Intro
Canadian Content
in a Digital World
A bold vision for a thriving screen-based production sector
CANADA'S INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS
OUR SUBMISSION & OTHER MATERIALS
Intro
Canadian Content
in a Digital World
A bold vision for a thriving screen-based production sector
CANADA'S INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS
OUR SUBMISSION & OTHER MATERIALS
The global media production sector is undergoing a period of profound digital innovation, which has implications for audiences and industry alike. In Canada, this shifting environment has called attention to existing policies, programs and regulatory frameworks that have served our production industry well for many years.
The CMPA’s submission to the Canadian Content in a Digital World consultations is rooted in the belief that the outstanding film, television and digital productions we create here at home will continue to captivate audiences across the country and around the world, but will increasingly be viewed on a range of different platforms, channels and screens.
We applaud the leadership of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, on this initiative and we stand ready to help develop an updated set of policies and programs that will allow the production sector to thrive, so we can create jobs, promote our culture, and produce great, entertaining content.
Our Recommendations
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
Our submission is the result of extensive consultation. We held town halls across Canada with over 100 member companies. We debated on conference calls, gathered at boardroom tables, and toiled on task forces. Our recommendations reflect the diversity of our sector.
Our Recommendations
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
Our submission is the result of extensive consultation. We held town halls across Canada with over 100 member companies. We debated on conference calls, gathered at boardroom tables, and toiled on task forces. Our recommendations reflect the diversity of our sector.
Below you’ll find a brief summary of the twelve recommendations we put forward in our report to Canadian Heritage. We invite you to download the full submission to review our policy proposals in full detail.
Recommendation 1:
Launch a “Brand Canada” Discoverability Strategy to increase domestic and global awareness of, and demand for, made-in-Canada screen content.
In other words...
Make sure audiences in Canada and around the world know about all the phenomenal content we produce.
Recommendation 2:
Modernize the federal policy framework by requiring contributions from all services and platforms that benefit from being part of the Canadian system, including Over-The-Top (OTT) services and Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
In other words...
If a company benefits from the Canadian system, it should contribute to it.
Recommendation 3:
Expand the definition of Canadian content to include new Canadian elements, and, at the same time, explore introducing additional financial incentives within the tax credit system to maximize the use of Canadian creative talent.
In other words...
The more “Canadian” a production, the more public funding that should be made available for that project.
Recommendation 4:
Expand the range of triggers for public financing from the Canada Media Fund, Telefilm Canada and the CPTC, to any platform accessible to Canadians. At the same time ensure that only companies that make a mandated contribution to the creation and presentation of made-in-Canada content are able to access these funds.
In other words...
Access to financing should be available for all producers who create content that can be viewed by Canadian audiences, regardless of whether it’s through a traditional TV channel.
Recommendation 5:
Relieve the heavy administrative burden on producers by enhancing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the system, and reducing duplication by the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office, Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund.
In other words...
Reduce red tape so independent producers can spend the majority of time and budgets creating killer content, not filling out duplicative forms.
Recommendation 6:
Create a Screen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fund, in strategic partnership with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), tailored to the unique needs of Canada’s media content entrepreneurs.
In other words...
Support innovation among independent producers, so we can continue to develop new processes, technologies and business models that will benefit the entire country.
Recommendation 7:
Develop strategic partnerships between Heritage and other Ministries such as ISED, the Ministry of Small Business, and the Ministry of International Trade to further the development of business and innovation in Canada’s content sector.
In other words...
Help independent producers reach our full innovative potential and share our advances with sectors beyond the screen-based entertainment industries.
Recommendation 8:
Ensure that appropriate safeguards are implemented by all federal organizations to ensure a fair and equitable playing field in Canada in the negotiation of rights to made-in-Canada content.
In other words...
Give independent producers control over our financial future so we can bring the next hit series to the screen.
Recommendation 9:
Undertake a distinct and separate review of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and its founding legislation to position CBC as a globally respected commissioner of distinctly Canadian, innovative and risk-taking content.
In other words...
Determine how the CBC can become the leading destination for Canadians seeking to access the phenomenal content we produce.
Recommendation 10:
Require the CBC to help strengthen the independent production sector in Canada by entering into a Terms of Trade agreement with independent producers.
In other words...
The CBC’s relationship with independent producers should act as a best-in-class model for all other broadcasters in Canada.
Recommendation 11:
Work in collaboration with industry stakeholders, including other levels of government and provincial agencies, to develop and implement a concerted national export strategy for Canadian screen-based content.
In other words...
Help independent producers sell our content globally with on-the-ground support in international markets.
Recommendation 12:
Offer new fiscal incentives for attracting third party private investment and production financing.
In other words...
Promote public-private partnerships so independent producers and private investors can work together to grow our sector, and create outstanding content.
Canada's Independent Producers
CANADA'S INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS
What makes us feel Canadian? What unites a population of 36 million citizens, spread across 10 million square kilometers? In large part it is the stories that we share with one another.
Canada's Independent Producers
CANADA'S INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS
What makes us feel Canadian? What unites a population of 36 million citizens, spread across 10 million square kilometers? In large part it is the stories that we share with one another.
Independent Producers Make it Happen
Canada’s independent producers help bring stories to life through the production of compelling content. Working in film, television, and breaking boundaries across a host of new digital platforms, independent producers – in companies of all shapes and sizes – create stories on screen that represent all Canadians and reflect the diverse and varied voices that make up this great land.
What does an independent producer do?
First and foremost, independent producers are cultural entrepreneurs. We are the risk takers who start with a spark – an idea, a concept, or a story – and work with creative talent and our broadcasting and distribution partners to build it into a full-form narrative to be told on screen.
But we do much more than just invest in development. Independent producers pitch shows and line up necessary financing from multiple broadcasters, distributors and other financiers. We hire writers, directors, cast and crew. We navigate and apply complex labour agreements, search Canada and the world for the best locations, strategize about how to market our content to audiences both at home and abroad, and bring the finished product to those international markets.
Fostering Talent
One of the most important jobs of every independent producer is to identify, nurture and showcase creative talent – and Canadian talent first and foremost. Screenwriters, directors, actors and crew all play a crucially important role in developing world-class content. Independent producers understand that we need to hire and develop Canadian talent, because we know that it’s through the development of talent that great content ultimately gets made.
A Natural Resource
The work of Canada’s independent producers not only celebrates our diverse culture and promotes a cohesive national identity, it also provides economic opportunity. And like other natural resources, we generate billions in economic activity every year and create good, high-paying jobs. The media production sector promotes prosperity right across the country.
A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS (2015)
Canadian TV and film
production volume:
$7.1 billion
Gross domestic product generated:
$8.9 billion
Canadian TV and film
export value:
$3.2 billion
Full-time equivalent
jobs created:
150,000
SOURCE: CMPA (2015) Profile 2015: Economic Report on the Screen-based Media Production Industry in Canada.
For more information, see our additional resources
The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) is the country’s leading member-based advocacy organization for independent producers, representing hundreds of companies engaged in the development and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema and digital media channels. The CMPA works to promote the continued success of the Canadian production sector and ensure a future for diverse content made by Canadians for both domestic and international audiences.
For more information: Andrew Addison, Vice-President, Communications and Marketing, andrew.addison@cmpa.ca