We're losing our film industry.
- Thread starter Vancouverite
- Start date
Its a race to the bottom.
BC supplies massive subsidies to the film industry.
Then Alberta got into the game for filming westerns, no sales taxes, cheaper day to day costs and big susidies.
Next McGuinty and Charest shoveled taxpayer money into the industry hand over fist.
So the current winners in the race to the bottom are Ont and Que.
How much should taxpayers fund filmaking anyway?
BC is a little tight these days however once Dix and the Dippers get control I think we can rest assured that BC will resume dumping truckloads of taxpayer cash on Hollywood.
Big deal. I can't see any place on the planet seriously competing with Hollywood (or the States in general) in producing Hollywood type entertainment in the first place.
But if it can survive only with subsidies (which is essentially what tax breaks are) then is it really the industry we want to promote, or one that can stand on its own without such subsidies?
If we absolutely insist on giving tax breaks, let's give them to industries that could survive without them, that way we're actually promoting growth in industries that can actually stand on their own.
Bye bye dead weight!
Please be advised that the final deadline for submission of final Saskatchewan Film Employment Tax Credit (SFETC) applications is December 31st, 2014. No final SFETC applications will be accepted after this date. All other SFETC program deadlines remain in place so final SFETC applications must be submitted by whichever date is reached sooner: 1) 730 days from the end of the fiscal year that principal photography is completed in or 2) December 31, 2014.
Please be advised that the final deadline for submission of final Saskatchewan Film Employment Tax Credit (SFETC) applications is December 31st, 2014. No final SFETC applications will be accepted after this date. All other SFETC program deadlines remain in place so final SFETC applications must be submitted by whichever date is reached sooner: 1) 730 days from the end of the fiscal year that principal photography is completed in or 2) December 31, 2014.
I don't know if it's such a good idea to compete with others in tax rates - this is a race to the bottom, and, given the endless supply of labor on this planet, it's a race we can't win.
That said, we have to remain competitive, so, if others are offering better tax rates, we may have no choice but to follow suit.
That said, we have to remain competitive, so, if others are offering better tax rates, we may have no choice but to follow suit.
Christy Clark said she will not give more tax credits, because it's a race to the bottom. I'm not sure it's a good idea, but, then again, I'm not much for a race to the bottom either.
They should be giving the money to local independents to produce the movies here. Federal Conservative Harper made a comment about the film industry of how they are over paid and drunks that should not get taxpayer money and Ontario PC leader feels the same way so the Liberals still the best choice.
Even if Canada had no film industry, so be it. With our small population, it's unreasonable for Canada to try to corner every single industry. Let us specialize at what we do best.
Any viable industry does not need tax credits except for R&D and resource exploration. Movies can be made almost anywhere and will keep following the highest tax credits and lowest wages until some jurisdiction PAYS them to make a movie.
We didn't cut the tax credits, we just didn't raise them to match the amount of taxpayer's money Ontario is giving away.
Absolutely correct. Movie makers pretty much say just that. You don't need to give them any tax credits... they will simply do the bulk or all of the filming elsewhere.
I could possibly see R&D as a collective intellectual resource, maybe, but not resources, and especially not resources, seeing that then those who try to reduce their consumption are essentially subsidizing the gas of those who don't.
A couple of years ago the BC Liberals gave a preview of the BC Jobs Plan and I was
an elected representative of an industry group who was at that meeting. They made
it plain at that time more than two years ago they were not going to put money into the
film industry it was not on their radar.
This Provincial Government can posture and pretend all it wants, it had no intention of
funding the industry even though it provided jobs and the possibility of job training.
They are only interested in companies with the ability to export. That is a problem for
many who also need a boost in the job training and employment sector.
This government is a nasty piece of work anyway a mixture of Federal Liberals and the
Federal Conservatives, so much for Harper hating coalitions, in addition there are the
scattered seeds of Reformers as well.
The film industry will wither on the vine if they win another election.
Why is the industry so important? They provide good paying jobs and the the training
that people can get to develop their craft is worthwhile to the economy.
an elected representative of an industry group who was at that meeting. They made
it plain at that time more than two years ago they were not going to put money into the
film industry it was not on their radar.
This Provincial Government can posture and pretend all it wants, it had no intention of
funding the industry even though it provided jobs and the possibility of job training.
They are only interested in companies with the ability to export. That is a problem for
many who also need a boost in the job training and employment sector.
This government is a nasty piece of work anyway a mixture of Federal Liberals and the
Federal Conservatives, so much for Harper hating coalitions, in addition there are the
scattered seeds of Reformers as well.
The film industry will wither on the vine if they win another election.
Why is the industry so important? They provide good paying jobs and the the training
that people can get to develop their craft is worthwhile to the economy.
So if the jobs are so great, it doesn't need subsidies then, right? As for training, I could certainly support increased funding to the Ministry of Education.
How wrong can one person be?
The government is not going to subsidize what is not even really an industry but a collection of businesses. It is a fact that the film business is highly mobile and will go to whoever is cheapest. If some province/state offered tax free profits all the film industry would be there in an instant. The BC Liberals and the federal Conservatives are correct in not giving away the country to rich Americans.
How many film jobs pay more than minimum wage aside from the imported stars and a few in the studios? Certainly not for the extras who get min wage and are considered contractors so don't even get EI weeks out of it.
They have made rumblings about doing something but not giving them the same
breaks in other words they are trying to play the old we need to get elected thing.
This is not about subsidizing an industry as much as it is about training and keeping
jobs here in BC. The spin offs from the industry are of great interest to a number of
companies involved in a variety of occupations. No I don't think cash handouts are
an answer but tax credits to match other locations is a good start. Even if one does
not match the other Provinces often people look at the cost of moving and determine
there is opportunity here.
Helping industries happens all the time, it would be nice to see them sponsor this
instead of putting all the tax incentives into northern BC and the gas industry.
Taxslave, if you read what I said I pointed out the Government was not going to
do anything for this industry. Actually the return on keeping it here does reflect
well on spin off jobs. Restaurants, car dealerships, equipment, the trades and
more all benefit from everything from food housing and building what is needed
I still believe it is a valid industry
breaks in other words they are trying to play the old we need to get elected thing.
This is not about subsidizing an industry as much as it is about training and keeping
jobs here in BC. The spin offs from the industry are of great interest to a number of
companies involved in a variety of occupations. No I don't think cash handouts are
an answer but tax credits to match other locations is a good start. Even if one does
not match the other Provinces often people look at the cost of moving and determine
there is opportunity here.
Helping industries happens all the time, it would be nice to see them sponsor this
instead of putting all the tax incentives into northern BC and the gas industry.
Taxslave, if you read what I said I pointed out the Government was not going to
do anything for this industry. Actually the return on keeping it here does reflect
well on spin off jobs. Restaurants, car dealerships, equipment, the trades and
more all benefit from everything from food housing and building what is needed
I still believe it is a valid industry