Two years of adapting to the Covid-19 pandemic have pushed me to finally make the jump from the UK to...elsewhere. I'd always planned to open a branch office for my production company in Los Angeles (originally scheduled for February 2022) but after a few months learning about the tax credits in British Columbia, developing pitches, sourcing deals and identifying potential co-production partners and sources of finance in Canada, and a brief visit to BC, I'm considering Vancouver as an alternative location.
I just wondered if anyone has made the jump or expanded from LA to Vancouver and vice-versa, and what people's experiences of working in the industry in both locales are? Obviously it's a big financial commitment to make the jump, both in my personal and professional life, so I'm putting out the feelers to find out about others' experiences before I make the decision...
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I am an entertainment lawyer from Vancouver, and I live and work in Los Angeles. There is no reason for me to to back to Vancouver. Canada has government funding but little or no private investment in film, and actually no real indigenous film industry which does not rely on foreign, primarily American, production. So if you want to produce, L.A. is where it's at, unless you want to produce local cultural projects or work to be part of foreign projects.
Great advice Shadow! Good luck to you Daniel.
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Daniel Lyddon Daniel, I remember reflecting on student research at one point. It didn't matter which school they went to, it mattered who they worked with and what they got to do.
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Thanks everyone - some good thoughts here!
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Hi, Daniel. Yes a team of folks I worked with from 7 years ago, they came from Vancouver, to Los Angeles and San Diego, actually is quite common, for folks in Los Angeles and Vancouver to interact and go back and forth based on film projects, filmmakers or the film industry is an international business so, anyone who’s a pro has to be able to travel