New Westminster enjoyed a "solid year" of filming in 2011, but it didn't set the record books on fire.
A staff report to city council states that filming produced 46 permits that resulted in 65 filming days and $190,861 in permit revenues in 2011. A year earlier, the city issued 69 permits, which generated 113 days of filming and revenues of $476,746.
"In review, the 2011 decline in revenue is primarily due to the absence of a feature film using New Westminster as a primary location," stated the report. "For example, in 2010, the feature film This Means War generated $192,000 in city revenues."
A staff report stated that the 2011 decline in the number of local permits issued isn't fully understood, noting the B.C. Film Commission reported a 14 per cent increase in the number of production companies working in B.C. and a 16 per cent increase in film spending.
"Unfortunately, these trends were not observed in New Westminster in 2011, but film activity has significantly increased in 2012," said the report.
While the City of New Westminster issued seven permits in the first quarter of 2011, it issued 20 permits in the first quarter of 2012.
In addition to dealing with permits, a film coordinator also meets with residents and community organizations to help them understand filming and to manage filming impacts.
Mayor Wayne Wright is pleased the film coordinator seems to be dealing with issues that have prompted complaints from residents in the past.
"This is the least I have had in quite some time," he said about complaints about filming.
According to the staff report, the B.C. Film Commission estimates that New Westminster residents employed in the province's filming industry were paid $8.7 million in 2011.
"That is $9 million that can be spent in local businesses," said Coun. Chuck Puchmayr.
Wright said it's estimated that 3,000 to 3,500 New Westminster residents are employed in the film industry.
Scott Harper, who is the city's film coordinator, will be focusing on several goals in 2012: managing the filming portfolio and issuing permits, while minimizing neighbourhood impacts; attempting to increase filming activity in New Westminster, especially in underutilized areas of the city; auditing filming fees; and auditing filming policies for scope and effectiveness.
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