Playback Spring/Summer 2021

® SPRING/SUMMER 2021

The

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STREAMERS HIRING LOCAL EXECS: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR CANCON? GAME CHANGERS: NELVANA & NETFLIX HIT KEY MILESTONES

BIPOC LEADERS ASSESS TODAY’S INDUSTRY

PROUD MUSIC ADMINISTRATOR FOR

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SPRING/SUMMER 2021

Upcoming CBC comedy Feudal, produced by Six Eleven Media and eOne, is among many new projects filmed in Canada’s booming Atlantic production hubs (Page 11).

Image courtesy of CBC/Six Eleven Media/ eOne; photo by Dan Callis.

Drama at the CSAs

Stream fortress

The reckoning

Explore the nominees for the fiercely contested Best Drama Series

SVODs setting down roots stoke optimism in the production sector

Black screen leaders reflect on a turbulent year and what still needs to be done

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Spotlight on BANFF 8 The festival’s DOV and Spark programs deliver results

Prime(d) for Canada 19 Head of Canadian originals Christina Wayne talks the streamer’s ambitions

Fifty the best 37 What the milestone means for children’s content company Nelvana

11 Region of merit Three production jurisdictions to watch outside of B.C., Ontario and Quebec

32 The lion’s ten Netflix marks a decade in Canada

42 Couture club Nominees reveal their ‘red carpet’ looks for the CSAs

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EDITORIAL

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,

BANFF WORLD MEDIA FESTIVAL, PLAYBACK

Jenn Kuzmyk jkuzmyk@brunico.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Forward momentum WHEN I WAS A CHILD, MY FAMILY ENJOYED DINNER AT 6 P.M. ON THE DOT followed by one, and later two, or three hours of television each night in front of our fireplace.

I fondly remember the many NHL hockey games we watched as a five-some. Not for the sport, but for the cartoon Peter Puck – the little character that explained the intricacies and rules of “the game” back in the early 1970s.

Created by Hanna-Barbera, Peter Puck was designed to demystify hockey to American audiences. Scorned by fans, Peter became a cult hit and had a huge following among me and my other first-generation Canadian friends for (a) helping us understand what the heck was Hockey Night in Canada and (b) offering insight into why the sport was such a huge deal to the national identity.

Victory of your favourite team is as sweet as maple syrup, and defeat turns embarrassed losers as many shades as a fall maple leaf.

Cultural belief and attitudes aside, decades later, families are again returning to gather around the TV on a slightly less regulated schedule to watch together. While we had been divided by the on-the-go streaming trends, viewing our favourite shows alone on smartphones and tablets, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has drawn families and friends closer through shared viewing on the small screen (probably out of the same sheer boredom). I hope it has done the same for you. (For more on what we watched during lockdown in 2020, see Page 6).

As we enter our 15th month of living with COVID-19 – I just want to reflect that while we are all likely watching the same fabulous shows – audiences are all keying in on what resonates most with them. And, in this social climate, that’s important to note. Television can inform, as much as it entertains.

THE COMEBACK The “comeback” theme of this edition is not just about revisiting bygone TV watching trends.

Coronavirus has taken a toll on the once-thriving TV and film industry – spotlighting the need for

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financial security for production companies and modernized regulations for an industry now firmly in the digital age.

Coming back stronger will require addressing complex challenges such as underrepresentation.

As we cover in our “One Year After George Floyd” roundtable (on page 26), there is much still to be done in reaching true equity in the screen industry.

However, a new global study from consulting firm McKinsey delivers a compelling reason to foster inclusivity: billions are being left on the table by excluding Black content creators. Thankfully, representation now comes with a measurable cost.

“By addressing the persistent racial inequities, the industry could reap an additional $10 billion in annual revenues,” according to McKinsey, which estimates a 7% revenue opportunity. Boom!

MORE OPPORTUNITY As we inch toward recovery, Playback looks at the trend of streamers snapping up Canadian talent and real estate and what it means to a muchneeded comeback in Cancon commissioning in our “Full stream ahead” feature.

Many streamers, Netflix included, are moving North and making new hires and investing in new digs. What does it mean for producers? What will the new doors to knock on mean at a time when the Canadian commissioning landscape is insecure (learn more on page 22)?

Playback chatted with Netflix co-CEO and CCO Ted Sarandos – who will deliver a keynote address after CRTC chair Ian Scott on BANFF’s opening day – to learn what’s next 10 years after its first foray into Canada (details on page 32).

Finally, thank you readers for coming back to Playback for this print issue – we appreciate that nothing will ever return us to the before-times – and hope that you’ll feel inspired, enlightened and entertained. It’s great to be back.

Liza Sardi Editor-in-chief & content director, Playback & Banff World Media Festival

Liza Sardi lsardi@brunico.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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Playback is published by Brunico Communications Ltd., 366 Adelaide Street West, Suite 100, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 1R9 (416) 408-2300; FAX: (416) 408-0870 Web address: www.playbackonline.ca Editorial e-mail: jp.pinto@brunico.com Sales e-mail: sales@brunico.com Sales FAX: (416) 408-0870 © 2021 Brunico Communications Ltd. All rights reserved.

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What audiences want

Three insights gleaned from Parrot Analytics’ deep dive into national watch habits in 2020.

BY JORDAN PINTO

Hot picks from a locked-down year

2020 was a strange one for television: lots got watched, not much got made, some projects were lost forever due to the pandemic, and others became unexpected stay-athome hits.

All the while, streaming services continued to cement their dominance in the television viewing landscape.

In Canada, Disney+’s The Mandalorian was far and away the most in-demand show of 2020, according to Parrot Analytics’ Global Television Demand Report, followed by Netflix’s The Witcher, which the streamer said was viewed by 76 million households, and Star Trek: Picard. The second half of the top 10 was dominated by made-in-Canada series, with The Boys, Star Trek: Discovery, The Handmaid’s Tale, Letterkenny and The Umbrella Academy occupying slots six through 10. Crave original Letterkenny (New Metric Media) was the only Cancon series to make the list in 2020, although Anne With an E (CBC/Netflix) – cancelled in September 2019 to the dismay of fans across the globe – hit the No. 22 spot.

Anne continues to be global hit in 2020

While the third and final season of Anne With an E debuted in Canada in September 2019, its international debut on Netflix came in January 2020. As a result, the Amybeth McNultyled show’s swan song season continued to see significant audience demand throughout 2020. Brazil was the market where the Northwood Entertainment-produced show featured most prominently, nabbing the No. 3 spot behind Stranger Things and The Mandalorian. In Mexico, it reached the No. 7 spot and No. 19 in Brazil.

Warrior Nun was one of 2020’s most indemand new releases

The data is in and it’s official: showrunner Simon Barry’s Warrior Nun (Netflix) was a streaming hit globally. According to Parrot Analytics’ global data, it had 41.4 times the demand of the average series in its first 30 days after the premiere, making it the year’s second-most demanded new release behind only Star Trek: Picard and ahead of lockdown sensation Tiger King (No. 10).

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Sphere Media

42 nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards!

Sienna Films

Sienna Films

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Sphere Media would like to congratulate its talented team for

Sienna Films

Insight is proud to celebrate another year of passionate storytelling!

This year more than ever we couldn’t have done it without our broadcast partners and talented production teams.

We appreciate all of your hard work and dedication as we continue to deliver so many exciting shows, series and events to audiences here in Canada and around the world!

Pamela Jones and Gordon Loverin gained the confidence to take their ambitious pitch to Europe following their BANFF fellowship experience.

Opening doors How the BANFF Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media and NetflixBANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative champion underrepresented creatives across Canada when they need it most.

B Y L A U R E N M A LY K

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BANFF MEANS BUSINESS. While the annual Banff World Media Festival has long been a springboard for the global media market, championing diversity and fostering a culture of inclusivity is hardwired into two of the country’s largest training and mentorship programs, with over 200 participants annually: the BANFF Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media (Spark) and NetflixBANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative (DOV).

“The DOV program gives new filmmakers access to some of the top executives in the world in a smaller, more intimate space,” says B.C.-based Pamela Jones, who took part in the first cohort alongside Gordon Loverin, a multi-platform storyteller from the Tlingit and Tahltan First Nations. “It gave us the confidence to be able to pitch industry executives internationally… travelling to the European Film Market and the Berlin Film Festival.”

Their one-hour sci-fi drama series Kanata, likened to an Indigenous Game of Thrones, made it to round two of Netflix’s English-language pitch competition, and garnered attention from CBC executives.

“It’s a big, bold, beautiful story crossing the ocean from North America to Europe, so it will take many players to make it happen. But, we are determined,” says Loverin.

Launched in 2018, DOV is a national program offering industry access and an international market platform to up to 100 emerging and mid-career creators and producers from underrepresented groups each year.

BANFF Spark, meanwhile, supported by the Western Economic Diversification Canada, supports 50 women entrepreneurs a year, with the goal of supporting up to 200 women from Southern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. over four years. Launched in 2019, it offers training, mentorship, and market access to women ready to grow or launch their own businesses in screen-based industries.

“We saw BANFF Spark as an amazing opportunity to create the networks and inroads that we need to make our vision a reality, and to grow our originals side. We were also looking for advice on business development and growth. It was the perfect timing for us, given that when we applied we were very much in an early building phase,” says Emilia King, co-founder and executive director of Toronto-based Pink Moon Studio.

It was King’s BANFF Spark mentor who led her to meet the team at Frequency Podcast Network where Pink Moon Studio’s true-crime podcast Making March is now set to be released this fall.

“Seeing all that the BANFF fellowship participants have accomplished in such a short period of time is truly inspiring,” Shanaaz Berment, BANFF’s manager, special programs says reflecting on the year. “Despite all the challenges, we’ve witnessed so much innovation and resiliency.”

The DOV program is also evolving. Having been devised for women, Indigenous and Francophone producer/creators, the 2021 edition exclusively serves candidates identifying as being from one or more racially diverse groups as well as all genders. Receiving almost 300 applications, this year’s cohort consists of roughly 65% emerging and 35% established as well as 49% women and 46% men, with the rest identifying as non-binary, agender or two-spirit.

“The ultimate goal of the program is to contribute to creating a more equitable and inclusive industry, and this past year has put into sharp focus the persistent barriers and racism that communities of colour continue to face throughout the industry, which is why the 2021 program will be specifically supporting Black, Indigenous, and people of colour creatives of all genders,” Berment says.

