TV, film production keeps rolling despite pandemic

On a brisk winter day in Ottawa, a film crewsets up outside city hall to shoota scene for an upcoming TV movie.

Everyone's wearing masks, and there's a medic on set to oversee the strict pandemic protocols ordered by the provincial government.

While COVID-19 has ground the real world to a virtual halt, it's created a boom for TV and movie producerswho are straining to keep up with thevoracious appetites of binge-watching consumers stuck at home.

From July to December was probably one of the busiest times we've had in Ottawa for filming.- Shane Boucher, 1Department Entertainment Services

"They're all demanding new product because their audiences are going through the existing product at a much faster rate than they would normally," said Bruce Harvey,film commissioner with the Ottawa Film Office.

Harvey said despite afour-month shutdown back in the spring, the local industry barely skipped a beat last year, nearing the $26 million in business seen in2019.

"And we see nothing that's going to stop that growth curve," Harvey said.

'Really, really busy'

"I've actually been really, reallybusy during the pandemic period," local producer Shane Boucherconfirmed."From July to December was probably one of the busiest times we've had in Ottawa for filming."

Boucher works with 1DepartmentEntertainment Services, a TV and film production company that oversees shoots throughoutthe Ottawa area.He saidproducersare rushing to make up for lost time since the spring shutdown.

"Production companies just kind of came out of the gate wanting to get as much done as they possibly could do," said Boucher, who added the fear of another shutdown has added to the pressure to churn out content.

Every productionemploysa wide variety of skilled workers, from actors to camera crews,set designers,hairdressers and caterers.

The rules set out by the Ministry of Labour require cast and crew be tested for COVID-19 several times a week. Each day, everyone on set must have their temperature checked and complete a questionnaire detailing their contacts.

"We're given a badge to show that we've checked in so everyone on crew can see that everyone else is actually going through the checking process," Boucher said.

On set, everyone is divided into groups, identified by colour-coded lanyards. Mingling between groups is discouraged.

"This shows the actorsthey're allowed to be near the red group,they're not allowed to be near the yellow group and so forth," Boucher explained.

WATCH |Bruce Harvey says demand for TV shows and movies has increased during the pandemic:

Pandemic binge-watching leads to more film production in Ottawa

4 years ago

Duration 1:01

Bruce Harvey, film commissioner with the Ottawa Film Office, says demand for TV shows and movies has increased during the pandemic, giving the production industry in Ottawa a boost.

Harvey said it's the producers who are bearing the costof all that safety, including hiring medical staff and providing personal protective equipment.

"It can add up to tens of thousands of dollars for a small production," he said."Itbecomes something that you just have to build into your production if you're going to get it done."

Harvey said the single factor preventingOttawa from becominga major production centre is its lack of a sound stage. Construction on a new facility was halted during the pandemic.

"We're still expecting to get shovels in the ground this year," said Harvey.