Introduction and Location Deception

• Speaker flew 3,000 miles from New York to Vancouver, British Columbia
• Vancouver masquerades as various US locations in films/TV
  • Christmas movie locations: Spruce Grove Washington = Fort Langley Canada
  • New York City = Martini town studio outside Vancouver
  • Superman's Kansas farm = Vancouver barn location
• Christmas productions particularly big in Canada

Geographic Versatility

• Jesse Preus (Senior VP scripted at news entertainment, producer of multiple Christmas films)
• Primary filming decision: locations called for in script
• Vancouver/Atlanta hotspots due to diverse scenery in close proximity
  • Downtowns, suburban areas, mountainous regions
  • Rural landscapes, temperate rainforest
  • All within short drive from city
• Easier/cheaper to fake "anywhere USA" than shoot in actual expensive locations

Cost Considerations

• New York = one of most expensive shooting locations globally
  • Most expensive hotel rooms worldwide
  • Very unaffordable for productions
• Weather factor: LA, Atlanta, Vancouver have warm sunny days year-round
  • Productions don't fight mother nature
  • Rain can cause major issues, require double-booking locations
• Movies filmed out of season anyway
  • Christmas movies often shot spring/summer
  • Actors sweating in winter costumes, fake snow created

Production-Friendly Environment

• Population comparison:
  • New York City: 8 million people
  • Vancouver: just over 700,000
  • Fort Langley: under 30,000
• Smaller towns more cooperative
  • Police chiefs willing to work with producers
  • More excitement/willingness in smaller communities
  • Less traffic = fewer delays/overtime costs for unionized actors
• Sweet spot: not too crowded (expensive/difficult) but not empty (no crew available)
• Medium cities have 1-2 crews working TV movies year-round

Tax Incentives

• Major factor for production decisions
• Vancouver tax credits: up to 28% with no spending cap
  • Requirements: certain percentage local crew
  • Canadian stars/producers often included
  • Regional filming boosts credits further
  • Post-production/animation qualify (Spider-Verse example)
  • Typical regional BC: 30% return ($300,000 on $1M budget)
• Georgia: 20% basic + 10% extra for state logo in credits
• California: 20-25% with spending cap, less competitive
• Countries like Canada, UK, Australia, Malta very competitive
• Results in fewer US productions but still American market content

Market Dynamics

• American audiences seek American-set content
• Parts of Canada resemble New England, Northern US, Midwest, Northern Pacific
• Time/money-saving ensures independent filmmakers can produce content
• Lower budget holiday films particularly benefit
• Television movies for Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix use regional Canadian areas

Conclusion

• Magic of filmmaking: making audiences believe fake locations are real
• Success measured by audience belief, not actual filming location