Additionally, with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the Spark program had to deal with two cohorts of participants overlapping. The initiative also secured additional funds from the Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, providing

CONGRATULATIONS to all Canadian Screen Awards 2021 nominees and winners.

Emilia King, co-founder and executive director of Pink Moon Studio

Shanaaz Berment, manager, special programs at the Banff World Media Festival

Jenn Kuzmyk, executive director of the Banff World Media Festival

all 100 participants tailored programming, training and resources including the Spark Showcase. The four-day virtual event held in March connected “Sparklers” with a curated list of buyers through interactive sessions and meetings, as well as pitch sessions, which received tremendous feedback.

King was able to connect “with some industry faces and names we wouldn’t otherwise have known beyond email” and receive constructive feedback from industry leaders that has helped strengthen her pitch.

Further, LoCo Motion Pictures founder/ president Lauren Corber also took part in the Spark Showcase, where she presented her Toronto-based prodco’s new comedy series Nerotica to potential partners. “I’ve met some amazing people – from other participants to extremely accomplished producers to inspiring and insightful guests invited to speak with us – and I am already working with several of them,” she says.

“The aim for that was discoverability, to really put some of these projects on a stage at a time where people are not getting to go to markets or live festivals, and to showcase their work,” Berment notes.

“You can’t expand your bubble, so to speak, of industry people to pitch to or to partner with very easily, if they aren’t already in your circle,” according to BANFF executive director Jenn Kuzmyk.

Both programs, which culminate at the annual Banff World Media Festival have resulted in helping participants make new high-level connections, Kuzmyk says. “And it has resulted in deals getting done.”

Additionally, the Spark program has garnered interest from several international regions looking to establish chapters.

“It’s early days, but it’s heartening to know that this could possibly grow and we intend to have it grow. At the same time, it really shines a light on the fact that this isn’t just a Canadian challenge.

The fact that there are so few women-owned media companies of scale is a global challenge. So we would be thrilled to grow the program in that way and it is something that we are definitely talking about doing,” says Kuzmyk.

All told, 700 creatives will take part across both programs.

APTN is proud to be a part of these outstanding achievements APTN National News Best National Newscast Melissa Ridgen, Dennis Ward (APTN National News) Best News Anchor National APTN Investigates Best News or Information Series Best News or Information Segment Best Photography, News or Information: Rob Smith APTN Nation to Nation Stopping the Ripple - Best News or Information Program Wild Archaeology (Tracy German) Best Factual Series Queen of the Oil Patch Best Writing Factual Every Child Matters Best Children’s or Youth Non-Fiction Program or Series Best Picture Editing Factual

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A spotlight behind the scenes U.S. productions flocked to Ontario and B.C. in the aftermath of widespread shutdowns, but what about the other Canadian jurisdictions hoping to benefit from the production boom?

B Y K E L LY T O W N S E N D

THE ROAD TO RECOVERY FROM 2020 HAS VARIED FROM REGION TO REGION in Canada, with some set to return stronger than ever. Playback spoke with film commissioners in the Western, Eastern and Northern regions to learn how they’ve paved a way forward.

Sky’s the limit with Alberta’s tax credit cap removal Alberta is on the brink of a banner year. The Prairie province has set itself up to become a major production hub in Canada with the removal of the per project cap on its Film and Television Tax Credit (FTTC) as part of an effort to entice big budget film and television productions to the region.

Luke Azevedo, VP of Calgary Economic Development and film commissioner, says the full impact of the cap removal is “yet to be seen,” but the level of engagement from studios they’ve received so far signals they’re already in a position to be “much more globally competitive.”

The province has steadily grown its production count in the last decade, with past productions including the Jason Reitman-directed Ghostbusters: Afterlife and the first three seasons of FX series Fargo. Calgary has been especially busy, with two major series greenlit to shoot in the area including the CBS series Guilty Party, starring Kate Beckinsale; Paramount Television’s Joe Pickett; and a reboot of Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock shot entirely at the Calgary Film Centre.

Azevedo says Alberta has a long Luke Azevedo, VP of Calgary Economic Development and film commissioner history as a production location in

Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife filmed in Alberta in summer 2019 and is expected to release in theatres later this year.

Photo by Kimberley French.

Canadian film, but a lack of stable incentives held the chance for accelerated growth at bay.

The current Conservative government, elected in 2019 and led by Premier Jason Kenney, brought an end to the Screen-Based Production Grant and replaced it with the FTTC. It covers 30% of eligible production costs for Alberta-owned productions and 22% for foreign-owned projects and initially launched with a $10 million cap and a budget of $45 million.

The budget for 2021/22 was increased by $19 million when the cap was removed and Azevedo says the government has made it clear they’ll re-examine the budget limit if it hits a ceiling.

The industry has also seen a boom in investment for the crew volume and production space. William F. White International has announced plans for a more than 100,000-square-foot facility in Calgary, while Emcor Development Corporation has partnered with MBS Group to repurpose approximately 200,000 square-feet of their existing facilities for film and television productions.

Azevedo says local unions and guilds, including the Directors Guild of Canada, IATSE Local 212 and ICG Local 669 are working on training programs to meet increasing crew demand across the province.

The industry is also working with post-secondary institutions to offer micro-credentials for outgoing students to immediately become permittees for local unions and guilds.

Leaving no stone left unturned, they’re recruiting skilled workers from industries such as oil and gas, construction and manufacturing, including electricians and carpenters.

The cap removal will allow the province to further boost its post-production sector as well, in an effort to keep productions in Alberta from start to finish, according to Azevedo. Bow Valley College is expected to open its S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 02 1

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Centre for Entertainment Arts in 2022, which will boost the post-production talent with programs for VFX and animation artists.

While the investment has increased their capacity for multi-million budget projects from foreign producers, Azevedo says the commission won’t lose sight of supporting its local talent.

“We want to make sure that we can continue to build Alberta IP,” says Azevedo, citing Heartland (SEVEN24 Films) and Tribal (Prairie Dog Film + Television) as some of the crucial projects that have generated millions in revenue for the local economy. “We don’t want to see that change.”

Making waves on the East Coast One of Canada’s biggest success stories during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the low number of cases in its Atlantic provinces, where strict protocols and border limits have largely kept the worst of the first three waves at bay.

The success has made provinces such as Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador tantalizing production options. Laura Mackenzie, executive director of Screen Nova Scotia, says it’s “all hands on deck” to keep up with current production demand, and 2021 “is gearing up to be the busiest season since 2013.”

Among the new productions in Nova Scotia are the upcoming CBC comedy Feudal (Six Eleven Media/Entertainment One) and EPIX series Chapelwaite (EPIX Productions), based Laura Mackenzie, executive director of Screen Nova Scotia on the Stephen King novel Jerusalem’s Lot. Continuing projects include CBC’s Diggstown (Freddie Films, Circle Blue Entertainment).

Dorian Rowe, executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation, says he’s similarly seen a “flurry of production activity” since filming restarted in summer 2020. Among the major productions was the most recent season of Citytv’s Hudson & Rex (Shaftesbury, Pope Productions) and the upcoming Syfy and CTV Sci-Fi Channel series SurrealEstate (Blue Ice Pictures).

Rowe estimates the province earned a total production volume of $50 million in fiscal 2020-21, which is the second-highest volume in the last decade, behind the $64 million earned in fiscal 2017/18, according to the CMPA. He says that number would have been even higher without the months-long pandemic shutdown.

Nova Scotia’s film industry has worked hard to build momentum since the end of its tax credit in 2015 and the departure of some Dorian Rowe, executive director of the Newfoundland of its talent, both in front of and behind the and Labrador Film Development Corporation camera, according to Mackenzie. Projects such as Robert Eggers’ 2019 film The Lighthouse, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Achievement in Cinematography, have already raised the region’s global profile.

The Nova Scotia Film and Television Production Incentive Fund, which replaced the tax credit, has steadily increased its annual budget from the initial $10 million investment and was renewed into 2025/26.

The incentive committed more than $26.5 million in 2020/21 and has already allocated more than $18 million for 2021/22.

The hope is the momentum will lead to the creation of the province’s first purpose-built soundstage, according to Mackenzie, which Screen Nova Scotia is currently in the works on through government support and private equity.

Deep freeze up North Canada’s Northern regions tell a different story.

While the Northwest Territories (NWT) was experiencing its own momentum build before the pandemic hit, thanks to the creation of its film rebate program in 2015, closures have put that growth on pause.

The territory traditionally hosted production companies for documentary series, such as the longrunning Ice Road Truckers (Eagle Vision) but in the last few years has hosted more scripted features, including director Marie Clements’ feature Red Snow, according to film commissioner Camilla MacEachern.

The NWT border has been closed for more than a year as part of an effort to protect the rural communities, which don’t have access to health facilities prepared to handle an outbreak. Since the government deemed film and television production non-essential, no large productions have been filmed in the last year, and local producers have been forced to pivot to development or securing government contracts for commercial productions.

Camilla MacEachern, NWT film commissioner MacEachern says the NWT Film Commission has pivoted with them, creating programs focused on development rather than production. The commission also mounted a consultation process with the local industry toward the creation of a new five-year film strategy.

Larger financial incentives and tax rebates/ credits were ranked among the top three priorities for stakeholders seeking to grow their slice of the international film and media business, according to a 2020 sector report filed with the government in November 2020.

Due to launch later this spring, MacEachern says the strategic plan will see a continuation of its rebate program and implementation of new programs to attract more coproductions to the area. “[The pandemic] has created an opportunity for the film commission to concentrate inward and continue to build our local industry and [create] a more film and television production-friendly environment,” says MacEachern. “When things do get back on track we’ll be that much more ready to host.”

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BY JORDAN PINTO

Departure

It’s Canadian Screen Awards time again and this year’s best drama race promises to be a fiercely contested one, as Departure, Cardinal, Burden of Truth, Vikings and Transplant vie for the most coveted prize in the Canadian TV calendar. Ahead of Canadian Screen Week, Playback caught up with production heads to discuss their roads to the CSAs.

(Global): Christina Jennings, CEO and chairman, Shaftesbury

Departure season two features Christopher Plummer’s final TV performance.

The industry was saddened to learn of the passing of Christopher Plummer in February. What did he mean to the show?

He meant a lot to the project. We had worked with Christopher before, so he actually boarded Departure pretty early on. That made a significant difference to us, because he is one of those actors who’s not only beloved by audiences, but distributors and broadcasters all want a “Christopher Plummer show.” There’s no question: he was instrumental in us getting all of our funding together, and not only getting season one greenlit – and made and now nominated – but also in season two.

