L.A. billboard touting Rockies aims to draw more filmmakers to Calgary
A new billboard in Los Angeles — promoting Calgary as an ideal location to shoot movies — is already drawing some interest from filmmakers, says one of the people behind a new ad campaign aimed at bringing more productions to the city and its struggling, two-year-old film centre.
The billboard is posted on the so-called Miracle Mile and will be seen by 250,000 people per week, says Luke Azevedo, commissioner of film, TV and creative industries for Calgary Economic Development, which bought the ad.
It shows an Alberta Rocky Mountains vista and and a cheeky message.
"Calgary is stealing the scene. From studio to the Rockies in under two hours," the billboard reads. "A lot gets done when you're not stuck in traffic."
"We felt that something of this nature would have people see our business and our scenery, and maybe get a smile out of them as they were reading the caption," Azevedo said.
Azevedo was in L.A. recently for the yearly American Film Market, and said people were talking about the billboard.
"It attracted some new meetings while we were in the market, so it seems to be working," he said.
Struggling film centre
The recently built Calgary Film Centre is looking for new clients. It's purpose-built for film and television productions to work out of, instead of retrofitting old warehouses or other buildings, as is often done.
But since opening in 2016, the $28-million facility has struggled to stay busy. A year after opening, the utilization rate of the centre dropped to 52 per cent. In September, the city took over ownership of the centre and spent $13.5 million to pay off its debt.
The centre hasn't been "100 per cent full," Azevedo said, but he insists bookings have been consistent.
"They're in a process now of hopefully locking down a project that will take us into next spring, which will have our crews working and have the centre full for a significant amount of time," he said.
Right now, Disney's film Togo is being shot in Calgary. The movie is about a sled dog, based on an event in 1925 when dog teams transported an anti-toxin despite harsh conditions to save an Alaskan town from an epidemic.
With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.
