Strikes lead to 75 percent drop in Coquitlam film productions; city mulls studio space

This article has been corrected. A previous version misstated the job title of Eric Kalnins, who is Coquitlam’s acting manager of economic development.

After previous years of lights and cameras, inaction has dominated Coquitlam’s motion picture industry recently, due to both the pandemic as well as two significant labour strikes.

The city issued a total of 307 film permits in 2018 and 2019. In 2023, Coquitlam has so far issued 37 permits.

This year’s productions have added up to $82,544 for the city – less than half of the total revenue from 2022.

Strikes from both the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild led to a “significant short-term drop in production spending,” according to a city staff report.

The drop is evident across the province, according to Peter Klassen, a manager of community affairs at Creative B.C.

B.C. has hosted about 128 productions this year – down from 494 shoots in 2022.

“However, revenues in 2024 are expected to rebound,” a city staff report predicted.

But while the outlook is optimistic, Coquitlam is challenged by a lack of studio space.

While a 1.3 million square foot production studio is under construction near Lake City Way – the fifth studio in Burnaby – Coquitlam has one film studio.

Coun. Craig Hodge talked about touring studios in Burbank, CA. that were twice the size of a hockey arena. He said he was told: “if you build it, we will come.’”

“It’s big but the returns are big,” Hodge said during a meeting on Monday. “We have some great scenery . . . but the long-term stability is really based around having those studios.”

The film industry is largely a low-impact, green industry with high paying jobs, Hodge said, noting an “insatiable appetite for content,” largely driven by streaming services.

There are major challenges with finding a place to build a studio in Coquitlam, explained the city’s acting manager of economic development Eric Kalnins.

“The challenge is, with an industrial vacancy rate of less than one percent, the second those come available, they’re gone,” Kalnins said.

The few industrial properties available in Coquitlam tend to be very expensive, “reducing potential options for film studios” in Coquitlam, according to a city staff report. The dearth of studio space also results in Coquitlam risking losing good jobs to other cities and provinces.

Approximately 917 Coquitlam residents work in audiovisual and interactive media, including film, according to Creative B.C.

Kalnins noted that productions for movies and TV shows including Deadpool, Flash, and The Good Doctor all shot scenes in Coquitlam.

Business hasn’t bounced back yet, but there have been some good signs, according to Kalnins.

“We’re getting a few inquires now as the writers strike has been resolved,” he said, noting those inquiries were primarily about commercials.

The city could encourage productions by setting up power outlets near particularly popular filming locations, which could attract productions and reduce the use of diesel generators, Kalnins said.

Popular filming locations include Mundy Park, Minnekhada Lodge, Town Centre Park, Upper Coquitlam River Park and səmiq̓ʷəʔelə (suh-Mee-kwuh-El-uh), the former Riverview lands.

The city also gets a small benefit from the niche market of film tourism, according to Kalnins.

“There are people who follow shows fanatically and they love to come see areas where their favourite shows were filmed,” he said.

In the hopes of attracting the next generation of filmmakers to Coquitlam, the city doesn’t charge student-led productions, he added.

“These are future location scouts, future production people. The more they get to see our locations, maybe down the road, when they’re not students anymore, they’ll come back to film,” Kalnins said.