It was the last day of filming for us, late in October 2020, when we went to Connecticut and filmed with him for a day. It was an extraordinary experience. Now that he has passed, it’s going to be one of those bittersweet moments when you see him in Departure.

Do you think Canadian drama is more widely recognized on the international stage than it was five years ago?

Broadcasters around the world have been buying our shows, audiences have been watching our shows, and that hasn’t changed in the last five years. The thing we haven’t yet had on the drama side – which they have now on the Canadian comedy side – is a Schitt’s Creek moment. That day will come, where one of our shows will not just sweep our own Canadian awards, but also the American awards. We haven’t had that sort of a show yet, but as producers, we continue to hone our craft. It’ll come.

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Kyle Irving and block-one director Doug Mitchell on set in Selkirk, MB for Burden of Truth season four.

After four acclaimed seasons on air, Cardinal’s final episode aired in May 2020.

Burden of Truth

Kyle Irving, partner, Eagle Vision

(CBC):

What does it mean to be able to go out on your own terms after four seasons?

It felt right. Four seasons of any show is a huge accomplishment and I’ll remember it fondly, especially because we knew it was the end and were able to write and plan for it.

What has the production meant for the local industry in Manitoba?

I think it’s the single most important and impactful series in the history of Manitoba’s industry. In the final season, we had three Manitoba directors and more than 70% of the cast was from Manitoba. Additionally, we had three Manitoba writers in the room over the course of the last two seasons, and they all wrote scripts. We had a 95% Manitoba shooting crew and were able to play Winnipeg as Winnipeg and Manitoba as Manitoba.

It was very special and I think very important to Manitobans, cast, crew and the public alike.

How would you like the series to be remembered?

I’d like it to be remembered for the voice it gave to underrepresented communities and issues. Every story we told came from relevant social issues and the personal experiences of the creative leaders of the show related to these issues. I think we educated our audience about things they wouldn’t have otherwise thought twice about, and did it in a way that brought them on board as allies for those issues and the people impacted by them.

Cardinal

(CTV): Jennifer Kawaja, president, executive producer, scripted English content, Sienna Films Do you think the perception of Canadian drama has shifted over the past five years?

Yes, I think so, I hope so. The work from our film and TV production community is continuing to have a deeper success on the international stage, and I look forward to further cross fertilization between film, TV and theatre to strengthen and build our creative power as storytellers. I also look forward to an increased contribution of the significantly talented BIPOC community who is at the vanguard of a new vision and scope of storytelling in this country.

How would you like the show to be remembered?

As a show that changed the conversation about content in Canada. That we can do content that is considered premium TV and still have it be distinctly our own. We very much hope that as a country we can get to a place where we can fully fund our own stories. Like the U.K. for example: they do not have to come to Canada for financing to tell their stories for the most part.

What has Cardinal meant to Sienna Films?

Sienna has been working internationally since its first coproduction with C4 in the early ’90s which was helmed by [Sienna co-head] Julia Sereny. Cardinal added to a cumulative body of work for us, that we are not a one-off success but a company which keeps adding to a body of work that is unique and desirable internationally. That’s the hope and goal.

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Vikings has been nominated in the CSAs best drama category in each of the last six years.

Transplant was the breakout Canadian hit of 2020, scoring big ratings in both the U.S. and Canada.

Vikings

(HISTORY):

John Weber, president, Take 5 and Sheila Hockin, executive producer, Vikings Vikings has been a perennial contender, picking up best-drama nominations in each of the past six years. What have been the keys to its consistency?

We think the consistency of its attraction comes from the power and scope of the stories being told. Consistency in quality of execution starts with all 89 episodes being conceived and written by one person – Michael Hirst – and from a committed and exceptional cast, production and post-production team, all of whom embraced the challenges and loved the series and the people gathered to make it. All those cold days on the water, in muddy fields, dragging ships across land, wind, rain, rowing, fighting: it makes a team or breaks them. It made a family on this show.

Take 5 is handling post-production on the spinoff series, Vikings: Valhalla. Where abouts are you in the process currently?

Production and post-production of the first season are ongoing. Like many projects, we have faced COVID interruptions that have resulted in some delays to our schedule, but we’re back to camera this summer and will be shooting into the fall on season two.

What are some lesser-known facts about the Canadian aspects of Vikings?

We think the Canadian elements are substantial and impressive.

Here are some of them: over $100 million has been spent in Canada on the series; of the 89 episodes, 53 were directed by Canadian directors; all episodes were edited by local Toronto editors; music editing, sound and dialogue editing and mixing were all done in Toronto. Canadian composer Trevor Morris scored the series; several winter scenes were shot in Sault St. Marie and Thunder Bay, ON; we’re very proud to have worked with the Mi’kmaq Nation in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, particularly the Eskasoni First Nation in Cape Breton, in the making of the final set of episodes depicting the Vikings making landfall in what we now know as Newfoundland.

Extensive research provided by the Eskasoni people and by historians and archaeologists specializing in First Nations culture and history informed everything depicted, including the tools, language, culture, songs, and funeral rights; 3,497 VFX shots were produced by Torontobased VFX company Mr. X and 3,811 by our team of in-house artists.

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Transplant

(CTV): Tara Woodbury, VP of development, Sphere Media and executive producer, Transplant What challenges did the pandemic pose for the latest season of Transplant?

From March 2020 until now, I don’t know how many conversations we’ve had about COVID – but it’s a lot. We had to delay shooting a couple of times as we reconfigured how to approach production safely and as new information continued to emerge. Thankfully, we are midway through shooting season two right now and in a good groove.

Do you think the perception of Canadian drama has shifted over the past five years?

Canada has been making incredible dramas for decades. We love that the market is even more global and audiences around the world have easier access to all our homegrown talent.

Has the additional time between seasons given you space to digest some of the successes of the first instalment?

COVID has only deepened our respect for doctors and other frontline healthcare workers and we feel a responsibility to demonstrate this in our show.

Creatively, we are approaching season two the only way we know how – through the characters and especially Bash’s point of view.

CANADIAN FILMS

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TIME TO STEP INTO THE LIGHT. Canada’s production industry can be proud of its resilience and perseverance over the last year. And now, it’s time to look to the future. To go big. To push the limits. To show the world that we’re leaders in content creation.

The Canadian Media Producer Association is here to support that vision. Let’s do this.

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2021-04-14 10:12 AM

Amazon Studios’ The Boys went into production on season three in Toronto earlier this year.

Amazon Studios PROGRAMMER PROFILE B Y K E L LY T O W N S E N D

Amazon has made its ambitions in Canada clear. With the hire of its first Canadian content executive, Brent Haynes, as head of scripted, Canada, and Christina Wayne named as head of Canadian Originals, the studio and streamer is primed to accelerate its local commissioning strategy.

Amazon has long had boots on the ground up north, filming service productions such as The Boys and The Man in the High Castle in Toronto and Vancouver, respectively, along with more than 4,300 employees across the country. Amazon first ventured into original Canadian programming in early 2020 when it announced the revival of the iconic The Kids in the Hall (Project 10), which is currently in pre-production and goes to camera in Toronto this summer. The streamer has greenlit two unscripted projects since, LOL: Last One Laughing Canada (Insight Productions) hosted by Jay Baruchel and All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs (Cream Productions).

Wayne, who is no stranger to the Canadian industry after serving as president of Cineflix Studios between 2010 and 2013, spoke with Playback about Amazon’s Canadian content plans.

Playback: How will having a Canadian-based development executive impact Amazon’s programming strategy moving forward?

Christina Wayne Christina Wayne: It is incredibly important to have somebody overseeing our scripted content in Canada. Having [a local executive Principal local originals creative executive and head of Canadian originals with] a background and a foot in, having made Canadian shows before and [pre-existing] deep relationships, is integral to our growth.

Amazon stepped up its investment in Canada this year, including a $1.25 million donation to the Solidarity Fund and the launch of the Pitch Day program with the Indigenous Screen Office. How did that come together?

It started with discussions between Magda Grace, head of Prime Video Canada, and Kerry Swanson [Indigenous Screen Office managing director]. Partnering with them gives us a great opportunity to meet with talent from different perspectives that we might not otherwise have been introduced to. In terms of a creative incentive, that was definitely the reason for wanting to work with them.

What does that partnership signify in terms of Amazon’s overall interest in commissioning content from racially diverse producers and creators?

First and foremost, our goal across all of the countries outside of the U.S. is to serve the local customer with what they currently are not getting from other places. It’s always customer first at Amazon, so that drives our mandate in Canada and across any other country that we’re in. That heavily influences where we’re coming from in terms of the types of programming that we want to do both on the unscripted and the scripted side: it’s local shows about local stories for the local customer made by local talent.

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Canada is a diverse place. There’s not just one type of Canadian customer, so in order to serve all of those customers, we need stories that speak to all the different types of customers that we have. That is the idea behind having diverse points of view.

In terms of scripted, the ISO pitch day eligible projects were focused on YA and voice-driven dramas. How much of that reflects the overall priority in terms of your scripted commissioning?

Our goal is to make stories that resonate with Canadians and, first and foremost, work with Canadian talent.

There’s been a number of great half-hour Canadian comedies that have come out, whether it’s Letterkenny, Schitt’s Creek, Kim’s Convenience or Workin’ Moms. We felt like that was a really good arena for us to tap into in terms of the talent pool that’s in Canada. Our mandate isn’t that different from the ISO pitch day than it is for what we are currently in the market for, which are great half-hour [series], predominantly comedies. We can open up to half-hour YA or genre storytelling, but I think it’s more the half-hour comedy format that we’re really after.

Are you interested in any other programming fields, such as kids content or procedurals?

We’re not doing any kids content. All of the content we’re looking for is premium, so we’re probably staying away from the heavily procedural-type shows. We will make exceptions, of course, if something just speaks [to us] and we feel like it would be great for Canadian audiences.

It would have to be a twist on the traditional type of procedural show. I would say the main focus and the main shows that we’re developing right now are half-hour comedies. We are also open to animated shows for YA audiences and above.

We’ve seen two unscripted greenlights from Amazon already, which are local adaptations of Amazon Studios formats, with the All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs and LOL: Last One Laughing with Jay Baruchel. How do they reflect the overall unscripted strategy?

Canada has a long-standing history of creating phenomenal comedies and creative comic talent. We know that this is an arena that will do well and resonate with the Canadian customer. The Toronto Maple Leafs? I don’t think you can get more Canadian than that. So, that was really the idea behind the unscripted [greenlights]. We are in development on many different types of unscripted shows, but all of them with that eye to how they will resonate with the local customer and be something that feels truly Canadian.

