Dear Urban Diplomat: can I disobey the demands of sidewalk-hogging TV crews?

34 thoughts on “Dear Urban Diplomat: can I disobey the demands of sidewalk-hogging TV crews?”

1. Scene Disturber – do I smell a rat? Inside job? How is it you would know the difference between a third, second or PA? Hmmmmmm…
   Toronto benefits greatly from the film industry. Give ’em a break.
   I love how Torontonians complain about the very things they then turn around and brag about to their non-Torontonian friends.

2. Toronto benefits greatly from the film industry? Name one other industry that receives the tax benefits that the film industry receives? We pay for the pleasure and pay handsomely at that. I think the point Scene Disturber makes is a valid one. More often than not you stumble into a scene being shot by accident only to be rudely accosted for going about your own business. Then there are the traffic tie ups. Think of just the amount of lawyers that work in the downtown core charging hundreds of dollars a hour, sitting waiting for some diva to leave her trailer and shoot a scene, how much does that cost? Then factor in all the other highly paid professionals and compare was a 15-minute delay actually costs this city in terms of productivity. All because some film production company wants to take advantage of the low dollar and high tax incentives,

3. “Think of just the amount of lawyers that work in the downtown core charging hundreds of dollars a hour, sitting waiting for some diva to leave her trailer and shoot a scene, how much does that cost?”

   lol…wut?!

4. The economic impact of film production is well-documented; it’s massive. Far beyond the tax benefits we invest. Sure it’s inconvenient, but so is garbage collection and streetcars. We all learn to get along with annoyances.

5. I wasn’t commenting on how the film industry benefits from shooting in Toronto, I was commenting on how Toronto benefits from the film & tv industry. For one, the film & tv industry in Toronto employs over 25,000 people. Second, lawyers working for and related to the industry are raking in the dough so I’m sure they’re not complaining too loudly about the delays. In 2013 $1.19 billion was spent in Toronto on productions shot here. Not to mention the local businesses that cater to and benefit from the industry.
   On the subject of the tax incentives, they wouldn’t exist if there wasn’t a reason to and benefit from enticing the productions to film here. The City benefits, the businesses benefit, all the great talent benefit. And we all get braggin’ rights when we recognize this fine city of ours on screen.

6. Scene Disturber — If you walk through the scene, chances are it might wreck the take. if that happens, they ‘reset’ and ‘go again’…. meaning, it takes longer to complete the scene, meaning, they stay on the street longer, holding people up… so, do what you want, just realize, the longer they take to get their day, the longer they stay in your hood, messing with your routine….

   also,

   film crews have been shooting scenes at Victoria and Adelaide for the last 40 years, meaning – it was very likely that they were working there before you, so perhaps it’s you who are the interloper?

   ADs and Locations personnel are instructed to be courteous to the inconvenienced public… sometimes, keeners are less than kind. For this, we apologize, and we strive to do better.

   and… roll sound…

7. It would be cheaper to pay the 25,000 to stay home and how many law firms have entertainment division, how many law firms specialise in entertainment law. In fact, there is only one CA firm that has an entertainment group. Trust me the info you’re providing has been produced by industry lobby groups and has been refuted on numerous occasions. There’s a reason that California, New York and Illinois don’t offer the same types of credits that we do, it’s because it’s a zero sum game.

8. Would they film here without the tax credits? If the industry brings so much into the economy, why don’t other cities offer the same kind of tax credits?

9. Mike, the economic benefits are immense, and your assertions about law firms and tax credits are completely false. California just increased their film tax credits because of all of the ‘runaway productions’, New York has tax free zones — Ontario did over $1.4B in production last year.

   Where are you getting your ‘facts’?

10. they do

11. “Name one other industry that receives the tax benefits that the film industry receives?”
    How about the oil and gas industry. I suspect their tax breaks are significantly higher than Film and TV …

12. You have the right to walk on. In that, you give up your right to be seen. The only time the production can stop you is a safety concern. (stunts, SFX). Productions have the responsibility to give you a safe, reasonable alternative avenue to pass on by. A simple enquiry to the crew member that has been given the job of asking you to stop should answer your question. Most of the time, crossing the street (the cops we hire are there to make sure you are safe), will fix the problem.

    Ask nicely, be Canadian, and you’ll be very surprised how well it goes.

13. We endeavour to make the least footprint on the city as possible.

    As a lighting tech, I have to work with the Locations department to make sure sidewalk access is there. We even build ramps so that people using wheelchairs/scooters are not denied their access/routes.

    I’m sorry if you have you turn left then right…we do our best, but ultimately, deal. with. it.

14. I disagree. 75% of tax revenue is better than 0%.

    The Ontario Film Tax Incentives are on money spent, they are not grants.

