By Bill Evans IMIRA

Today while I was reading an email list, I saw a mention of the "anti-piracy" ads many cinemas now have as a lead in to the movie. If you haven’t seen the spots, they usually have one of the crafts people who work behind the scenes, (often referred to as "below the line" workers) out of sight. Makeup artists, grips, even caterers and limo drivers … They talk about how piracy is destroying jobs and how normal people are being hurt.

What they fail to mention is that much of the US movie production has moved out of the country. Yes, it’s true. And it even has a name – Runaway Production.

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Directors Guild of America issued a report in 1999. It was done by the Monitor Group on the economic impact runaway production has had on the entertainment industry in Hollywood.

Runaway productions as defined in the report are productions "which are developed and are intended for initial release/exhibition or television broadcast in the U.S. but are actually filmed in another country."

While the US film industry has runaway productions in several countries including Australia and the United Kingdom, the majority of go to Canada.

Members of SAG and DGA have been aware of the problem since the early 1990’s and have been actively lobbying Congressmen in California, Florida and Illinois to take up their cause. They believe runaway production to be a serious and potentially crippling problem not only for the entertainment industry, but for other industries such as catering and transportation.

The Monitor Report served as a useful tool in drawing attention and lending credence to the plight of the entertainment industry, prompting the supporting Representatives to submit a resolution asking the United States Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky to address at the 1999 World Trade Organization (WTO) Seattle talks, on the issue of runaway production. Al Gore even asked the US Department of Commerce to do a study on the issue.

Before you even begin to buy into the "Piracy is killing Hollywood" line you need to read this document. (Adobe Acrobat required)

So, in a year that the movie industry is having its best year in history, Hollywood crafts people are being sold a bill of goods. Runaway production is causing the economic woes of those crafts, not piracy.

I wonder what the effect has been on the California economy? All three episode of the Matrix were filmed in Australia. Total budget for all three Matrix Episodes? $302 Million. (source The-Numbers.com) None of that went to the "below the line" employees" in the US.

Your jobs are in Australia Mate … throw that shrimp on your barbie, and tell me again how piracy cost you your job.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Do a quick search for Runaway Production on Google, the results come back with about 216,000 matches.

A Partial list of movies filmed in Canada.

British Columbia:
13 Ghosts (Vancouver)
13th Warrior (Campbell River, Vancouver, Williams Lake)
3000 Miles to Graceland (Vancouver)
40 Days & 40 Nights (Vancouver)
6th Day, The (Lion’s Gate Studios, Pacific Centre {helicopter landing}, SFU, Vancouver Public Library {gala party scenes}, Whistler)*
Accused, The
Ace Ventura II, When Nature Calls (Panorama Resort)
Agent Cody Banks (SFU Campus, Vancouver)
Air Bud (Vancouver)
Air Bud: Golden Retriever (GM Place, Langley, North Vancouver, Surrey)
Air Bud: World Pup (Vancouver)
Alaska (Errington (on Van. Island))
Along Came a Spider (Lion Gate Studios, North Van; Riverview Hospital, POCO; Vancouver)
Amazing Panda Adventure, The (Vancouver)
Andre (Vancouver Aquarium)
AntiTrust (SFU, UBC, North Vancouver, Vancouver)
Baby Geniuses II: Superbabies (Vancouver)
Bang, Bang Your Dead (Surrey, New Westminster)
Best in Show (Dog Show) (Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver)
Disturbing Behavior (POCO, Vancouver)
Double Jeopardy (Prince George, Vancouver)
Dudley Do Right (Aldergrove, Burnaby, North Vancouver, Vancouver)
Duets (Surrey, Vancouver)
Dreamcatcher (Burnaby, Prince George, Vancouver)
Driven (Vancouver)*
Excess Baggage (Vancouver, Victoria )*
Fear (Vancouver, PNE Grounds, Playland)
Final Destination (Flight 180) (Squamish, Vancouver, Victoria)
Final Destination II (Vancouver)
Firestorm (Squamish, Vancouver)
Freddy Got Fingered (Burnaby, Vancouver)
Free Willy III (Howe Sound, Vancouver)
Guy Thing, A (Vancouver)
Halloween:Resurrection (Vancouver)
Happy Gilmore (Surrey, Vancouver)
Hard Core Logo
Head Over Heels (Vancouver)
Hellraiser/Hellseeker
Homeward Bound II (Abbotsford, Vancouver)
I’ll Be Home for Christmas (POCO, Vancouver)*
Insomnia (Port Alberni, Squamish, Stewart, Vancouver)
It’s A Very Muppet Christmas
Josie and the Pussycats (UBC, Ladner, Lion’s Gate Studios, Vancouver, GM Place)
Jumanji (Tsawwassen, Vancouver)
K-9 III
Lake Placid (Buntzen Lake, Hayward Lake, Shawnigan Lake, Surrey, Vancouver)
Legends of the Fall (Vancouver)*
Life or Something Like It (Vancouver)
Like Cats & Dogs (Vancouver)
Lola
Look Who’s Talking (Vancouver)
Mission to Mars (Vancouver)
McCabe & Mrs.Miller (Vancouver)
Mortal Challenge (AKA Death Game)
Mr. Magoo (Vancouver)
Mr. Saint Nick (Vancouver)
MVP III
Never Ending Story
Never Ending Story II
Never Ending Story III
The Pledge (Keremeos, Lytton, Merritt, Vancouver)
Pressure
Prozac Nation (Vancouver)
Reign of Fire
Reindeer Games (Lion’s Gate Studios, Prince George, Vancouver)
Romeo Must Die (Chinatown, Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens, Gastown, North Vancouver, Riverview Hospital POCO, Vanier Park, Vancouver)
Rumble in the Bronx (Fantasy Garden World, Vancouver)*
Santa Clause II (New Westminster, Vancouver)*
Saving Grace
Saving Silverman (Vancouver)
Say it Isn’t So (Squamish, Vancouver)
Scary Movie (Steveston, Vancouver, Victoria)
Sealed With a Kiss
See Spot Run (Vancouver)
Seven Years in Tibet (Campbell River, Vancouver)
Sixth Man, The (Vancouver)
Ski Nuts (AKA Ski Hard) (Blackcomb & Whistler Mountains, Whistler, Pemberton)
Snow Dogs
Stake Out II
Tail Lights Fade (Vancouver, various locations throught BC)*
Valentine (Vancouver)
Water Game (Vancouver)
X-Men II (Vancouver)*

Ontario:
The 6th Day (Eaton Centre Toronto, Mall scene)*
Driven (Hamilton, Toronto, Uxbridge)*
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (Toronto)
K-19:Widowmaker (Toronto)*
Pluto Nash (Toronto)*
Rumble in the Bronx (Toronto)*
Santa Clause (Oakville)
Snow Day (Toronto)*
Sum of All Fears (Ottawa)*
Tail Lights Fade (Toronto)*
Tuxedo, The (Toronto)
Undercover Brother (Uxbridge, Toronto)
X-Men 2 (Toronto)*

Alberta:
Excess Baggage (Waterton Lakes National Park)*
I’ll Be Home for Christmas (Canmore)*
Legends of the Fall (Calgary, Morley)*
Santa Clause II (Calgary)*
Snow Day (Calgary, Edmonton)*
Tail Lights Fade (Calgary)*

Quebec:
Driven (Montreal)*
Gothika (Montreal)
Pluto Nash (Montreal)*
Sum of All Fears (Montreal)*
Terminator III (Montreal)

This entry was posted on Monday, November 17th, 2003 at 8:45 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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