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In terms of what you’re currently developing, are you more focused on original formats and series or Canadian adaptations of existing formats?

I can’t speak to anything that hasn’t been announced yet, but yes, it is a wide variety of different types of storytelling on the unscripted side. We have a docudrama that we’re moving forward with, which I can’t tell you the specifics yet, but it is based on a Canadian story.

What can you share in terms of the volume of commissions? Will we see an increase from what it’s been so far?

As we move forward you’ll probably see a little bit more. I don’t think you’ll see a massive explosion. We’re pretty hands-on in terms of helping our storytellers get everything they need. You have to really be choosy about what you’re going to make when it comes to giving everything that chance to be really high quality.

Our federal government is reviewing an amendment to the current Broadcasting Act that asks for digital giants to contribute to our domestic system. Netflix has made it clear that streamers shouldn’t be subject to the same regulations as domestic broadcasters. What can you share about Amazon’s stance?

Like we do with any country that we go into, we follow whatever the policy is for that country. I don’t see that being any different for Canada.

What is the best way to pitch to you?

If it’s a local production company, it’s fine to reach out to us directly. If it’s a writer or a creative talent, they should have their representatives reach out to us. In terms of what we’re looking for, we like to read writers prior to them submitting material or pitching us. We want to make sure that whatever they pitch us, we can see that they are able to execute what they’re pitching if they haven’t written the show already.

Amazon’s adult-skewing animated series Invincible is produced by Skybound Entertainment, with Vancouver-based Skybound North’s Catherine Winder serving as executive producer.

After a 10 year wait, is it finally

full stream ahead in Canada?

THERE’S BEEN NO SHORTAGE OF THINGS TO CHITCHAT ABOUT IN THE CANADIAN SCREEN SECTOR THIS YEAR. A generational shakeup at the country’s largest private broadcaster. A conclusion to a years-in-the-pipeline legislative review that could lead to foundational change. A federal budget that will bring millions of new funding to screenbased institutions. There’s still a pandemic to contend with, too.

But one topic has chins wagging more than any other: Netflix and Amazon are setting up Canadian offices and hiring Canadian content executives.

It’s created somewhat of a commotion. Rumours are swirling.

Producers have internal betting pools around the identities of the eventual hires. People are excited and rushing to understand the who, what and why of it all.

Domestic content producers have long dreamt of a world where streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime establish Canadian offices, employ executives with expertise in the idiosyncrasies of Cancon and commission Canadian programming.

It had seemed like a possibility in fall 2017, when Netflix established Netflix Canada and made its first formal spending commitment in Canada, but that turned out to be a false dawn.

Fast forward three and a half years, with the passage of Bill C-10 promising to bring SVOD players into the regulatory system, and it appears, finally, to be all systems go.

It was the talk of the town in January when Amazon posted a listing for a Toronto-based scripted development executive, who would be charged with determining the “mandate for Canadian scripted originals.” The exec, the posting said, would liaise between top industry players and other Amazon Studios departments while developing “new voices within the TV landscape to provide a variety of top-tier programming for all Canadian Prime Video 22

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BY JORDAN PINTO

Netflix and Amazon are hiring domestic content executives, stoking optimism that these new buyers will stimulate a much-needed uptick in Cancon commissioning.

But what exactly does that mean for the Canadian production sector?

customers.” It also mentioned oversight of an internal team that includes a “junior exec and a group coordinator.”

A month later, Netflix revealed that it too was preparing to hire a Canadian content commissioner. In a blog post titled “Making a New Home in Canada,” co-CEO and chief content officer Ted Sarandos said the streamer would be opening an office and hiring a dedicated content executive to work directly with the Canadian creative community.

These aren’t isolated incidents, either. Over the past 12 months, content-focused media companies including WarnerMedia and TikTok have entrenched themselves more noticeably in the Canadian content ecosystem. WarnerMedia hired Deanna Cadette and Melanie Nepinak Hadley to lead its recently formed Access Canada team in September, while TikTok appointed Gave Lindo, the former executive director of OTT programming at CBC, as its director of content programming for Canada. While WarnerMedia and TikTok aren’t currently commissioning in the same way that Netflix and Amazon appear poised to do, the hires are indicative of a broader shift.

Industry watchers are divided, though, on the underlying motives behind Netflix and Amazon’s recruitment plans.

Some believe foreign-based media companies are finally recognizing the value in the Canadian market and looking to expand their relationships with the local creative community.

Critics, meanwhile, say the streamers are making these moves preemptively because their hands are being forced by soon-tocome legislative amendments.

At the very least, the new outlets are shaking up the job market for Canadian execs (and aspiring execs), who have historically had the option of either working at a handful of Canadian broadcasters, or making the leap to production or distribution.

More importantly, the arrival of Amazon and Netflix represents two new doors to knock on at a time when the commissioning landscape in Canada is shrouded in uncertainty. (To say Netflix and Amazon are brand new commissioning entities in Canada isn’t quite true – Netflix has regularly ordered Canadian-produced shows since 2015, while Amazon greenlit its first Cancon series, a reboot of The Kids in the Hall, in March 2020 – but the installation of domestic content executives will, theoretically, put commissioning control into the hands of personnel with an intimate knowledge of the domestic landscape.)

This uncertainty is due, in part, to the fact domestic broadcasters have seen the pandemic take a significant toll on their ad revenues, and increased the cost of production by as much as 30%. In addition, Corus Entertainment, Bell Media, Rogers Sports & Media and CBC have argued for many years that the playing field between OTTs and traditional players needs to be leveled in order for legacy broadcasters to compete on an equal footing. That’s where Bill C-10 comes in, with many hoping a reimagined system will create an ecosystem where both can thrive.

There’s also a seasonal element, as the Canadian broadcasters keep an extremely tight lid on their own commissioning plans ahead of Upfront season, which falls in early June. And after the pandemic threw last year’s Upfronts into disarray, upending so many of the Canadian broadcasters’ commissioning plans, producers will be eager to see how the broadcasters’ respective content slates shape up in a year that will set the tone for what the Canadian screen sector looks like in a post-pandemic world.

Peacock Alley Productions president Carrie Mudd, who has previously worked with Netflix on the Eric McCormack-starring sci-fi series

“

It’s fantastic news for the independent production community, and further evidence that Canada is a huge priority territory for these streaming services.

Carrie Mudd, president, Peacock Alley Productions

Travelers, says streamers hiring in Canada is a ringing endorsement of the promise they see in the Canadian market.

“It’s fantastic news for the independent production community, and further evidence that Canada is a huge priority territory for these streaming services – that’s the most important thing to recognize. By virtue of them setting up offices, they want to be here, they want to make Canadian content and support the community,” she tells Playback.

More buyers are needed for producers and creators looking to sell shows in Canada’s highly consolidated broadcasting sector, says Mudd.

“The Canadian market is an oligopsony” – defined as a market where the number of buyers for a certain product, in this case Cancon, is small – “and it has put an enormous amount of pressure on the independent community to go elsewhere,” she says. “I want to live in Toronto and produce across Canada, and if Netflix and Amazon are going to support those values then I’m all for it.”

Christina Jennings, chairman and CEO of Shaftesbury, has seen first hand that international companies are taking a greater interest in the Canadian market. Earlier in the year, AMC Networks made an investment in the Toronto-based production company as the pair forged a strategic partnership that will accelerate Shaftesbury’s growth objectives.

Additional investment from Netflix and Amazon in the Canadian market is only a positive development for the local industry, says Jennings.

“It only bodes well for both producers and creators. If their mandate is to find and produce Canadian shows, that’s a win. It’s a win for everybody in front of and behind the camera, and in every department.”

There’s certainly cause for optimism, but drill beneath the surface and the moves from Netflix and Amazon simply provide production work in the short term, says industry veteran John Barrack – they don’t put long-term value back into the Canadian production economy.

“It might produce more Canadian content, but it doesn’t allow those content creators to retain any of the value, apart from the fees they get paid to make the shows. It takes the traditional role of the producer and the production company and limits it,” says Barrack. “With this model, sure, it might be another door to knock on, but you’re not going to keep anything.”

In one form or another, the debate and tussle over IP ownership has existed in Canada for decades. However, the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) argues that now, more than ever, broadcasters and

“

If their mandate is to find and produce Canadian shows, that’s a win.

Christina Jennings, chairman and CEO, Shaftesbury S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 02 1

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streaming platforms have disproportionate leverage in dictating deal terms on the projects they commission, meaning creators and producers are forced to forgo ownership in their own projects.

This absence of leverage at the negotiating table has been magnified by the fact that, firstly, there are so few buyers in the Canadian market, and, secondly, there is no code of practice (or terms of trade) in place to provide a framework for the economic relationships between producers and content commissioners.

After the initial terms of trade agreement was discontinued in 2016 following the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) Let’s Talk TV hearings – a move decried by producers across the country – there has more recently been evidence to suggest that a reintroduction is, at the very least, being considered.

The Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review (BTLR) report, released in January 2020, included a recommendation that the CRTC be given “explicit jurisdiction” to regulate the economic relationships between content buyers and sellers, and allow producers to retain the commercial rights. More recently, during a Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage meeting to discuss Bill C-10, the CMPA was unequivocal in its stance that all-rights streaming deals were damaging to the long-term viability of the Canadian content sector.

“A ‘successful’ streaming deal means this: [producers] get a payment upfront, they surrender global rights, and if they’re lucky they become an employee on their own show, while forgoing future revenues that would arise if the show becomes a hit, or if it is replicated in other markets,” said CMPA president and CEO Reynolds Mastin in February. “The result is a vacuuming sound that’s getting louder by the day. The sound of Canadian IP, and the revenue it generates, being sucked out of Canada by foreign web giants.”

While the decision on how to address this will ultimately rest with the CRTC, Barrack says it’s a significant concern, especially when thinking about the next generation of content creators and producers.

“Particularly when you look at these young emerging producers, what are the economics they’re going to hold onto in order to build their businesses? When you’re trying to draw young, diverse filmmakers into

“

It might produce more Canadian content, but it doesn’t allow those content creators to retain any of the value, apart from the fees they get paid to make the shows.

John Barrack, industry veteran

the mix, what is going to sustain those individuals over the long term if they don’t have value to reinvest in their businesses,” he says.

Other questions need to be explored and answered before the Canadian industry can truly understand what the commissioning picture looks like with the global streamers in it, suggests Barrack.

