It seems Squamish's lure is powerful - even more powerful than the impact of a weak U.S. dollar and bitter labour strikes,at least where Hollywood is concerned.
In the midst of a rising Canadian loonie and shaky Hollywood labour relations, the creator for Men in Trees went on the record with the Globe and Mail this week, vowing the series would continue to be shot in Squamish along with its studio locations. The declaration comes despite rumours that once the screenwriters' strike is resolved, the whole industry would pull stakes in B.C. and relocate to where the dollar is cheaper - in the U.S.
"I really can't shoot the show anywhere else," Bicks told the Globe on her cellphone from the picket line outside the gates of Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. "It makes no sense to shoot anywhere else. We have no intention of moving the show. My crew can be rest assured we're not going anywhere. I'd be sad if that happened in B.C."
Bicks told the Globe her show is still shooting in B.C. thanks to a stockpile of scripts that she and her crew scrambled to get in before the work stoppage. But if the strike drags on, Men in Trees will shut down on Jan. 15, three months ahead of schedule.The Guard (formerly called Search and Rescue) has made its presence felt in town since last summer, and it will remain, according to Brightlight Pictures spokesperson Sean Williamson.
"It's brilliant," he said when asked how local production was going. "The location's perfect for the show."
The Guard has a unique advantage over many other productions shooting in B.C., said Williamson, so the latest Hollywood challenges don't apply."We're Canadian financed show so we're owned by a Canadian companies, financed by Canadian companies," he said, "so it's completely unaffected by the writers' strike and any issues with the U.S. dollar. It didn't affect where this show was located at all." The Guard will wrap up its production for the year within two weeks and return in March, said Williamson. In the meantime the first episodes are anticipated to air on Global television early in the New Year.
