Film Industry in BC Annual Spend

Common Questions about the Film Industry in BC

How big is the film industry in BC?

The total direct spend in 2022 was $4,856,322,545.71, or $4.9 billion. This includes all direct spending by feature films, television series, and by the animation and post-production industry. This is inclusive of video production, animation or visual effects work for commercial purposes in addition to creative or feature film and series work.

Is there a film industry in Vancouver?

Vancouver’s film industry is globally acclaimed for the quality of its crews, locations and competitive production environment. Productions filming in Vancouver benefit from the city’s location in the West Coast time zone, government support, and stable and competitive tax incentives, along with a skilled talent base and connected community.

What Canadian city has the biggest film industry?

Vancouver and British Columbia is home to Canada’s biggest film industry. It is the third-largest film and TV production centre in North America, behind only New York and L.A. Other prominent North American production hubs include Atlanta and Toronto.

How big is the film industry in Vancouver?

Metro Vancouver accounts for an estimated three-quarters of all film activity in British Columbia. Vancouver’s film industry is a major economic driver, creating jobs for thousands of people and generating billions of dollars in revenue each year. Physical production touches numerous industries, including tourism, food and beverage, and accommodations.

What is the outlook for the industry given the impacts of the WGA and SAG strikes in 2023?

The 2023 strikes are an external factor that will result in a significant short-term drop in production spending around the world, including British Columbia. However, fundamental industry strengths that have contributed to Vancouver and BC’s success remain strong, so the long-term outlook remains positive.

About the Research

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  What is the methodology behind this annual study?

  VEC estimates the ratios of payroll to total spend for the industry using existing CAVCO data and through consultation with industry experts and financial & HR staff at leading film, television, post-production and animation companies.
  • This research encompasses feature films, television series, commercials, documentaries, animation, and all post-production activities, but does not include TV broadcasting, games development or videography services (such as live event recording)
  • The categories do include some spending on visual effects and animation work performed outside of the feature film & television industries (e.g., advertising, video games, education, etc.)
  • Datasets are for the calendar year rather than fiscal year
  This methodology has been independently validated and approved by PwC and their team of global media experts; it has remained unchanged for ten years, resulting in unmatched consistency for benchmarking for the past decade. VEC plans on undertaking an audit in 2023 of the method to ensure it remains aligned with potential industry spending trends for future years. Any necessary changes found – e.g. working from home resulting in lower overheads for post-production companies beginning through COVID – will result in the new method being applied to previous years, and any numerical discrepancies adjusted accordingly.

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  Where does the data come from?

  VEC uses publicly available data, including data obtained through WorkSafe BC, to calculate the total payroll for the film, television, post-production and animation industry in B.C. (as defined by classification units 763025 and 763024).