“For example, are Netflix or Amazon prepared to look at a rights relationship that’s different from the one they currently expect from producers? Is there a way to achieve that outcome in a way that would level that playing field, that would really make it meaningful for Canadian producers and distributors? Those are the kinds of questions that need to be answered to really understand the value proposition,” he says.

And then there’s the question of who actually gets the gigs. As this magazine went to press, Amazon revealed Brent Haynes as its head of scripted, Canada. Meanwhile, Netflix’s hiring process will begin in June.

Floyd Kane, creator and showrunner of CBC’s Diggstown, says that while the identity of the hires is clearly important, equally significant is that the decision-making power resides in Canada and not in L.A. “The opportunities could be great but it all comes down to one thing: power. How much autonomy will these people have? Realistically, it only matters if the person has the power to order projects out of Canada,” he says.

Kane adds that he hopes diversity is top of mind when these hiring decisions are being made. “It’s my hope that when Amazon, Netflix and some of the other streamers are looking at who they hire, they think outside of the box and take a close look at hiring people who are BIPOC. That would be a really great way of making a statement in terms of where their values are,” he said.

And as to his stance on potentially doing all-rights deals with streaming services, Kane says giving up ownership likely wouldn’t serve as a deterrent. “When I’m working as a producer, I’m working as a producer. I don’t want to be a distributor. Is missing the upside an issue?

Sure, but you’ve got to weigh your options.”

Ultimately, says Shaftesbury’s Jennings, the decision lies with the producers and creators. There will be some shows where relinquishing IP ownership in order to secure a greenlight is not the right decision.

Then there will be other instances where it is an acceptable trade-off.

“That’s you as a producer deciding. And sometimes it may well be that, yes, that’s OK, because it not only gets the show made, it gets creators further advancement in their careers,” says Jennings.

“

The opportunities could be great but it all comes down to one thing: power.

How much autonomy will these people have?

Floyd Kane, creator and showrunner, Diggstown S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 02 1

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Photo: Kadrah Mensah

Photo: Gesilayefa Azorbo

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Playback: It’s been close to a year since the death of George Floyd sparked worldwide calls for an end to systemic racism. And then COVID-19. Statistically speaking, the Black population in Canada was disproportionately affected by the global health crisis, facing greater unemployment and lower wages. If 2020 was the year of reactive action in response to glaring disparities, what do you hope 2021 will be remembered for?

It’s been a year since Black Lives Matter came to the fore. A year filled with protests, pledges and, let’s not forget, the pandemic.

Joan Jenkinson: I would say that I’m hoping to see a lot of the same in 2021, because we’re in the midst of a massive civil rights movement. It’s rocked the world and I think it should continue to rock the world because there’s so much to be done. When we start to become silent is when we see less action. We have to keep speaking and keep showing up, so that there’ll be accountability over the long term. We need to keep the momentum going.

Kadon Douglas: What we need to do, as Joan said, is continue to speak in the truth, breaking the silence in terms of some of the things that are happening industry side – and also to speak of the various intersectionalities. I see a lot of times there are Black people, and LGBTQ2S+.

Well, there are Black people who are LGBTQ2S+, and who are in different economic classes.

There are also Black people who have disabilities. We need to recognize that it is not a singleissue battle that we’re fighting.

Playback checks in with three very different but equally frank Black screen industry leaders as they reflect on the change they’ve seen, the work that still needs to be done, and their hopes for the future.

Tonya Williams: I just hope that the reactive response is not short lived. Yes, this last year was explosive, and everyone promises to make the necessary changes, but I’m more interested in seeing where we are in five years...The audiences and governments and broadcasters, they change leadership and can have short memories. I really hope we see the change we have been championing for decades. Let’s not just have more talk, let’s wait and see what they actually do.

This conversation includes Joan Jenkinson, executive director of the recently formed Black Screen Office; Kadon Douglas, BIPOC TV & Film’s first executive director; and Tonya Williams, Reelworld Film Festival and Reelworld Screen Institute executive director and founder.

TW: Will we see someone running CBC who is Black? Will we see someone running Telefilm – not just working there but running it? I don’t think we’re anywhere close to that kind of change yet. But that’s when I’ll get excited.

B Y L A U R E N M A LY K

KD: For 2021, I want to move from tokenization to very intentional inclusion efforts. It’s not just about bringing in one or two or a few of us at very junior positions. It’s about really opening up the doors to access.

JJ: For things like that to happen, people have to give up real power… I was thinking where is this phrase about reaction? And then I remembered it was Newton [who said] every reaction has an equal and opposite reaction. And that’s my concern moving forward, which is why we need to keep pressing because the tendency is for everything to go back.

KD: For complacency. I believe that it has already started, in some way.

PB: In the past year, thousands of companies have responded, including in the screen industry, by committing billions of dollars to racial-equity initiatives. Can this potential be tapped in a way that delivers meaningful, systemic change?

KD: We really need to define and separate parity, equality and equity in terms of what we’re actually doing. And some of the efforts I’ve seen where they’re applying percentages to, where it’s kind of ridiculous because the percentage will include a large group of marginalized people and then white men, you know? And I don’t think they’re really doing the work of looking at who is really impacted by these inequities that we’ve put in place. So if we’re seeing, for example, 5% of overall budgets have gone to BIPOC stories and creatives… then the corrective measure would be OK, this time we’re going to do 95% to correct it then. And not then a 50/50 split between all marginalized groups.

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CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS TO TO THIS THIS YEAR’S YEAR’S DIVERSITY DIVERSITY OF OF VOICES VOICES PARTICIPANTS PARTICIPANTS TOBI ABDUL TOBI ABDUL FABIO ABREU FABIO ABREU DARREN ANTHONY DARREN ANTHONY RYAN ATIMOYOO RYAN ATIMOYOO JOE BALASS JOE BALASS JUAN CRUZ BALDASSARRE JUAN CRUZ BALDASSARRE SAMIR BALLOU SAMIR BALLOU MARIE BARLIZO MARIE BARLIZO MARIAM BARRY MARIAM BARRY IAN BAWA IAN BAWA JESSICA BEAUPLAT JESSICA BEAUPLAT ANAELLE BEGLET ANAELLE BEGLET HARMEET BHATTI HARMEET BHATTI ADRIAN BOBB ADRIAN BOBB JAMIE BOURQUE JAMIE BOURQUE MARIAH BRAUN MARIAH BRAUN NICOLE CHRYSOSTOM-MURRAY NICOLE CHRYSOSTOM-MURRAY ANDREW CHUNG ANDREW CHUNG DUANE CRICHTON DUANE CRICHTON DAMON D’OLIVEIRA DAMON D’OLIVEIRA KRISTIN DAVIS KRISTIN DAVIS MAYA DESPRES-BEDWARD MAYA DESPRES-BEDWARD KIK DI NINO KIK DI NINO KENT DONGUINES KENT DONGUINES ASHLEY DUONG ASHLEY DUONG

DAMIEN EAGLEBEAR DAMIEN EAGLEBEAR HELENA-MORGANE ELOA HELENA-MORGANE ELOA CYNTHIA-LAURE ETOM CYNTHIA-LAURE ETOM OSAS EWEKA OSAS EWEKA EMILIA EYO EMILIA EYO KEVIN FITZGERALD KEVIN FITZGERALD MIA GOLDEN MIA GOLDEN NADINE GOMEZ NADINE GOMEZ KARA HARUN KARA HARUN JOY HASKELL JOY HASKELL MANDEQ HASSAN MANDEQ HASSAN NATASHA HESCHELLE NATASHA HESCHELLE CHRISANN HESSING CHRISANN HESSING JOSE HOLDER JOSE HOLDER STEPHANIE HOOKER STEPHANIE HOOKER ANIA JAMILA ANIA JAMILA ERIC JANVIER ERIC JANVIER VINCENT T JOACHIM VINCENT T JOACHIM WANDA JOHN WANDA JOHN SHANT JOSHI SHANT JOSHI HUSSEIN JUMA HUSSEIN JUMA SEYDOU KANE SEYDOU KANE MAZIYAR KHALIGHI MAZIYAR KHALIGHI IAN MARK KIMANJE IAN MARK KIMANJE TALLY KNOLL TALLY KNOLL

JEROME KRUIN JEROME KRUIN ERIC LAFALAISE ERIC LAFALAISE KRISTEN LAMBIE KRISTEN LAMBIE JP LAROCQUE JP LAROCQUE STEPHANIE LAW STEPHANIE LAW ARNOLD LIM ARNOLD LIM RAQUEL LOPEZ BOUGANIN RAQUEL LOPEZ BOUGANIN DIANNE MAHONEY DIANNE MAHONEY ARANTZA MALDONADO TREJO ARANTZA MALDONADO TREJO ABDUL MALIK ABDUL MALIK P.J. MARCELLINO P.J. MARCELLINO CHELSEY MARK CHELSEY MARK ANDY MARSHALL ANDY MARSHALL STEPHIE MAZUNYA STEPHIE MAZUNYA JOHN MCKOY JOHN MCKOY VANESSA MITCHELL VANESSA MITCHELL REEM MORSI REEM MORSI DANIELA MUJICA DANIELA MUJICA CATHRYN NAIKER CATHRYN NAIKER JULIE O’BOMSAWIN JULIE O’BOMSAWIN ANANYA OHRI ANANYA OHRI GIO OLMOS GIO OLMOS TANIS PARENTEAU TANIS PARENTEAU GIORGIO PICONE GIORGIO PICONE RICHARD PIERRE RICHARD PIERRE

ATUL RAO ATUL RAO LAURA RIVERA LAURA RIVERA CHRIS ROBINSON CHRIS ROBINSON BORIS RODRIGUEZ BORIS RODRIGUEZ JUSTICE RUTIKARA JUSTICE RUTIKARA ANJALI SANDHU ANJALI SANDHU MOSTAFA SHAKER MOSTAFA SHAKER RENUKA SINGH RENUKA SINGH TREVOR SOLWAY TREVOR SOLWAY IAN STEAMAN IAN STEAMAN CHRIS STRIKES CHRIS STRIKES WEIYE SU WEIYE SU SINA SULTANI SINA SULTANI ILDIKO SUSANY ILDIKO SUSANY SAMI TESFAZGHI SAMI TESFAZGHI KASSIA WARD KASSIA WARD RACHEL WEBB RACHEL WEBB MARC WHITEWAY MARC WHITEWAY HELMANN WILHELM HELMANN WILHELM GRANT WILLIER GRANT WILLIER ALLISON WILSON-FORBES ALLISON WILSON-FORBES JERRY WOLF JERRY WOLF AMITA ZAMAAN AMITA ZAMAAN GABRIELLE ZILKHA GABRIELLE ZILKHA TATIANA ZINGA BOTAO TATIANA ZINGA BOTAO

TW: I really think part of the issue is that we’re also trying to put all the underrepresented voices – as Kadon was just saying – under one basket. No, that’s going to be impossible.

