Red tape, crew shortage pose problems for film producers shooting in Ottawa

Ottawa is standing in for Chicagoin a new film based on a Polish story, directed by a Hungarian, usinga Canadian crew and starring Canadian actors Eric Peterson and Marshall Williams.

The film, called His Master's Voice, is thekind of international co-production the city iseager to attract because it brings jobs and dollarsto area businesses.

But producerssay they need more skilled workers and a more efficient local bureaucracy if Ottawa wants to keep themcoming back.

"There are still different levels of government stepping on each others'toes and fighting internally about who issues what permit. That needs to get sorted out very quickly," saidMichaelDobbinof Quiet Revolution Pictures, the film'sCanadian co-producer.

Bureaucracy like 'a Berlin Wall'

Dobbinsaidmovie making in the Ottawa region invariablyposeslogistical problemsdue to the various branches of government that share jurisdiction over the area. Evenwith recent improvements to the city's permit application process, it's still too complex and takes too long, Dobbinsaid.

Michael Dobbin of Quiet Revolution Pictures

8 years ago

Duration 0:58

Michael Dobbin

"We need one point of contact for the whole city,' saidDobbin."I think Ottawa andGatineauhave to get their act together and function as one city for the client,the filmmakers. If I bring filmmakers from Europe or L.A., they don't understand why the city has a Berlin Wall running down the middle of it, and why that's a problem."

His Master's Voice is based on a novelby acclaimed Polishscience fiction writer StanislawLem. It tells the story of a young Hungarian man's search for his father, who disappearedin the United States while working ona secretive scientific programinvolving extraterrestrials.

The movie isanofficial treaty co-production between Quiet Revolution Picturesand Hungary's KMH Film.Co-production treaties allowCanadian and foreign filmmakers to combine their financial,artistic and technical resources to make movies.

Award-winning director

The movie is directed byGyrgy(George)Plfi, an award-winning Hungarian director whosefilms have been screened at Cannesand chosen to represent Hungary at the Academy Awards in the best foreign language film category. This isPlfi's first English language film.

In an interview, Hungarian producer Ferenc Pusztaipraised the Canadian actors as "amazing, so good, so easy-going," but he suggested that Ottawa needs to develop "more opportunities for young people to learn the the film trade."

Pusztaisaid when Hungary faced a similar shortage of skilled workers, it bumped up efforts to trainstudents and create apprenticeships in all aspects of the business.

"There is a [Canada]-wide crew shortage right now,"added Dobbin, justas major filmmaking centres Toronto and Vancouver are enjoying aboom in TV and film production."There is not enough crew located in Ottawa. We've had a lot of crew coming in from Toronto and other places."

Dobbinssaid he was happy with the crew he has managed to assemble,"but for a lot of them it's the first time on a feature film and although that's a great opportunity, of course there are challenges for anyone learningon the job. Mistakes get made and information gets missed. You have to sort of scramble to recover."

Hungarian producer Ferenc Pusztai

8 years ago

Duration 0:55

Ferenc Pusztai

Record year for Ottawa

Bruce Harvey, director of Invest Ottawa's film office, saidthe problems facing film shootsin Ottawa are no different than those facing productions inany other capital citywhere various levels of government hold jurisdiction.

"In any capital city there is going to be more bureaucracy," said Harvey, who admitted the unique issues that arise when diplomatic missions and federal security agencies are involved can be"cumbersome," but surmountable.

Harvey denied red tape is deterring film producers from doing business here.

"We're coming off a record year of film production in Ottawa because we have something unique to offergrand national institutions, an inner-city core and natural beauty."

Harvey agreedthat there isan urgent need for a skilled labour force to fill the myriad jobs required to make a movie,from camera operatorsand editorsto location scouts and other behind-the-scenes employees.

Harvey noted some relief could be on its way, with bothAlgonquin College andLa Cit collgialeworking towards introducing intensive film productiontraining programs as early as September 2017.

Shooting His Master's Voice co-production in Ottawa

8 years ago

Duration 0:53

Film 'His Master's Voice' stars Marshall Williams and Eric Peterson