in mind, here are some things to know if there’s filming in your neighbourhood.
What to know if you are approached to use your home or business
If a locations scout likes the look of your home or business, you will get a letter asking you to contact a member of the locations team.
Tonya Hartz a locations scout for 27 years, says if you are interested, don’t delay in responding. The TV/film business moves quickly.
And do your homework.
“I always in my scouting letter give ways of checking my credentials which is calling my union or looking up IMDB. Or my history on my website,” said Hartz, who has worked on such bold-type shows as Watchmen and See. “Folks should definitely research who is coming into their home and seeing if they have a web footprint and how much experience they have had.”
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If a production wants to use your home or business, how much will you get paid?
It’s negotiable. And remember it is taxable.
“There are no standards,” said Shawn Williamson, president of Brightlight Pictures and a producer. “It really comes down to a number of factors. Those factors include what kind of impact the production will have on the location and neighbours.
Will they need to just park a truck in your driveway? Or do they want to repaint your house? The amount of time the production is there is also a factor, as is the budget of the show. A huge American feature like Tron: Ares or a TV series like The Last of Us has much deeper pockets than a CBC series.
“My opening number is I cannot commit to an opening number because it depends on the scope,” said Hartz, who is given a budget by the production. “So, if we’re in your front yard for a day and there’s no alterations and we’re just having someone walk up to the door, that may be a $1,500-$2,000 day.
“If we’re going to take over your home for a month, that is a serious interruption. … If you’re a busy family with kids in school, we must make that revenue worthwhile.”
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The value of the home is also a factor.
“You have definitely seen the location rental fees go up significantly with our real estate prices,” said Hartz. While Hartz is unable to put exact numbers on the table when nudged, she does say: “It would be reasonable to expect that a home in one of Vancouver’s prime real estate areas could expect a $100,000 windfall for a month of filming on a large-scale production.”
The formula for payment is 100 per cent of the rate negotiated for filming, then 50 per cent for prep and wrap days. So, if you negotiate one day of shooting for $7,000 you will also get $3,500 for the prep day and $3,500 for the wrap day for a total of $14,000.
As for loss of business due to filming productions, negotiate a further fee on top of the location rental.
Can tenants negotiate to rent out the space for filming?
Nope.
“Sometimes tenants try and get funky, and that’s not really legal. You can’t take the money if you have a landlord but we’ll work it out so you get fair compensation as well,” said Hartz.
Is there a contract?
Once the production has green-lit a location, the location manager will firm up details of the filming, prep and wrap days and then enter into a contract with the property owner. The Creative B.C. website offers an extensive checklist to help owners in discussions with a locations manager.
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Understand what you are getting yourself — and your home — into
Vancouver Film Commission commissioner Geoff Teoli said that, when he was a locations manager, he would ask people if they liked to throw dinner parties and parties in their homes to get a sense of whether they would find the filming experience enjoyable.
“When a film production comes into your home, it’s a lot of people and equipment. And it’s almost like having a house party with a rock band in every room,” said Teoli. “A lot of homeowners are like, ‘Ok, I get it. I’m good with that.’ Every now and then, you get one who is like, ‘Oh no, that’s not me…’ That’s when, as a location manager, you might say OK this isn’t the right place to choose.”
What about damages?
A reputable production will have liability insurance as part of its offer.
“That is one of the hardest challenges of a scout is undoing the rumours and the bad stories. Sometimes it’s bad productions. Sometimes accidents happen,” said Hartz. “But the majority of the people who work in this industry are accountable and will fix things as soon as possible. Whether it is a scratch on the floor or in the paint, we mitigate and create solutions to keep our locations a sustainable resource.”
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What happens to the photos scouts take of a location?
Photos are not shared publicly. They are on a secured FTP (File Transfer Protocol) site that goes to the production and are also stored in the scout’s personal library.
“This is why you should research who is coming to your home, and make sure they are legit. It’s a place of trust to let someone in to photograph your home. And I take that trust very seriously,” said Hartz. “I am of the mindset that I protect the locations as much as the production. I want to have a relationship with that home and those homeowners for the next 10-20 years.”
Do you have to leave your house during filming?
The production usually puts people up at a hotel or Airbnb, Hartz says. They provide a per diem for every person in your home so you can go out and eat. The hotel and per diem are on top of the agreed-upon rental fee.
When will you know if filming is going to take place in your neighbourhood?
Permitting and notice requirements vary across municipalities. In Vancouver, a production is required to send out notices 2.5 days ahead of shooting. Often though, members of the production will canvas a neighbourhood to let residents know what is coming their way.
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How do you get your home or business on a production’s radar?
Sign up at the Creative B.C. Locations Library web page.
Are there permitting requirements?
Filming activity in a neighbourhood can create parking, noise and traffic congestion that can impact others in the area. Because of this, a production company must gain permission from the municipality (or applicable authority) before filming.
Again, permitting requirements and costs vary across municipalities. Often a production needs several permits for a shoot. Film permits are not a cash cow. Most of the film permit fees that are collected are designed for cost recovery to cover things like staff time and overhead.
“The permitting fees are not insurmountable for a production, that’s not typically an issue and it is a cost recovery for the municipalities because they provide services to us,” said Williamson. “We are happy to cover the costs for all that.”
Will you know what movie or TV show is filming?
Ryan Reynolds was in your living room may be a great dinner party conversation starter. But the large productions don’t typically disclose what they are shooting and will have you sign a non-disclosure agreement.
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“It depends on the show. I would think a show that is probably a bit more top secret like, and I’m surmising and guessing on this, like The Last of Us will want to keep their plot and such under wraps may do that,” said Williamson, who added that he has had to employ secretive security measures when dealing with bold-type stars with determined fans and paparazzi.
Is there an industry code used for the location signs that get posted?
“No there is no secret code. People use all kinds of different things,” said Williamson. “In our case, it is the initials of our company. If someone really wants to track something down, they can try to see what Brightlight-affiliated show is shooting at that point and try and figure it out. But we often have more than one show shooting. It used to be initials, now it can be bizarre. It can be anything.”
How much parking space will the production eat up?
There are generally three pockets of parking needed. The street closest to the location is for essential equipment trucks, first aid and maybe craft services. Then you have the secondary spot that houses the “circus” — dressing rooms, hair and makeup and more equipment trucks. The third is the crew parking.
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Who are the people working on these productions?
Hollywood North is the third-largest production area in North America. It employs about 80,000 people annually and those people make up usually about 90 per cent of the crews.
“I often ask people to think about how many degrees separation there is in their personal life before they find someone that is involved with or a beneficiary of the film industry,” said Teoli. “It is woven into the fabric of our community and economy.”
To learn more about filming go to Creative B.C.’s Filming in Your Community web page.
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