Like using the term BIPOC, I think it has its place, but we can’t come up with BIPOC solutions because they are not BIPOC problems. There are Black issues. There are Indigenous challenges and barriers. There are Asian challenges and issues and South Asian and Latinx and all kinds of different separate issues. And I think right now we’re in a phase where everyone’s trying to come up with a one-size-fits-all issue.

That’s part of what I consider systemic racism.

JJ: I think in addition to that is that we need to be a part of the ongoing conversation and we need to be at the table, being consulted at every level, be involved in the design of programs and initiatives and funding mechanisms. We need to be able to control our own IP, which we haven’t been able to do. We’ve had to give it away because we don’t have enough experience or whatever is deemed to be the bar. Our companies are underdeveloped and underfinanced, our young people don’t have the same access to education. There are so many different points of inequity as Kadon and Tonya have been talking about, but the solutions can’t happen without us.

KD: No, and thanks for bringing that up, Joan, because I was going to say in response to Tonya, these types of programs come to fruition because they’re not done in consultation with us. And I want to call that out as a very colonial mindset that’s used there in terms of prescribing solutions to us without our input.

TW: It’s good to remember the changes that have actually happened in Canada for Black, Indigenous, people of colour have happened because people like Joan and Kadon and myself, we’ve sacrificed, and we created the initiatives that made those changes. There was no one else out there. We had to invest not only sometimes our own money, but our own time, at the sacrifice of our own careers to make those happen. It wasn’t like someone asked us to sit on a board or become part of an existing initiative. These initiatives didn’t exist at all. People have benefited from what we’ve been doing. We’ve been training people and putting them out there because no one else was. And now they want to come up with all sorts of new initiatives – sometimes without consultation.

PB: Each of you occupy a unique space in the screen industry – can you speak as to what you share in common with each other, and what is unique about you and your approach to addressing racial inequity?

JJ: I think what we have in common is that we are very proactive in advocating for underrepresented groups and we’re developing programs to support career development all throughout the industry, above the line, below the line working in solidarity. But there’s a reason for all of us to exist because there’s so much work to be done.

TW: We’re just different people. We all have different approaches. If you were to ask each one of us how we found our success, it would be completely different. One of the things that you’re always hearing from organizers, especially from funders is how come you can’t all get together? I really think that just makes their lives easier. It certainly doesn’t make our lives easier. We need freedom, just like any other organization. I was thinking about when you were first talking, Joan, is that we also need the freedom to fail. When you’re a Black person and you’re running an organization, there’s so much pressure that if you should make the smallest mistake, that everything will be gone. That is what I call white privilege. You can fail and fail and fail and fail and fail, and somehow you have these options available to you.

JJ: I think that’s where I’m starting to see the fatigue in the industry that wants to help. Because the work that we do costs money and we need the whole system to participate in coughing up that money to make this work happen. Everyone is saying it’s important work. I fear that they’re going to stop saying it’s important work because they don’t want to pay for it.

PB: Where do you think the next generation most needs to see change to make a meaningful impact within the Canadian screen industry?

JJ: I think the whole ecosystem has to change. The way we create content, the way broadcasters commission, the way programs are marketed... Yes, people do want to see themselves. And even if the numbers were just marginal, we should make an effort… It affects whether they feel invisible, whether they feel empowered.

TW: We also need to see ourselves represented in other areas of the industry such as casting directors, agents [and] managers... there’s a lot of the infrastructure of our industry that’s not been diversified yet. And we’re all still advocating for that to happen.

It really is amazing for someone who has been in the industry for as long as I have to be sitting here with two other Black women for this interview – when I started in the industry I didn’t even see any Black people anywhere on set. It’s been a joy over the last few years to sit on panels and to pitch something at an organization and see people that look like me. It doesn’t even mean to say that their experience has been my experience, but I know we share the same struggle. It’s a different struggle than mine, but I know they’ve had a struggle, which I find helpful.

Photo: Gesilayefa Azorbo

“

It is not a singleissue battle that we’re fighting.”

– Kadon Douglas

executive director, BIPOC TV & Film

KD: We need to see the change in terms of decisionmakers… Look at their board of directors as well, because all of that informs what they do. We need to see that because that also influences what we see on screen.

We need more representation in that realm around agents, like for this year, this is the first time we’ve had a Black woman [Jennifer Irons] leading a literary agency here S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 02 1

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in Canada, you know? That was really celebrated, but at the same time, it’s kind of sad too. This is the year 2021 and we’re [only now] seeing that happen, you know? She sacrificed.

TW: Her own writing career to make that happen.

KD: This is something that we continuously have to do.

I stopped a career in producing to do this very important work. I’m not saying that I regret it. I love what I do and what I’m able to do through it, but seeing that those of us who are more visible… what we’ve had to let go of to make that happen at the same time...

PB: Joan and Kadon – thinking about your organizations 10 years from now, what are the particular goals that you’d like to achieve?

KD: I want our mandate to no longer be relevant. And in terms of what we’re doing over the next few years, a major focus for us is advocacy and policy change. We [also] want decent work practices and the necessary training, mentorship and career development so that BIPOC remain competitive, not just in Canada but internationally. My last thing would be around community engagement, that empowerment and doing that from a solidarity framework.

JJ: I wish I could say that we will no longer have to have this conversation, but, we know that we will.

KD laughing: I’m being optimistic! Sorry!

JJ: We need to keep fighting the fight as Tonya’s been saying and hold people accountable as much as we can because unfortunately it’s our nature to oscillate when there’s attention put to something, everything moves that way. When the attention goes away, then we swing back. So we have to find a way of building a new system, something that’s built on the principles of equity and inclusion and diversity and something that’s strategic, so that we’re not subject to the ebb and flow of trends and people’s level of guilt or not guilt, and privilege or not privilege.

For us, we’re starting with data. We want to have some benchmarks… so that when we’re creating our programs, we know who and why we’re creating them. When we are speaking our truth and making our case in the industry, that we can back it up with data. I think we’re all doing career development work, and what we want to focus on is, like Tonya, opening the borders… I want to open the borders and build international connections, which we’ve started doing with… people who do a lot of work here and create work for below the line, which is fantastic, but we also want them to work with us above the line so that we can be making our own stories and making our own content as well.

I want to know what everybody’s doing, ‘cause we don’t need to replicate it. It would be great if we could

point people in that direction to say, if you want to go here in your career, then you should be a part of the E20… Go to HireBIPOC, go to the CFC, whatever they might need without taking a full advantage of what’s available in the system to build people’s careers.

PB: Tonya, you have been a true advocate for numerous years. What do you hope has been your legacy in terms of Reelworld?

TW: That it still survives. I think when you’re a person of colour, especially when you’re a Black person, there have not been very many institutions, organizations started by Black people that have survived after they’re no longer with us. And so to me, the legacy would be that Reelworld is still standing strong with or without me.

We don’t have a film library of the great works that Black, Indigenous, people of colour have done since the inception of film. We don’t have a museum currently in the way that the Academy [does] down here, so that our stars [that] have passed away can donate scripts or things… where generations from now can go and see the impact the three of us have done and made to this industry. There’s nothing like that.

And I would say a big part of what we need to have in our industry too is financial intelligence. We haven’t had a lot of non-profit arts organizations, especially founded and run by Black people run at high levels of understanding how to structure... a financial plan, but in a really large way, in millions of dollars is what I’m talking [about]. And some of our production companies have not had that opportunity also to put [together] a slate of films and television series in the way that a Shaftesbury could.

I would like to see someone Black build an actual studio. Reelworld is really trying to connect a lot with our Francophone Black, Indigenous, people of colour they have their own unique struggles and we need to help them more.

The legacy is I came, I was, and then I went. And in some way I contributed to that journey… My part was I held my baton. I took the baton from others and I carried it a little further and I passed that on. I mean, that’s all we can really hope for in the legacy that we leave behind.

Photo: Kadrah Mensah

“

We need to keep the momentum going.”

– Joan Jenkinson,

executive director, Black Screen Office

KD: Tonya, can we give you a Crystal Award again?

TW laughing: I’m actually looking for my Governor General and Walk of Fame now.

KD: Well, yes…

TW: As I just said that, even in our joke, there’s a lot of amazing racially diverse people who have never been recognized. And I hope that we don’t just think about recognizing the new people…

KD: I love the future of the industry that you just described Tonya. I want Canada to be first in mind.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity – see full text at Playback Online.

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Decade of

Netflix Canada @ 10

BY JORDAN PINTO

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Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-CEO and chief content officer, announced last month that the company chose Toronto as the home of their first local office.

The seismic impact of the streamer’s presence has redrawn the landscape of Canadian media.

THE CANADIAN MEDIA INDUSTRY WAS FOREVER CHANGED ON SEPT. 22, 2010, as Netflix headed north in its first foray beyond U.S. borders.

The streaming service, which was still three years away from carrying any original content, arrived in Canada with significant momentum, having racked up around 15 million subscribers in the U.S. with its expansive library of licensed content.

However, the majority of those 15 million members had started as DVD-by-mail subscribers – a business Netflix didn’t have in Canada – meaning it was essentially starting from scratch in the Canadian market. Success was anything but guaranteed.

It didn’t take long though for domestic audiences to warm to the direct-to-consumer platform, which represented a wholly new proposition for Canadian viewers: a vast library of hit shows and movies, delivered on-demand via the internet.

Given its success in the U.S. market, Netflix brass knew they had a winning platform on their hands. But many great business plans have fallen flat when they are taken abroad, and so the Canadian market served as a truly crucial litmus test of whether Netflix – or Netflix.ca as it was more commonly known – had a viable business that could be scaled in the global marketplace.

“Expanding into Canada was a natural first step in the process of exploring how Netflix would be received by audiences outside the U.S. We were excited by how eager Canadians were to sign up, and it cemented the fact that what we had to offer was appealing to them,” Ted Sarandos, co-CEO and chief content officer, tells Playback of the reception to the streamer’s Canadian launch. The California-based company applied some of these learnings

to its move into Latin America 10 months later, he adds.

