British Columbia Produces

British Columbia is a world-class

motion picture production center with
numerous studios – some of the largest
in North America. We offer a full range of
equipment, support services, experienced
crew base, and production and post
production companies.

Talent, Energy, Heart

British Columbia invites you to take a

close look at our province. We offer
every competitive advantage to help you
complete your production on time and
on budget. We offer the talent, energy
and heart your film needs with this simple
promise: when it comes to making a film,
BC produces.

A World of Looks

Then of course there’s the spectacular

scenery covering nine different climatic
zones…from lush rain forests to
sun-baked deserts…all in close proximity
to Vancouver, a major portcity with a mild
west coast climate that allows for year
round filming.

British Columbia is a place where

business, government, labour and the
community work together to support the
province’s motion picture film industry.
BC has developed a user-friendly
permitting processes, designed to make
Property Managers Guide
life as easy as possible for filmmakers,
and offers competitive tax incentives and
a business-friendly workforce with a
tradition of stability.

www.bcfilmcommission.com

British Columbia Produces...
A guide to motion picture production on location, for property
managers in British Columbia.
British Columbia is one of the busiest motion picture
production centers in North America. Since 1999, the
industry has registered direct expenditures of over
$1 billion annually. With hundreds of productions, an
economic impact approaching $3 billion, and
generating jobs for up to 30,000 British Columbians,
the industry ranks as one of the province’s success
stories and a potent economic force.
Why do people like to bring their productions to BC?
It’s simple. We offer:
A World of Looks in Locations
World Class Facilities
Very competitive costs
A vast, highly skilled workforce
A favourable currency exchange rate
Supportive and proactive governments
One of the greatest things about BC is its range of
scenery and scenarios: from big cities, to seascapes,
to mountain wilderness, to Wild West towns.
British Columbia has A World of Looks for motion
picture producers.
This guide is designed to help property managers
working within government or the private sector to
better understand the needs of the motion picture
production industry. It offers practical information to
ensure that your contact with the industry – and its
contact with you – is as productive as possible.
Commitment to the Industry
British Columbia’s Provincial Government is
committed to supporting the motion picture
production industry in this province, and encourages
producers to bring their projects here.
PROPERTY MANAGERS GUIDE
To support this commitment, the province is working
to ensure:
Timely decisions (within five working days
whenever possible) for any producer who wants
to film at a property or location operated by the
province
Accountability supported by clear, written
decisions
Transparency; including all information about loca-
tions and the decision-making process, readily
available to producers
Globally competitive fees
Simple and accessible permit and application
processes
At the same time, government has some expecta-
tions of the production industry that include:
Location filming at government sites cannot
unreasonably inconvenience the public
No essential government service will be impaired
by film activity
Industry will assume appropriate risks – including
the costs of production, liabilities, reclamation, and
remediation
All productions will honour the Best Practices -
Motion Picture Locations Code of Conduct
The following information is a step by step
property manager’s guide to assist property
owners and managers to understand the unique
nature of motion picture production on location.
Step 1 – Registering Your Property
Typically, producers hire a location manager or scout
to find potential locations for filming. These managers
might visit a specific area looking for suitable sites,
or they might go through the BC Film Commission’s
PRODUCTION GUIDE 1
 locations digital library affectionately known as FILM
Director. It is a compilation of more than 100,000
images from throughout the province.
The Provincial Government encourages its property
managers to register with this digital library,
particularly if you manage a building or other structure
(e.g. dam, bridge, ferry terminal). It is also available to
other levels of government and private sector
property managers and owners.
The first step of location registration is to create a
digital “photo file” of your property – a virtual tour in
pictures. It’s best to use a digital camera, although you
can use a standard camera as long as you save the final
pictures digitally on a CD.
Photo File Guidelines
Photograph your property using the widest shots
possible. Set your camera at medium resolution.
Start with the outside of your property
Shoot your neighborhood street looking both ways
Take a wide shot of the property, including
driveway, parking areas and grounds
Take a wide shot of the back of the property
Next, shoot the inside of the property, a room at a
time, paying attention to any special features (bay
windows, stairways, views)
Try to duplicate the experience of someone
arriving at the location and walking through it.
Stand to one side of the room you are
photographing and take a picture. Next, take a
reverse shot from the opposite side of the room.
Show entrances in your photos if possible
Save each image onto a CD as a JPEG file, making
sure you name each location file so its easily
identified (eg. “kitchen.jpg”, “bathroom.jpg”, “back
view.jpg”). Do not include more than one location
in each file.
You must include a signed and dated copy of the
release and consent form with your CD, otherwise
we cannot use your location photos. The consent
form can be found on our website at:
www.bcfilmcommission.com
Submit your CD of photo files by mail or drop
them off at our office located at:
#201 - 865 Hornby St., Vancouver B.C. V6Z 2G3
2
Step 2 – The Locations Survey
The process of choosing a location usually begins
with a site visit by the producer’s location manager or
scout. The manager will probably take pictures of your
property and gather other information such as:
Sun exposure
Ambient noise
Vehicle access and parking
Elevator and stair access
Power availability
Equipment & Holding areas
Often, productions evaluate a number of sites before
one is selected.
It’s a good idea for the property manager to ensure
someone is available to escort the location manager,
and answer any specific questions.
Step 3 – The Application
Once a preliminary site visit is complete and the
production company has decided it is interested in
using your property, the company should complete a
formal application for use. You can request that they
complete the enclosed Registration Form or provide
a letter of intent. The BC Government is currently
creating a standard application for its properties.
Step 4 – Assessing the Application
The property manager’s primary concern is whether
the filming application can be accommodated without
unduly compromising public use of the property or
the business that goes on inside it. The timing and
duration of the shoot, disruption to public access
and delivery of services, environmental impact,
public safety and security all need to be assessed.
Whether it is a park or prison, hospital or highway, the
location’s primary function is not filmmaking, however
most people tolerate the inconvenience created by
motion picture production due to the benefits to our
economy.

