Spring Has Sprung and Film is Flung!

Hi everyone, I'm back!  For a little bit, until the next round of therapy.  But enough about me, say Hi to  my editor Lunchmeat Harold (ed. Howdy!).

Yes, it's spring in Nova Scotia and with it film and TV production gets all abuzzing, film students and interns skip merely into the sunshine to dream about their future careers and (ed. Uh, oh) well, yeah.  there's a danger sign on the horizon. (ed.  tax credits a blight, industry takes flight.)

Yes, the good old Department of Finance has the Nova Scotia Film and Tax Credit in its sights once again.  They've always hated it as they believe its just a waste of money out the door.  (ed. unlike funding a sound studio in Shelburne, snap!).  They can't understand how government money can be used to create and subsidize jobs.  (ed.  This is the Department of Finance of what province?).

Well, yes that's true we do have a history of throwing money at industries but only if they create sustainable, well-paying careers  (ed.  like working at call centres or waiters at a convention centre.) so the kids don't run off to Alberta where they can made a billion dollars working at Tim Horton's.

Friends, I admit, I may not be objective here because it was the tax credit that lured me here to this beautiful province and the promise that it made to create Hallmark Hall of Fame that would win Oscars.  Local producers have worked themselves up into a tizzy and have inundated the TV news, web and newspapers with calls of "wha?"  But they need fear not (ed. not fear) because there's a heavy hitter who has yet to be heard from.  DHX films is ramping up a bunch of productions for TV, internet and your Mother's iphone that she has no idea how to work except that game where you feed the bunnies.

DHX spends millions of dollars here and if the tax credit goes, Michael Donovan will pick up his productions and walk.  The one true success story, where a small company used the tax credits to create an industry, go public, raise millions of dollars and continue to use the tax credit, will not have a happy ending.  He almost walked before after all.  When the tax credit was initially envisioned there was a restriction on who could apply.  Any company that had more than $25 million in assets could not access the tax credit.  the Department of Finance (ed. D of F) falsely assumed that if a company had that kind of money, the government should not be subsidizing them.     (ed.  Seriously, do these guys live in Nova Scotia?)  In two shakes of the Finance Department's pen, that provision was gone.  So don't worry producers, directors, actors and the guy who rents cars, the province is going to continue with the tax credit.  Don't make DHX make a call.

Say Hi to  my editor Lunchmeat Harold (ed. Howdy!).

Yes, it's spring in Nova Scotia and with it film and TV production gets all abuzzing, film students and interns skip merely into the sunshine to dream about their future careers and (ed. Uh, oh) well, yeah.  there's a danger sign on the horizon. (ed.  tax credits a blight, industry takes flight.)

Yes, the good old Department of Finance has the Nova Scotia Film and Tax Credit in its sights once again.  They've always hated it as they believe its just a waste of money out the door.  (ed. unlike funding a sound studio in Shelburne, snap!).  They can't understand how government money can be used to create and subsidize jobs.  (ed.  This is the Department of Finance of what province?).

Well, yes that's true we do have a history of throwing money at industries but only if they create sustainable, well-paying careers  (ed.  like working at call centres or waiters at a convention centre.) so the kids don't run off to Alberta where they can made a billion dollars working at Tim Horton's.

Friends, I admit, I may not be objective here because it was the tax credit that lured me here to this beautiful province and the promise that it made to create Hallmark Hall of Fame that would win Oscars.  Local producers have worked themselves up into a tizzy and have inundated the TV news, web and newspapers with calls of "wha?"  But they need fear not (ed. not fear) because there's a heavy hitter who has yet to be heard from.  DHX films is ramping up a bunch of productions for TV, internet and your Mother's iphone that she has no idea how to work except that game where you feed the bunnies.

DHX spends millions of dollars here and if the tax credit goes, Michael Donovan will pick up his productions and walk.  The one true success story, where a small company used the tax credits to create an industry, go public, raise millions of dollars and continue to use the tax credit, will not have a happy ending.  He almost walked before after all.  When the tax credit was initially envisioned there was a restriction on who could apply.  Any company that had more than $25 million in assets could not access the tax credit.  the Department of Finance (ed. D of F) falsely assumed that if a company had that kind of money, the government should not be subsidizing them.     (ed.  Seriously, do these guys live in Nova Scotia?)  In two shakes of the Finance Department's pen, that provision was gone.  So don't worry producers, directors, actors and the guy who rents cars, the province is going to continue with the tax credit.  Don't make DHX make a call.

Speaking of DHX, they recently were shortlisted as a finalist for funding under the Independent Production Funds Webseries.    (ed.  It's 2:12 which is longer than the 2:00 maximum allowed but filmmaking is an art dammit, don't stifle us!)

View the trailer here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAsGWHnwCBM

It's amazing how they got just the right number of "shit on my dick"'s in there to make it funny and relevant.  Good to see that DHX is exploring every corner for funding.  After all, if they didn't make this, some stupid teenager or film student would have made a film about hip hop or kittens or something.

In other news, I'm sad to see that the Roy Building is coming down.  When I first came here to work in the biz 20 years ago, it was the one place where filmmakers could rent cheap offices.  It became a real community of artists.  And slightly broken lawyers.  And an older lady prostitute.

In other, other news, Charles Bishop is back in town.  The Oscar winning producer was in L.A. for the past few years.  A quick peek at his IMDB pages reveals that he's been pretty busy down there.  A TV MOW called "Killer Mountain" (ed. 3.7 out of 10), "Ice Road Terror" (ed. A pattern? 3.3/10) and "Befriend and Betray" (ed. whoa 7.2/10).  Not sure what he's been up to since he's been back in town.  Maybe someone out there knows.

Also, where is former FilmNS head honcho Anne MacKenzie since she left abruptly two years ago?  And what was the story with that?  Surely enough time has passed that it can be spoken out loud.  Its this time of year with Cannes on the go and lobster parties in the wind that I think back to those heady days when Anne ran things at the agency.  Often from the road of course.  (ed. busy, busy).

Anyway, that's all I've got.  How about you?  Do you have any news, questions, threats to pass along? This site will not work unless we all make it part of the TV and Film community in this province.  Or not.
nwCBM

It's amazing how they got just the right number of "shit on my dick"'s in there to make it funny and relevant.  Good to see that DHX is exploring every corner for funding.  After all, if they didn't make this, some stupid teenager or film student would have made a film about hip hop or kittens or something.

In other news, I'm sad to see that the Roy Building is coming down.  When I first came here to work in the biz 20 years ago, it was the one place where filmmakers could rent cheap offices.  It became a real community of artists.  And slightly broken lawyers.  And an older lady prostitute.

In other, other news, Charles Bishop is back in town.  The Oscar winning producer was in L.A. for the past few years.  A quick peek at his IMDB pages reveals that he's been pretty busy down there.  A TV MOW called "Killer Mountain" (ed. 3.7 out of 10), "Ice Road Terror" (ed. A pattern? 3.3/10) and "Befriend and Betray" (ed. whoa 7.2/10).  Not sure what he's been up to since he's been back in town.  Maybe someone out there knows.

Also, where is former FilmNS head honcho Anne MacKenzie since she left abruptly two years ago?  And what was the story with that?  Surely enough time has passed that it can be spoken out loud.  Its this time of year with Cannes on the go and lobster parties in the wind that I think back to those heady days when Anne ran things at the agency.  Often from the road of course.  (ed. busy, busy).

Anyway, that's all I've got.  How about you?  Do you have any news, questions, threats to pass along? This site will not work unless we all make it part of the TV and Film community in this province.  Or not.