To drum up interest in the Canadian launch, co-founder, chairman and co-CEO Reed Hastings ventured north, recalls Sarandos, where he was quizzed by journalists on where Netflix fit into the wider Canadian broadcasting landscape, which at the time was ruled by cable.

“Reporters were most interested by his comment that Netflix was a supplement to traditional television, which it was,” says Sarandos.

It was true. In 2010, Netflix’s role was as a companion to traditional TV. It wasn’t long though before the streamer was turning the Canadian viewing landscape upside down – and turning audiences onto a new way of watching television.

Within two years, Netflix had demonstrated that its business model could be applied successfully in markets outside the U.S., confirming that its Canadian operation had become profitable in 2012.

The following year, Netflix hit ‘go’ on its originalcontent strategy, blazing a trail in the streaming space and initiating a paradigm shift in content consumption. The debut of Netflix originals such as House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and Toronto-shot Hemlock Grove presented enticing new offerings for subscribers, and the number of originals only continued to grow. Sarandos notes that the Canadian market served as an “early proof of concept for how local stories can be entertaining and relevant to our members from all around the world.”

As Netflix’s grasp on viewership grew, domestic players began to recognize the scope of the challenge, and opportunity, before them and raced to launch their own streaming platforms. Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications were first out of the gate with the joint venture Shomi in November 2014, which lasted around two years before folding, while Bell Media came to market a month later with Crave, which has amassed more than 2.9 million subscribers since it launched.

A potent partnership in live-action and animation

It wasn’t long before Netflix was working alongside the Canadian broadcasters. Between 2014 and 2017, it cocommissioned Between with Rogers Sports & Media and Shomi, Frontier with Bell Media, Travelers with Corus S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 02 1

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Behind the scenes on Netflix’s hit series The Umbrella Academy, shot in Toronto.

Stéphane Cardin

Director, public policy, Canada Netflix

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Entertainment and Anne With an E and Alias Grace with CBC. More recently, the power of the “Netflix effect” has also been on full display as CBC comedy Schitt’s Creek morphed from beloved domestic comedy into Emmysweeping worldwide cultural phenomenon following its launch on Netflix in the U.S. As well, glass-blowing competition series Blown Away debuted to enormous viewership in the U.S., according to Nielsen streaming data.

While Netflix’s live-action work in the domestic market typically receives the majority of the attention, it has also established somewhat of an animation fortress in Canada.

In fact, the streamer broke into the kids originals space – which has grown to become fundamental to its global strategy – with a Canadian show: True and the Rainbow Kingdom, produced by Toronto’s Guru Studio.

“It was a great first experience in the preschool space, and from there we’ve basically worked with all the major studios in Canada,” says Dominique Bazay, Netflix’s director of original animation.

Highlights of the streamer’s work with Canadian animation studios include multi-award-winning 2D series Hilda, which is animated by Ottawa’s Mercury Filmworks; The Last Kids on Earth, produced by Atomic Cartoons; Carmen Sandiego, animated by WildBrain; and Kris Pearn-directed The Willoughbys from Bron Studios, which Netflix says was viewed by approximately 37.6 million households in the four weeks following its release. Its Oscar-nominated animation feature Over the Moon was also animated at Sony Imageworks in Vancouver.

The depth of the animation talent pool in Canada is what keeps Netflix coming back for more, says Bazay, who was formerly a programming exec at Bell Media’s kids specialty channel VRAK from 2008 to 2015 and before that was VP, distribution at DHX Media (now WildBrain).

On both the animation and live-action side, Netflix’s spending in recent years has been colossal. Since 2017, the company has spent more than $2.5 billion in Canada, according to Netflix, shooting in eight out of 10 provinces.

It also leases more than 1 million square feet of studio space across its hubs in Vancouver and Toronto.

The best of frenemies

It hasn’t all been high-fives and hit shows though. While Netflix and Canada have been a potent and successful combination, there has also been regular friction over the years. There was the infamous occasion in 2014 when, as part of the Let’s Talk TV hearings, Netflix’s thendirector of global public policy Corie Wright declined to provide the Commission with sensitive data, raising the ire of then-CRTC chair Jean-Pierre Blais and leading to Netflix’s intervention and supporting documentation being written out of the public record.

There was also the furor over the Creative Canada Policy Framework, which included a commitment from Netflix to spend at least $500 million over five years in Canada. And who could forget the social-media storm following the cancellation of CBC and Netflix’s coproduction Anne With an E. Most commonly, though, the debate has focused on whether Netflix and other streaming entities operating in the Canada should be mandated to contribute to the domestic funding ecosystem, a debate that has raged on for a decade.

Integration in the Canadian system Despite those tensions, the collaborations have been undeniably fruitful. Since 2018, Netflix has sought to further ensconce itself within the Canadian creative community by establishing program partnerships with more than 20 organizations across the cultural ecosystem, including the Banff World Media Festival, Canadian Film Centre, Indigenous Screen Office, L’institut national de l’image et du son and Hot Docs.

Through this, Netflix says it has supported the career advancement of more than 600 Canadian creatives, in addition to becoming acquainted with some of the brightest talents the country has to offer.

“These programs are also a gateway to working on Netflix shows,” says director of public policy for Canada, Stéphane Cardin, who joined the streamer in August 2018 from the Canada Media Fund.

Cheers to 10 years in Canada!

Proud partner of the Netflix/CFC Global Project Thank you for investing in Canadian creators and for helping the CFC bring diverse Canadian voices and stories to the world.

Here’s to another decade of championing Canadian talent!

Jason Momoa-led Frontier was co-commissioned by Netflix and Bell Media’s Discovery in 2015.

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The next evolution in Netflix’s Canadian strategy is to hire a dedicated content executive, tasked with working directly with the Canadian creative community. Cardin says the program partnerships are helping Netflix identify up-and-coming creatives who could end up pitching the streamer once a Canadian content exec has been appointed. (The identity of that hire has been the source of great debate within the Canadian industry, with Netflix saying it will commence a hiring process in June.)

The impetus for a Canadian office also comes from its desire to stay ahead of the pack, notes Cardin: “Quite frankly, the competition is increasing here, with other streamers announcing that they are also commissioning more, and putting people in place. [We] want to make sure [we] are the first to get to the best stories.”

Of course, the launch of Netflix’s Canadian office is also with an eye to what’s to come. Namely, that Bill C-10

simply because they were financed solely by the streamer, despite having Canadians across all key creative roles. For its part, The Decline was watched by more than 21 million households, says Netflix.

Asked whether Netflix has cooled on the idea of cocommissioning and co-financing projects with Canadian broadcasters, Cardin says that simply isn’t the case, pointing to a number of recent titles such as unscripted series Rust Valley Restorers and Quebec dramedy M’entends-tu?

Cardin adds that, despite the fact there have been fewer English-language fiction coproductions between the streamer and domestic broadcasters over the past 18 months, Netflix is still interested in working with the Canadian broadcasters.

“There are natural cycles in development, and while it is true that it’s been a few months since we had a coproduction on the fiction side in the English-language

could see Netflix brought under Canadian regulation and mandated to make contributions into the domestic funding ecosystem.

For its part, Netflix says it supports the bill, with certain caveats. First and foremost, says Cardin, is that the bill mustn’t apply a one-size-fits-all approach to regulating digital platforms, and recognize the disparate lines of business of each.

“Netflix is here – we’ve been here for a decade. We are very much committed to the ecosystem, we want to play our part to continue to contribute. But we feel that the system will be better off if it recognizes the different objectives and different program strategies of different players within the system.”

Another request from Netflix is that the legislative review brings with it a re-examination of the definition of Canadian content. According to Netflix, a number of the projects it has commissioned, including Frenchlanguage feature The Decline, don’t qualify as Cancon

market….we’re absolutely interested in that model. We would be very interested in seeing that come back on the fiction side in English Canada, and basically try to find the next Schitt’s Creek.”

With lots potentially set to change over the next few years, the competition both in Canada and internationally is set to intensify further, especially now that the Hollywood studios have all rolled out streaming offerings.

For Sarandos, however, maintaining Netflix’s position as the most-subscribed-to streaming platform in Canada will be about continuing to tap into the best creative across the globe, and deepening its ties with the local creative community.

“With the opening of our first Canada office, we expect to work even more closely with creators from the region to bring authentic, local Canadian storytelling to our more than 200 million members around the world,” he says.

Nelvana’s first proprietary animation, A Cosmic Christmas, caught the eye of George Lucas.

Foundation of an animation nation Since its formation in 1971, Nelvana has helped establish and cement Canada’s position as a superpower in the field of animation.

BY JORDAN PINTO

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YEARS AGO, MICHAEL HIRSH, PATRICK LOUBERT AND CLIVE A. SMITH DREAMED OF FOUNDING A CONTENT COMPANY THAT COULD PLAY IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE. It was a fine business plan, with only one practical obstacle: there was no film and TV industry in Ontario yet.

At the time, Toronto’s TV industry was still very much in its infancy. Live-action production companies scarcely made anything other than commercials, and the odd animation company that did exist did so to create segments for commercials.

None, however, created programming, and there was no blueprint for how one might build a successful animation-focused content company from the ground up.

The dream was certainly a big one, and while some would describe the trio as ambitious or daring, Hirsh has a slightly harsher assessment.

“I’d describe us as dense,” he tells Playback, “because the obvious move was to go to L.A. or London – somewhere where there was an industry. But we had the idea we wanted to make this great content company.

Even though there was no business, we decided we’d make it happen.”

Hirsh and Loubert had become friends while studying at York University, and subsequently worked together on experimental film projects. Smith, meanwhile, was from London, U.K. and had moved to Toronto to work on the CBC show Rocket Robin Hood.

Too young to realize how tall the task before them was, they set out to build a content company.

In 1970, the year before founding Nelvana, the young men had started to come into their own as professionals, learning how to do plasticine animation, completing a sub-contracting gig for The Jim Henson Company and producing a half-hour CBC live-action documentary about long-lost comic books.

The comic-book project was based on a packet of comics which they had acquired the prior year.

Among them was a comic called Nelvana of the Northern Lights, about a female superheroine whose superpowers included being able to fly at the speed of light on a giant ray of the Northern Lights. When it came time to choose a name for the company, the three founders landed on Nelvana.

The company’s beginnings were certainly humble. Its first studio was in a derelict apartment on Toronto’s King Street, recalls Hirsh, where its first camera was mounted above a toilet. “Even though we were in this third-floor walk-up with the bathtub in the middle and a camera over the toilet bowl, in my mind we were creating the next Disney,” he says.

