My What a Lovely Quarter

So there's a whole bunch of stuff happening RIGHT NOW! My editor for today and everyday is Lunchmeat Harold (ed. Howdy).

So Picnicface started shooting their series today. Seems like yesterday these kids were shooting 8mm films of themselves goofing around and now here they are making funny on The Comedy Network. (ed. where comedy goes to die?). But these kids are smart and funny (ed. You're sure they're on The Comedy Channel?) and young enough to - GO TO THE STATES! GO RUN NOW, WHILE YOU HAVE A CHANCE!!!

Coincidentilly, the "Upfronts" are happening in L.A. This is where the U.S. networks invite Canadian networks to come on down, party like it's 1999 and buy your self some good ole Yankee TV. "

Have some more champagne, Yeeehaaaa. Quick CTV, Global's looking this way. This show rat here may be this year's "Modern Love". Oh, bad example, but you should buy it so no one else in Canader will have it. You buy this and we'll throw in a half-season of a Paul Reiser show. He's very popular, sort of like an American version of, um, oh right you ain't got no TV stars up there. Is your'all television in color yet?" (ed. ooo, left out the "u" . Good one).

Other than that there's Wipeout Canada (ed. shouldn't that have "TV Industry" on the end of it?) airing on TVTropolis which is basically the American Wipeout made with your tax dollars.

Speaking of PicnicFace, where's their movie? It was shot about a year ago and no sign yet. And where's producer Jay Dahl's other film the monster one? That was shot like three years ago. And Paul Kimball's "Eternal Kiss"?

Speaking of Canadian films, I have not seen any reviews for Whirlygig, Chaz Thorne's recent film. (ed. Well, there was The Coast - oh yeah, nevermind). Apparently it was held over for a second week. That's major for a Canadian Film. Has it stayed for a third week? Is it any good? (ed. this matters because...?) How much money did it take in? In fact how much money did Hobo With a Shotgun take in? Maybe I'll just go ask Telefilm. Hang on, brb.

" Hi Telefilm, how are you? I'm good.

I write a blog that reports on film and television in Canada and more specifically, Halifax. I understand that Telefilm invested in several local features including "Whirlygig" and "Hobo With a Shotgun". I'm wondering if you could send me any statistics you have on box office dollars for these two films. Oh, and "The Corridor" too.

Also, "Gunless".

Thank you for your time."

There, just interested. We'll just wait for them to send those numbers back to me.

Oh and speaking of numbers, it looks like production or whatever is gradually moving from Toronto to Halifax by the appropriately named Halifax Film Company (Full disclosure, the writer owns 1000 shares of said halifax - I mean DHX- shares.(ed.Sounds like an awesome bike!)

I think a lot of it has to do with FilmNS taking the production cap off the NS tax credit. Because animation is so labour intensive, it makes up most of the cost of a TV show but the 25% production cap always limited how much a company could claim. Now we can claim 50% of all the labour which will be a pretty penny indeed. (ed. FYI Nova Scotia's the closest thing we have to Asia). Also they've made the residency requirements easier (ed. i.e. vaguer) so anybody moving here to work, who's living here now, who has a parent living (ed. or deceased) here, once saw a postcard of Nova Scotia or drank a Keith's beer is now considered a resident. The beauty part of this is that previously if DHX needed money to produce a show, it had to go cap in gown (ed. that's "hand") to FilmNS, fill out a form and submit an application with "othes". And there was the sometime chance that the province ran out of money. And they would have been "partners" with the province and share any potential revenue (ed. See "Coming to America"). Opening up the Tax Credits makes like so much easier and pradictable and moneyful. And it's absolutely unlimited with no one over their should watching them spend "their" money (ed. Suck that Department of Finance!)

So I'm going to close now but there are still so many unanswered questions that i won't go on and on and on - (ed. Got it) about. I'll just put them in question form.

- How many films are currently shooting in the Shelburne studios?
- Where's the new TPB TV series? Frank magazine said some lss than complementary things about the show a while back. It was shot last spring but has yet to be shown on Showcase.

Finally, a quick shoutout to FilmNS CEO Ann MacKenzie and staff who are currently working for you and me on the beaches of Cannes. The province will surely benefit from their presence there because...um, well, they show films, it's not really a place to pitch locations, but I'm sure it's money well spent.

Goodnight and stay out of the rain.

Oh and if anybody can give me an honest review of the aforementioned films please do.

This film festival