English-language TV pushed on-screen volume higher in 2012, report says

Sharply increased spending on English-language fictional TV helped to push production volume in the Canadian film and television industries to a new high in 2011-2012, says a new report commissioned by the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA), the Association des producteurs de films et de télévision du Québec (APFTQ) and the Department of Canadian Heritage. According to the report, titled “Profile 2012: An Economic Report on the Screen-based Production Industry in Canada,” production volume in the Canadian “on-screen” industries increased to about $5.89 billion in 2011-2012, up 5.6 per cent over the previous “all-time high” of $5.57 billion in 2010-2011. It said $2.96 billion was spent on Canadian film and television productions, $1.68 billion on foreign productions that are made in Canada, and another $1.26 billion on Canadian broadcasters’ in-house productions, such as TV news, sports and current affairs shows. “t was Canadian production, and in particular Canadian television production, that underpinned another successful year of growth for the industry,” the report said, citing a 21.3 per cent increase in annual Canadian TV production spending, which reached $2.6 billion on the year. “While both the English- and French language markets contributed to this increase, it was English-language fiction television production that really fuelled the rise in activity,” said the report, which was conducted by Nordicity Group Ltd. based on data provided by Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office. According to the 92-page report, the volume of English-language fictional television production grew by 41.4 per cent to reach “just under” $1.1 billion in 2011-2012. Total English-language TV production volume grew 23.6 per cent and reached $2.2 billion on the year, the report said, while French-language TV production volume was up 9.5 per cent to $750 million. Canadian theatrical production—including both feature films and short films—grew by 14.1 per cent to reach a 10-year high of $381 million in 2011-2012, the report said. English theatrical production increased by 15.4 per cent, the report said, while French-language production grew by 11.2 per cent. “Most of the increase in the volume of Canadian theatrical production was due to higher budgets, since the number of projects actually decreased in 2011/12,” it said. The value of documentary productions in Canada also increased by 14.6 per cent on the year to reach $369 million after two years of decline, the report said. It said children’s and youth production also hit a 10-year high in Canada, growing by 24.9 per cent to reach $451 million after an 18.7 per cent drop the previous year. The total volume of convergent digital media productions—which include both television and new media components—reached $34.6 million in 2011-2012, up from $27.6 million in the previous year, the report said, as the number of projects increased from 160 to 217. The average digital media project budget also increased from $126,000 in 2010-2011 to $159,000 in 2011-2012. “Convergent digital media production is, of course, only one relatively small aspect of Canada’s wider digital media industry,” the report said. “While no industry-wide survey was conducted in 2011, there are signs of vibrant industry activity.” Foreign production volume in Canada fell by 10.6 per cent on the year to $1.68 billion, the report said. The drop, which followed a 24.3 per cent spike in foreign production volume in 2010-2011, was related to the appreciation of the Canadian dollar in recent years, it said. “On a nominal-dollar basis, FLS production was 12% lower in 2011/12 than at its ten-year peak of $1.91 billion in 2002/03,” said the report. “On a real-dollar basis, FLS production in 2011/12 was 27% off from its 2002/03 peak.” According to the report, $2.57 billion of total on-screen volume was spent in Ontario in 2011-2012, up from $2.1 billion in 2010-2011 and the most in any province. British Columbia and Quebec followed with $1.59 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively, it said, while Alberta was fourth with $106 million in production volume on the year. It said Ontario generated the most full-time production positions at 51,300, up from 43,400 positions in 2010-2011. Production-related jobs were down in both British Columbia and Quebec on the year, it said, as British Columbia accounted for 36,000 jobs in 2011-2012—down from 39,5000—and Quebec accounted for 37,900 jobs—down from 38,800. Total film and television production jobs in Canada were up two per cent on the year, rising to 132,500 full-time positions from 130,000 in 2010-2011, the report said. The report also found that more Canadians watched Internet video, Internet television and cellphone video in 2011-2012. The rate of French-language Canadians watching video online increased from 49 per cent the previous year to 64 per cent in 2011-2012, the report said. English-speaking Canadians also watched video online at a rate of 68 per cent, up from 51 per cent the previous year, it said. It said 33 per cent of French-language viewers watched TV online, up from 26 per cent, while eight per cent watched video on their cellphones, up from four per cent the year earlier. Thirty-four per cent of English-language viewers watched TV online, up from 31 per cent, and 12 per cent watched videos on their cellphones, up from nine per cent. —With reporting by Danika Grenier at dgrenier@thewirereport.ca and editing by Nicholas Kyonka at nkyonka@thewirereport.ca

English-language TV pushed on-screen volume higher in 2012, report says

News | 02/01/2013 8:49 pm EST

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