At the same time as Nelvana was launching, Sheridan College was graduating its first class of animators, providing Nelvana with a vibrant and expanding talent base from which to recruit. Over the years, this rich breeding ground for talent would help to establish Canada as an animation superpower on the world stage.

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Despite achieving moderate success in the early years, growing the company proved to be difficult.

Nelvana spent “seven years in the wilderness,” admits Hirsh, before achieving its first notable animated hit.

It came in 1977 in the form of A Cosmic Christmas, a 26-minute TV special about three aliens who venture to Earth to understand the true meaning of Christmas. While Nelvana had previously worked on animated projects, A Cosmic Christmas was its first proprietary animation.

CBC and Radio-Canada had pre-bought the project, which also represented the first Nelvana series to find international distribution, through Viacom. Released in December 1977, the special became a ratings hit on both sides of the border.

The special’s success in the U.S. led to another huge breakthrough. Three months later, Nelvana received a call from Lucasfilm, which had released the first Star Wars movie to enormous commercial success in May of 1977.

In order to keep the property fresh in people’s minds for Christmas 1978, Lucasfilm was producing a twohour special. As part of the special, George Lucas, who had been a fan of A Cosmic Christmas, commissioned Nelvana to produce a 10-minute cartoon – the first ever cartoon in the Star Wars canon.

Upon its release, the two-hour special wasn’t well received. However, Nelvana’s short cartoon was widely acclaimed and Lucas became a champion of their work.

“It was a terrific endorsement to get at that stage of our career and really helped us break out in a bigger way, both in the U.S. and globally, ” says Hirsh, who now heads up Wow! Unlimited Media.

In my mind we were creating the next Disney.

– Michael Hirsh Nelvana co-founder

Franklin and Friends (pictured), released in 2011, was a CGI reboot of Nelvana’s popular series Franklin.

Momentum was firmly on Nelvana’s side as its focus shifted to making its first animated feature. But the move nearly ended up being its undoing.

Rock & Rule, an ambitious animated musical sci-fi film, was supposed to cost $5.4 million. The company had raised the money through a public offering, which was how it was done circa 1979. However, by time the movie was finished, it was $3 million over budget. Part of that was covered by an advance from MGM/UA Entertainment, but the company still owed around $2 million when the film flopped at the box office upon its release in 1983.

“It put the company in tremendous risk and jeopardy,” says Hirsh. “It was either work our way out of it and pay our debt, or go bankrupt. We made a decision to work our way out.”

Nelvana clawed itself out of arrears by digging into animated TV series. Between 1983 and 1984, Nelvana drastically ramped up its output, producing projects including 20 Minute Workout, Mr. Microchip and Inspector Gadget, the latter of which proved to be a sizable hit.

Overcoming the crisis rejuvenated the company and the next big opportunity that came its way was the Care Bears franchise. Nelvana had previously acquired the character rights from the property’s owner American Greetings. After having a nightmare at the box office with its first feature, Rock & Rule, the second attempt with the first Care Bears instalment (1985) was an unmitigated success, taking home USD$23 million at the U.S. box office and $1.5 million in Canada.

Another significant milestone came in 1986 as the company branched into the distribution business,

allowing it to maintain control over its library and product. Shortly after, the company jumped into the licensing and merchandising game, starting with its popular Babar franchise. The licensing program performed well internationally and allowed further expansion of the business, says Hirsh.

The company ended the ’80s producing Babar and an animated TV version of Tim Burton’s 1988 feature Beetlejuice. The latter ran from 1989 to 1991, landing Nelvana its first Daytime Emmy Awards win in 1990.

The wind remained at its back through the early ’90s and in 1994 Nelvana went public. It was not a decision the founders took lightly, though, and initially there was fierce debate as to whether this was the right call.

However, as competitors such as Alliance Communications, Atlantis Communications, Cinar and Paragon went public, it became apparent that Nelvana would be at a competitive disadvantage if it did not follow suit. This became abundantly clear as some companies started entering the kids space for the first time, using capital they had raised from the public markets.

“Our analysis was that if we didn’t go public we would probably have our lunch eaten by our competitors. They would have grown beyond our capacity and then could have come and bid up our talent,” says Hirsh of the decision.

The move paid off and allowed Nelvana to pursue further growth.

By 1997, it was entering the channel-ownership business as part of a consortium of entities which launched Teletoon. The consortium included Family Channel, YTV and Cinar, with Nelvana owning 10%.

By the late ’90s, with the kids business booming internationally and Nelvana producing around 20 series a year, Corus Entertainment was eyeing a potential takeover bid. The deal was sewn up by September 2000, with Corus, which was led at the time by John Cassaday, paying $540 million to close the transaction. When factoring in a strategic investment made by Corus the prior year, the deal valued Nelvana at closer to $700 million, says Hirsh.

The deal gave Corus enormous animation production capabilities, while, for Nelvana, it was now formally integrated with a broadcast entity. “It was going to be too difficult to grow from 20 series a year, to 24, to 26, to 30, without having a significant alliance with a broadcaster,” notes Hirsh of the underlying rationale for the deal.

The high-profile acquisition sent ripples through the Canadian and international industry. But soon after, the markets collapsed. In October 2002, Corus took a $200-million writedown on Nelvana and Hirsh stepped down as CEO into an advisory role. (The other two co-founders, Loubert and Smith had both exited the company more than a year earlier.)

The next important operational move came in 2006 as Nelvana was integrated into Corus’ children’s TV division. At the same time, Corus created Nelvana Enterprises, a new business unit focused on selling Nelvana content globally.

We’re letting the creative make the right decision.

– Pam Westman Nelvana president

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Babar, Nelvana’s first international coproduction, premiered on CBC and HBO.

Max & Ruby, based on the beloved preschool franchise, launched in 2002.

Power of Nelvana’s heritage brands

Colin Bohm, Corus Entertainment’s EVP, content and corporate strategy, says revenue derived from Nelvana’s animation catalogue has been crucial to its long-term perseverence. “From a business point of view, it’s a stabilizing, consistent source of funding for our new slate and what we’re trying to do in terms of growing the business,” he says, adding that Nelvana has been foundational to Corus’ strategic objective to own and control more content.

After years focused on TV, Nelvana is also re-entering the feature film market. Through a development deal with L.A.-based Duncan Studio, the companies are cultivating a slate of animated features. The impetus for moving back into feature-length animation is twofold, says Bohm. Firstly, the streaming services are, in many cases, looking for well-known IP, which a company like Nelvana has in abundance. And secondly, the streamers have created new ways for companies to enter the feature film business without taking on the same level of risk as in a traditional theatrical model.

Dipping back into the IP vault has served Nelvana and Corus well in recent years, including a live-action reimagining of The Hardy Boys. After decades on the shelf, Nelvana dusted off the IP and reimagined it for a new audience, airing on YTV in Canada and Hulu in the U.S. President Pam Westman says the team was inspired by the resurgence of live-action remakes of classic shows from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s such as Riverdale. “[The Hardy Boys] is a great example of what we can do as we reach into our catalogue with things like Franklin or Max & Ruby and think about how we can bring them into today’s world.”

It isn’t a one-off, notes Westman, and live-action series production is an area Nelvana will continue to explore going forward. “We’re now looking at ideas and

saying ‘is this best told in animation, or live-action?’

We’re giving ourselves the flexibility and letting the creative make the right decision, rather than trying to ram things into a certain mould.”

The company has continued to make strategic tuck-in acquisitions, among them animation software company Toon Boom, which Nelvana acquired in two stages between 2012 and 2015. The addition of Toon Boom has given Nelvana the “inside track on the latest and greatest innovations in 2D animation software,” says Bohm. More acquisitions could be on the way if the right opportunity presents itself.

Last year, as the pandemic shut down the international economy, Nelvana was forced to lean on every bit of the expertise and experience amassed during its extraordinary 50-year journey. It has also retained the same spirit of innovation and excellence in animation that its founders energized the company with during its early years.

“Companies get acquired but they don’t often get to keep their identity the way Nelvana has,” says Hirsh.

“I’m not sure there’s another production company in Canada that has hit the half century, but it’s a major achievement in an industry where many companies come and go.”

Prior to 1971, Canada’s animation sector was known primarily for short films produced by the National Film Board of Canada. From the late ’70s, Nelvana spearheaded an animation movement, made possible by a vast talent pool, Cancon rules that incentivized broadcasters to buy local programming and worldbeating incentives.

It’s a movement that has never stopped, says Hirsh.

“Canada became and continues to be an animation nation, and Nelvana was one of the major drivers of that evolution.”

[Nelvana’s library] is a stabilizing, consistent source of funding for our new slate.

– Colin Bohm Corus Entertainment EVP, content and corporate strategy

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THE BACK PAGE

Aurora Browne

Nominated for four awards, including Best Comedy Series for Baroness Von Sketch Show and Best Host or Presenter, Factual or Reality/Competition for The Great Canadan Baking Show

“I will be revealing my newfound commitment to formal lounge wear. Never have taffeta and sweatpants been combined in such a bold, fashion-forward way.”

Brooke Lynn Hytes

Nominated for Best Host or Presenter, Factual or Reality/Competition for Canada’s Drag Race alongside Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman and Stacey McKenzie

“I’m so excited for the CSAs! I’ll be wearing a custom-made hoodie designed by Sadness, custom sweatpants by Anxiety and rare vintage jewelry by my favourite designer, Depression!”

Pascal Plante

Nominee for Best Achievement in Direction for Nadia, Butterfly

“I’ll be wearing my speedo.”

Nigel Downer

Nominated for three awards for Bit Playas, including Best Lead Performance, Web Program or Series

Jessica Meya

Nominated for Best Writing, Children’s or Youth for Detention Adventure

“A bow tie.

Always, a bow tie.”

“I’m borrowing Regina King’s Oscar dress.” rs w, with winne nd year in a ro wardWinner. co se e th r fo #CdnScreenA me in style. e held virtually Awards will b al media with the hashtag ho n e e cr S n ia ad ci t celebrate at The 2021 Can ceptance speeches via so esn’t mean Canadians can’ will be e their ac That do carpet” looks llout. ed “r m o asked to shar ro g reen Week ro what their livin ar’s nominees the May 17-20 Canadian Sc ye is th f o e m g durin We asked so 42

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The CMF congratulates Nelvana on its 50th anniversary.

Over half a century, Nelvana has been at the forefront of innovation and excellence in kids’ content, creating characters, stories and fantasies enjoyed by families around the world.

cmf-fmc.ca

June 14-July 16

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