The Journey to Becoming the 3rd Largest Film & TV Production Centre in North America
Vancouver is widely recognised by industry professionals as being one of the busiest hubs for features and series production in the world. Today, the industry is the 3rd largest film & TV production centre in North America and the largest in Canada, employing between 61,000 to 72,000 individuals in recent years. It has experienced many consecutive years of growth, with over $4.8 billion directly spent on film, TV, post-production & animation in 2021 alone.
Looking for a deep dive on Vancouver’s production spend data?
According to the data from our independent study, Vancouver’s film, television, visual effects (VFX) and animation industries generated a record-breaking $4.8 billion in direct spending for the provincial economy in 2021. This is $1.4 billion more – a 40 per cent year-over-year increase – from the $3.4 billion spent in 2020, when the pandemic shuttered film sets for weeks during the busiest seasons. It also obliterates the previous record of $4.1 billion set in 2019.
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In addition to the prominence of filming activity, over the course of forty years, Vancouver has gradually attracted and built the greatest concentration of global VFX & Animation houses, a top-ranked VR/AR/MR sector, and a robust games development hub for mobile, console and emerging technologies.
Learn more about the of Vancouver’s Digital Entertainment & Interactive Industry in Part One — An Ecosystem Emerges and Part Two — From Economic Crash to Solid Ground.
Vancouver’s combination of world-class crews, infrastructure, and support from local governments and industry organizations has proven the industry’s effectiveness in ensuring global productions are produced on schedule and to the highest standards. Meanwhile, the city and its industry has enjoyed praise from numerous visiting actors, directors, and celebrities who enjoyed working in Vancouver.