    I am a best boy electric. I own a company, I rent equipment, I work a helluva lot of hours. I pay taxes, I spend money. I earn money and then put it back into the economy. I am not squirrelling it away in the Caymans. My money moves, for the most part. I am the middle class. I make capitalism work.

15. If I spend $1 million on a movie and the Province cuts me a check for $250k, you can call it whatever you want. It’s free money. Like a grant. :)

16. If you weren’t a best boy do you think you’d be unemployed? What’s your salary compared to that of someone like Russel Crow? Does his money stay in the economy or is it “squirreled” to another nation?

    The tax incentives are what are used to finance the production, lenders lend (RBC & National) lend on the tax credits. So Ontario takes the risk but doesn’t see any upside. Meanwhile other investors make their return at low risk rates.

    Again, there is a reason these tax incentives don’t happen everywhere.

17. You’d be wrong, there is the exploration tax credit but then the feds and most provinces get a royalty on every molecule produced. This is the reason that Alberta doesn’t have a sales tax and in previous years has given its taxpayers rebates.

    Lived in Toronto all my life, never once have I seen a cheque from the government derived from the booming film industry.

18. I’ve financed a number of film and TV productions and invested in production companies.

19. People get bothered by so little. Why have a film crew on the sidewalk when you can nothing or other pedestrians, or even worse bums; so exciting!

    Seriously, if you are bothered by film crew on the sidewalk of Toronto, you have bigger problem you should be worried about.

20. As Paul says below, film tax credits exist in so many provinces, states and countries it’s difficult to count. All of those governments have looked at the numbers and decided that it made sense to encourage production by way of tax credits. As much as we complain about governments, they’re not straight-up stupid.

21. They do. As do provincial, state and federal jurisdictions. For a guy who claims to have worked in the biz you dont know much about tax credits and the industry.

22. There are quite a few legal firms that specialize in entertainment law And many CA’s, like mine that specialize in entertainment. Even some of the banks like National have entertainment divisions. Anybody actually working in the biz would know that.

23. I think that we also need to take into account the (approx) 34 billion dollars in subsidies to the energy sector – not the same as a tax credit, but relevant.

24. Mike, tax incentives happen nearly everywhere. I severely doubt you finance films, as you seem to know absolutely nothing about the incentives and their effects. I call BS

25. Oh no, you don’t believe me. What will I ever do?

26. but that $250K is recouped by income tax charged to the employee…. yes, the money partially underwrites the investment, but given the amount of theft due to piracy the film and television industry must endure, i think the people should realize the need for guaranteed revenue streams if they hope to see anything more than sequels and slashers, ever again…

27. well, i doubt that you’ll stop peddling your crap, but you could provide some evidence to back up your ridiculous claims. or is that too hard?

28. You want me to list the productions in order to satisfy your curiosity?

29. The Provincial income taxes in Ontario will not recoup $250K from income taxes. Not even close.

30. There isn’t a 15 minute delay ever.

31. Dear Urban Dip and Scene Disturber –

    Sorry that we got in your way to work or to lunch or to the bar. Really we didn’t mean to be. But that set that your going to walk through, that PA (because it would not be a 3rd) is not trying in screw with your day. In fact they are just trying to do their job. So you walking through the shot and getting them yelled at does nothing to help your cause. It really just makes you a jerk. You getting someone in trouble for no reason when with out much fuss you could have waited a minute or crossed the road does not make you the social martyr you think you are.

    If someone is being rude to you I am sorry. No one you run into should be anything less than polite when asking if you would mind waiting a moment.

32. Actually, the trend for several years now is a regression of film subsidy programs. North Carolina and Florida went offline last year. Michigan and New Mexico imposed low $50M annual caps. Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, New Jersey and others totally scrapped them. In Canada, British Columbia refused to increase them and considered a rate reduction. Quebec is in the process of reducing their program. Saskatchewan eliminated theirs and Nova Scotia is limiting their program as I type. And today, Ontario announced a reduction in their rates as well.

    Apparently the current consensus of “smart” lawmakers is that these programs are unsustainable and costly programs that need to be trimmed or cut.

33. Wear headphones, walk past him/her. Nothing will happen.

34. Hey, scene disturber….This industry brings Over half a BILLION dollars to the city. We work really hard to be polite and let people get to where they are going. The fact of the matter is that the city has given us a PERMIT to be where we are, and to stop people from coming through intermittently. Its our workspace, I don’t come to your work and slap the dick out your mouth do I? Don’t be a douche and wait the 3 minutes. Call it your entertainment dividend.

    And oh….here on blogs I don’t have to be polite to people like you who think that getting to you menial little job or lunch is so important that you couldn’t help out the poor dude on the street who’s been freezing his ass all day to get yelled at about letting people through the lockup. asshat.

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