Filming activities may have a minimal impact on the
public or environment, or it may be a complex shoot
that requires more involved deliberation, including
statutory impact and risk assessment.
Property managers may also want to assess the
application in terms of how the property will be
portrayed. Typically property is not portrayed as
itself. If the property is being portrayed as a fictional
location, it may be appropriate to require all visual
identification of the site be masked by the production
company.
The application should include a brief outline or
“treatment” of the project, and should indicate the
role of the location in the story. The property manager
may also want to request copies of the script pages
where the location appears. If the location appears
extensively, a copy of the entire script can be
requested. All script material should be treated as
confidential, and the production company may require
a non-disclosure agreement.
Step 5 – Responding in a
Timely Manner
Time constraints are critical to filming. The BC
Government is committed to facilitating use of
locations within five working days. This goal is easy
to achieve when the production is simple, short and
will have little impact on public use of the property
or program delivery. Where the proposal is more
complex, or involves a higher level of community
impact, completing process and documentation may
take longer.
Filming proposals may be presented to a property
manager where an immediate response can be
provided; the location may be unavailable at the
particular time requested, or it may be immediately
apparent that the application is likely to be approved,
pending satisfactory negotiations on minor issues.
In such cases, it is courteous and helpful to give the
production company that information.
Where approval from more than one agency is
required, government is developing new stategies
PROPERTY MANAGERS GUIDE
to coordinate the approval process. A standardized
application of use is being developed that will facilitate
filming and will also help producers avoid being billed
more than once for use of the same property.
Step 6 – The Agreement
Most production companies have standard contracts.
These should identify the parties and set out all
pertinent data including the time and duration of
the shoot, the specific uses of the location and the
numbers of people and vehicles involved. Relevant
drawings and maps should be included. Issues such
as liability insurance and any costs or fees should be
itemized.
Fees refer specifically to charges by governments
or property managers for the use of the property.
Agencies do not have to charge a fee, but it is a
reasonable and normal expectation. Fees can typically
range from $500.00 to $1500.00 per day, depending
on the needs and complexity of the production.
Preparation and restoration periods are usually
charged at half the production day rate. The
government has a Fees and Licenses Review process
and is committed to fees that are reasonable,
competitive with other national and international
jurisdictions, and consistent among agencies.
Production companies may offer services or goods-in-
kind as an alternative to fees. These may be
landscaping or construction services, props or
structures that were built for the production that may
be of use to the agency/property owner. This is a valid
practice and one that can provide benefits to the
agency that exceed the financial benefits of charging
fees.
The production is expected to compensate for costs
incurred by the property manager in making the
property available for filming. This includes
administrative costs for processing the application,
associated expenses for staff to facilitate surveys
and be present during shooting, reclamation
PRODUCTION GUIDE 3
 and restoration. As an alternative to financial
compensation, the property manager may accept
goods-in-kind such as services or facilities (e.g.
signage and security).
The production company must assume liability for,
and indemnify the government or property owner
from and against, any damages resulting from actions
of agents of the company and must provide proof of
insurance coverage. Typical contractual conditions
include:
The production company must provide a
Certificate of Insurance, that includes evidence
of commercial general liability insurance. The
minimum amount should be determined by the
exposure of the individual project, including 30
days' notice of cancellation and cross liability
clauses. The relevant entity should be added as
an additional insured. It should include any other
insurance required by the property manager
(e.g. automobile coverage, property insurance,
professional liability, environmental protection)
Indemnification by the production company of the
entity to protect it from losses caused by the
production company or its filming activity
Evidence of Workers' Compensation Board of
British Columbia compliance or its equivalent
Liquidated Damages provisions where there is
a risk that certain activities, timeliness, or other
events may have an impact on the needs or
operations of the entity
Procedures for obtaining additional approvals after
execution of the agreement, where the entity will
not be obliged to agree if such a request cannot be
reasonably accommodated
Producers’ commitment to adhere to the
“Best Practices - Motion Picture Locations Code
of Conduct.”
There are a number of considerations involving safety
and security. The location itself may present risks,
such as electrical generating facilities, industrial
sites, or correctional institutions. The property
manager should provide the production with detailed
guidelines regarding filming in restricted areas, and
4
on the property. These should be included in the
contract. Additionally, if an agent of the property
manager needs to be present during filming, this
should be clearly stated in the contract (and may
also be considered as a cost item for the production
company).
Step 7 – Follow Up
Film-making is an unpredictable business. Weather,
availability of key cast and crew, access to other
locations and a host of other factors can affect the
shooting schedule. Since re-scheduling or even
dropping a location can be a minor irritant or a major
disruption, location managers are expected to
employ their best efforts to avoid such changes.
Where change cannot be avoided, property managers
should be prepared to be flexible and accommodating;
avoiding arbitrary rules and assessing each case on its
individual merits.
If for some reason the property is not available for
a requested re-shoot, the property manager should
make every effort to propose alternative locations or
times.
In situations where disruptions in the filming schedule
have cost implications (for either the property
manager or producer), or in situations where disputes
arise (e.g., when application for use requested is
turned down), the British Columbia Film Commission
should be contacted. The Film Commission will
investigate and if appropriate, attempt to arbitrate.

