The second annual B.C. India summit in ‘Digital Media and Entertainment’ is all set to roll ahead commencing on the eighteenth of September 2017 in Canada at Vancouver, British Columbia (B.C.) Canada India Business Council is organising it in collaboration with Creative B.C. and the B.C. Ministry of jobs, trade and technology.B.C. is a leading creative hub at the forefront of entertainment technology offering the 3 ‘T’ advantages of – Tax credits, Talent and Time zone.
It will be hosted at the Marriott Hotel in Downtown Vancouver. There will be panel discussions at the summit encompassing success stories in this sector and why Indian/International studios are opting for British Columbia as their North American headquarters. The summit will also include discussions on how B.C.’s internationally renowned educational institutions support talent development, acquisition and retention in the digital media and entertainment space.
All the details of the summit can be checked in the following website link https://www.canada-indiabusiness.com/B.C.-partnership-summit—2017
B.C. Film and VFX report
British Columbia features a creative cluster of world-class television, visual effects, animation and post-production companies. There is over 2.5 million square feet of studio space and over 60 studios. With the right mix of technology, talent and strong links to Hollywood, British Columbia has earned a reputation as one of the world’s leading creative media centers, producing award-winning content for global audiences.
Recent studio productions such as Deadpool, War of the Planet of the Apes, Okja, World of Warcraft, Star Trek Beyond, Tron 3 and The Big Friendly Giant (BFG) were produced there.
The westernmost province of Canada has exhaustive and innovative capabilities in animation, VFX for creative media and leading edge entertainment technology. As a matter of fact, production companies spent approximately $2 billion on a total of 287 domestic and international productions in British Columbia in 2014/15. The advantages that it brings have led companies like Sony Pictures Imageworks, Industrial Light and Magic, Double Negative and more to base many of their VFX projects.
B.C. Gaming Report
Twenty seven percent of Canadian digital gaming companies are based in the B.C. Province alone. It is home to a numerous world-class companies specialising in game development.British Columbia is an international centre for console, social and mobile game production, as well as an emerging hub for virtual reality technology. The province offers highly skilled talent, a cost-competitive and convenient west coast location and targeted incentives. Leading gaming companies including Capcom Game Studio, EA (Electronic Arts), Microsoft, Sega, Eastside Games and 100 plus more studios have a presence in Vancouver.
With strong links to the U.S. west coast, Asia and Europe, its interactive gaming sector is integrated with world markets and can handle the full range of development starting from concept to production.
In 2016, Mercer rated Vancouver as the top North American city for quality of living fifth in the world for the same. Vancouver is also ranked third in the Economist’s Global Liveability Report out of 140 cities. These studies reflect B.C.’s high level of stability, health care, culture, environment, education and infrastructure. Other major cities in British Columbia such as its capital city, Victoria and even Kelowna have emerged as strong game development hubs, attracting international players such as Disney’s Club Penguin and GameHouse Canada.
The Provincial Government is also supportive in terms of:
- The provincial corporate income tax rate is only 11 percent. When combined with the federal rate, businesses pay a combined rate of 26 percent, the least in North America and Canada
- The lowest personal income taxes in Canada for individuals earning up to $125,000.
- The #B.C.Tech strategy is led by government with a targeted focus on talent, capital and market access as the core pillars to continue growing in the technology sector.
- The $100 million dollar B.C. Tech Fund, a venture capital fund-of-funds, was launched to invest in emerging technology companies in B.C. and support the development of a strong venture capital system.
British Columbia: Leader in Digital Media
- A leading creative hub at the forefront of digital technology with companies that specialise in film, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), digital media and game development.
- An international centre for film and television production that boasts of highly skilled crew and talents; comprehensive infrastructure; offering full studios and equipment suppliers; diverse landscapes – from cities to forests, from oceans to mountains; links to producers in U.S, Europe and Asia.
- It is also at the forefront of social, mobile and video game development, housing more than 120 game development studios with 5,500 creative professionals in digital game design and major international players with established studios in Vancouver.
- A leader in the development of wireless technology with 1,150 digital media and wireless companies resourced with mobile operators, platform providers and device manufacturers. It also has several research facilities and top-ranked universities.
- British Columbia also ranks high in ICT services, resources and hardware with over 2,667 companies in the ICT sector, employing a talented workforce of over 20,000. It also has direct access to U.S development centers in the Silicon Valley and Washington State.
Testimonials
When the talk is about the leading destinations for film, animation and VFX, Vancouver shares the lead with L.A. A city known for its film industry, Vancouver provides “big three” competitive advantages in the digital media and film sector.
Rick Mischel of Sony Pictures Imageworks explains, “It’s got proximity to Los Angeles, which is still the centre of entertainment industry. It is where the big clients are, it is where the big projects get launched. What is important for working collaboratively with the respective creative communities, is that Vancouver is in the same time-zone as L.A.”
Mischel further added, “There’s a creative mass of talent in the animation and VFX industry in Vancouver. It has seen exponential growth. And that creative mass of talent means that there is a pool of people to draw for creating amazing projects.”
The B.C. India partnership summit at Vancouver is undoubtedly a good news for the digital media and entertainment space. There will be a superb creative and business buzz at the venue. See you in Vancouver!