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LMGI COMPASS
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Summer 2023
IN MY CITY: VICTORIA
Fisherman's Wharf. Photo: Paul Russell/LMGI
help us as an industry developing lasting relationships. The
municipalities and districts on the South Island are always
willing to help and enthusiastic to go the extra mile for us.
COVID had a real impact on our industry, too. I think fear and
loss (both personally and professionally) have made some
homeowners and business owners less interested in engaging
with the film industry. Any interruption in people's personal
or business lives can sometimes seem insurmountable in our
post-COVID world.
Stevie: WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC CHALLENGES FILMING IN VICTORIA OR IN
YOUR GENERAL TERRITORY?
PR:
Locally, our biggest challenge is our lack of studio space.
When 100% of a show needs to be filmed, practically, it can
be extremely challenging to not have an opportunity to break
with stage time or have an option for weather cover. It requires
a very dedicated and a larger location team to execute the
amount of paperwork and footwork needed to accomplish it.
Victoria is not a manufacturing or distribution hub, so we do
not have the luxury of converting old warehouse spaces into
stages because they simply do not exist. On
Reginald the
Vampire,
we got quite creative and developed a studio space
in an unused department store in a mall. It worked well for our
purposes, but the lack of physical infrastructure is by far our
largest challenge here.
The industry here is transient, only a small number of
production companies are setting up permanent production
offices here. As such the general film infrastructure doesn't
exist on the island.
There are no rental houses for film or location equipment
in the city. Everything for the show must be brought from
the Mainland by ferry. We have built relationships with local
Goldstream. Photo: Paul Russell/LMGI
Victoria.
Photo: Jason Nolan/LMGI