Best Practices – Motion Picture Locations
Code of Conduct
General Courtesies
Producers, cast and crew will follow the provisions
of their motion picture production permit at all
times
A copy of the permit shall be on location at all
times
Filming only takes place during the times listed on
the permit
Pedestrians should always be treated with
courtesy and not be obstructed at any time
unless stipulated in the permit. All cables and
similar items are to be channeled neatly and safely
Producers must notify the public in writing
whenever production activities may directly affect
or disrupt their daily lives. The notice must include
the name of the company, working title of the
project, production type (e.g. feature, MOW,
TV series) and a brief description of the activity. It
also must include a clear account of the date and
time of disruption
All catering, construction, strike and personal trash
must be removed from the location; locations
must be left in their original condition
Removing or cutting signs or plants from any
public or private location are not allowed
Vehicles
Production vehicles must not arrive before the
time stipulated on the permit, and should arrive
one at a time, and turn their engines off as soon as
possible
Cast and crew vehicles are not covered by the
location-filming permit and must use designated
parking areas only
Production vehicles shall not block driveways or
gated access without permission
Vehicles shall not display signs, posters or pictures
that the public may find offensive or objectionable
(i.e. material containing vulgar language or sexual
content)
PROPERTY MANAGERS GUIDE
Crew cannot move a private vehicle to
accommodate filming or parking, without
permission of the owner. If a vehicle is parked in a
restricted area, the appropriate authority will
remove it
Cast and Crew
Cannot trespass on private property; they must
remain within the boundaries of the property that
has been permitted for filming
Cannot drink alcohol on public property
Must be served their meals and eat in the
designated areas
Must follow smoking restrictions and always leave
cigarettes in the appropriate containers
Shall keep noise as low as possible at all times and
refrain from using lewd or improper language
Shall wear appropriate clothing – for example,
T-shirts with offensive slogans are not
acceptable- and comply with appropriate
employee safety regulations
Will wear a production pass, as required
Will not bring guests or pets to the location,
without advance permission
Thank you honouring this Code of Conduct. Failure to
comply can result in disciplinary action by the
government authority, production company, union,
guild or association.
PRODUCTION GUIDE 5
 A World of Looks

