Comments on: Episode 73 – You Oscar, Me Grouch http://www.dyscultured.com/2010/03/07/episode-73-you-oscar-me-grouch/ Canada's irreverent news, tech and pop culture podcast. Thu, 10 May 2012 22:51:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: slugore http://www.dyscultured.com/2010/03/07/episode-73-you-oscar-me-grouch/#comment-39 slugore Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:25:16 +0000 http://dyscultured.com/?p=654#comment-39 Andrew: Yes, I work in production as a set designer. I spend 12 hours a day on my ass in front of a computer drawing sets. Hollywood does seem to be going wherever they can find cheap skilled labour and cheap services. Bulgaria comes to mind. But, there are some Hollywood producers that come to Canada because we actually have highly skilled people that can make great film or television. It is dangerous to have an industry dependent on a weak dollar. We need to sell ourselves as more than cheap labour. We need to sell ourselves as high quality creators or find a resource that only Canada (or Toronto more specifically) can offer to the film industry; whatever that may be. Andrew: Yes, I work in production as a set designer. I spend 12 hours a day on my ass in front of a computer drawing sets. Hollywood does seem to be going wherever they can find cheap skilled labour and cheap services. Bulgaria comes to mind. But, there are some Hollywood producers that come to Canada because we actually have highly skilled people that can make great film or television. It is dangerous to have an industry dependent on a weak dollar. We need to sell ourselves as more than cheap labour. We need to sell ourselves as high quality creators or find a resource that only Canada (or Toronto more specifically) can offer to the film industry; whatever that may be.

]]> By: Anthony http://www.dyscultured.com/2010/03/07/episode-73-you-oscar-me-grouch/#comment-38 Anthony Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:20:08 +0000 http://dyscultured.com/?p=654#comment-38 Setting up to do my Avatar sequel in Gdansk where I can set up a craft table for 600 crew for only 20 zloty. Setting up to do my Avatar sequel in Gdansk where I can set up a craft table for 600 crew for only 20 zloty.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.dyscultured.com/2010/03/07/episode-73-you-oscar-me-grouch/#comment-37 Andrew Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:53:51 +0000 http://dyscultured.com/?p=654#comment-37 Cool. Do you work production in some capacity -- I mean, actual work as opposed to sitting around all day and then being fabulous for 15 minutes on-camera like I did as an actor so many years ago? Do you agree that Hollywood is just going to go where the cheapest skilled labour is, and that an industry dependent on a weak Canadian dollar is maybe a bit short-sighted? Cool. Do you work production in some capacity — I mean, actual work as opposed to sitting around all day and then being fabulous for 15 minutes on-camera like I did as an actor so many years ago?

Do you agree that Hollywood is just going to go where the cheapest skilled labour is, and that an industry dependent on a weak Canadian dollar is maybe a bit short-sighted?

]]> By: slugore http://www.dyscultured.com/2010/03/07/episode-73-you-oscar-me-grouch/#comment-36 slugore Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:34:11 +0000 http://dyscultured.com/?p=654#comment-36 Re: Filming in Toronto/Ontario. I work in the industry. We have already been feeling the effect of the stronger dollar. What has harmed us most recently, has been the union issues like the ACTRA strike, the writers strike & SAG threatening to go on strike for over a year. That, combined with the dollar spiking delayed any foreign production from coming to town. We were really screwed for the last 2 years and that resulted in Toronto Film Studios shutting down its Eastern Avenue Studios to pay for the new Filmport studios (now Pinewood)which they eventually had to sell off. This resulted in a lack of studio space and productions by-passing Toronto for Montreal and Vancouver. We are finally seeing a resurgence in production in town but a stronger dollar will likely have an effect. We shoot a lot of films here that have crews of hundreds of Canadians but are not considered "Canadian" because they are backed by foreign money. I don't care where my paycheck comes from as long as it doesn't bounce and it comes regularly. Re: Filming in Toronto/Ontario.
I work in the industry. We have already been feeling the effect of the stronger dollar. What has harmed us most recently, has been the union issues like the ACTRA strike, the writers strike & SAG threatening to go on strike for over a year. That, combined with the dollar spiking delayed any foreign production from coming to town. We were really screwed for the last 2 years and that resulted in Toronto Film Studios shutting down its Eastern Avenue Studios to pay for the new Filmport studios (now Pinewood)which they eventually had to sell off. This resulted in a lack of studio space and productions by-passing Toronto for Montreal and Vancouver. We are finally seeing a resurgence in production in town but a stronger dollar will likely have an effect.
We shoot a lot of films here that have crews of hundreds of Canadians but are not considered “Canadian” because they are backed by foreign money. I don’t care where my paycheck comes from as long as it doesn’t bounce and it comes regularly.

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