Motion Picture Production in BC

Your home ought to be in pictures. Your office too. And your

backyard, neighbourhood, rec centre… just about any place
you can imagine might make a suitable location for a motion
picture shoot.
The British Columbia Film Commission, a branch of province. To find out how to register your home, visit
the provincial government, works with British the BC Film Commission website. It’s a tough
Columbia’s film industry to help producers find the audition, and only a small number of locations
right locations for their productions. considered are selected. But it’s worth the effort.
TV and film locations typically earn between
We also help ensure that both producers and $750 – and $1500 per day.
location owners are treated fairly and behave
responsibly. Why?
To find out more information about using your home
or business in motion picture production, visit the BC
Because film, commercial and TV production is a
Film Commission website at:
billion-dollar industry in British Columbia, providing
www.bcfilmcommission.com
tremendous financial benefits to people and
communities across the province. And by helping link
producers with the perfect location, we’re helping to
sustain and develop the industry.

The more great locations we have available, and the

more satisfied owners and producers we have, the
more vibrant the film industry will be. Location
managers or scouts are hired to find potential
locations for producers.

These managers might visit a specific area looking for

suitable sites, or they might go through the British
Columbia Film Commissions’ locations library – a
listing of thousands of properties across the

6
 PROPERTY MANAGERS GUIDE

Registering Your Property on FILM Director

Locations Database
The BC Film Commission keeps an extensive digital library of
potential locations across the province. It’s easy – and free –
to register your home, office or property.

The first step is to create a digital “photo file” of your
property – a virtual tour in pictures. It’s best to use a
digital camera, although you can use a standard
camera as long as you save the final pictures digitally
on a CD as a .jpg file type. If you don’t know how to
do this yourself, your local photo lab or camera shop
can do it for you.
PHOTO FILE GUIDELINES
Photograph your property using the widest shots
possible. Set your camera at medium resolution; our
target print size is 180 dpi.
Start with the outside of your house
Shoot your neighborhood street looking both
ways.
Take a wide shot of the house, driveway and yard.
Take a wide shot of the backyard and back of
house.
Save each image as a JPG, making sure you label
each location (e.g. “kitchen.jpg”, “bathroom.jpg”,
“backyard.jpg”, etc).
You must include a signed and dated copy of the
release and consent form with your CD, otherwise
we cannot use your location photos. The consent
form can be found on our website at:
www.bcfilmcommission.com
Submit your CD of photo files by mail or drop
them off at our office located at:
BC Film Commission,
201 – 865 Hornby St.,
Vancouver, BC
V6Z 2G3
Remember to save all photos as JPG, and do not
include more than one location in a file. Please
remember to provide contact information with your
photo file.

Next shoot the inside of the house a room at a

time, paying attention to any special features (bay
windows, indoor pool, stairway). Try to duplicate
the experience of someone walking through your
house.

Stand to one side of the room you are

photographing and take a picture.

Next, take a "reverse" shot by walking over to the

opposite side of the room and take a photograph
of the area you were just standing in. Show
entrances in your photos if possible.

PRODUCTION GUIDE 7
 Motion Picture Production and my Property
Congratulations. Your home or property has been selected as a
motion picture location. Not only are you earning a little money,
but you have a great story to tell your friends and you’re
helping support BC’s motion picture production industry.
By now a location manager should have made contact
with you. This person works for a production company
and both must be registered with the British Columbia
Film Commission. To confirm the validity of the loca-
tion manager or production company, call the British
Columbia Film Commission at (604) 660-2732.
Once your property is accepted as a location, the
location manager should provide you with a
proposed Locations Schedule, detailing dates and
times the producers plan to use your property, and a
draft Location Agreement.
The following is a check list for you to follow while in
discussion with the location manager:
Use of your personal property in filming, safe
storage of items not being used, and details for
packing and moving personal property. It’s usually
up to the producer to cover any of these costs.
Cast and crew use of washrooms, water,
electricity, laundry machines and kitchens;
smoking restrictions; trash removal; and,
protective floor coverings.
8
The use of special effects such as smoke, snow,
fire, gunshots, or simulated explosions.
Any areas off-limits to cast and crew.
Any alterations the production requires (painting,
construction, gardening).
Positioning and parking of heavy equipment and
vehicles.
Alternate accommodations and basic living
expenses for you and your family during the shoot.
Clean up and remediation requirements (again,
usually the responsibility of the producer).
The agreement should also hold the production
company responsible for all the activities on your
property during the shoot, and release you of liability.
The producers should also give you a copy of their
relevant insurance papers before shooting begins.
If you have any questions regarding on-location mo-
tion piture production in your community, contact your
local film co-ordinator at your minicipal hall, call the
BC Film Commission at 604 660-2732, or refer to our
website:
www.bcfilmcommission.com

Motion Picture Production and my Business
Many commercial areas in British Columbia are used in motion
picture productions. It’s good business for British Columbia,
employing thousands of British Columbians and supporting
many businesses.
While there are obvious benefits to having a
production shot in your neighbourhood, merchants are
often concerned about the effect the work might have
on their businesses.
The BC film community supports compensation for
those businesses that have been negatively impacted
during a locations shoot. If you believe that a location-
shoot has cost you business and you do not have a
separate deal with the producer, you should claim a
loss with the film production company.
If there is a Business Improvement Society in your
area, arrangements could be made with the society,
and your municipality to act as broker to ensure that
your business is fairly compensated.
A claim should include proof of loss of net profits in
comparison with past days of equal activity over the
previous year. Other factors, such as weather and
time of year, may have resulted in your losses as well,
and should be taken into account when assessing the
production company’s impact.
Production companies often buy your products or
services for the value of the claimed gross losses to
compensate for business loss.
PROPERTY MANAGERS GUIDE
Each production is different and the impact varies a
great deal. Don’t expect that all production working in
your area will compensate at the same rate.
Meanwhile, some businesses, particularly those that
take appointments like hair salons and dentists’
offices, should not shut down when there is a location
shoot nearby. If they are worried that their customers
won’t have access to their shop, a more effective
strategy is to contact the location manager.
Tell them your unique needs and work with them to
find a mutually beneficial solution. Alternative parking
arrangements or valet service for customers may be
options. You can find the name of the location
manager on the Notification Letter, or by contacting
your municipal office or the BC Film Commission at
(604) 660-2732 or email to:
community@bcfilmcommission.com
The best strategy for dealing with a location shoot in
your neighbourhood is to consider it an opportunity.
Production cast and crews are generally a captive
audience, and require the same sorts of services and
products that any visiting business people or residents
might need.
Lots of local businesses have done well by establish-
ing relationships with location managers and produc-
tion companies who come back and use those ser-
vices again and again. For more information on BC’s
Motion Picture Industry, please go to:
www.bcfilmcommission.com
PRODUCTION GUIDE 9
 Production Registration
Production Title: Production Company:

Local Address:

Phone: Fax:

E-mail Address:

Do you want your address included on the weekly BC Film Commission Film List? YES NO

Type
TV Series Animation Video Feature

TV Pilot Mini Series Short MOW

Documentary Photoshoot (Stills) Commercial

Other:

For TV Projects please provide:

No. of Episodes: Hours of Television: Original Airing Network:

Content

CDN USA (please check one)

Co-Production (please specify):

Other (please specify):

Union
Non Union Union (please check one)

Union Signatory (please specify):

Schedule
PREP From: To: Total of Days:

SHOOT From: To: Total of Days:

WRAP From: To: Total of Days:

Details
Executive Producer(s):

Producer(s): Cell:

Director: DOP:

10
 PROPERTY MANAGERS GUIDE

Production Registration Cont.

Production Manager: Cell:

1st AD: Production Coordinator:

Location Manager: Cell:

Assistant Location Manager: Cell:

Production Designer: Publicist:

Special Effects Coordinator: Cell:

Casting: Extras:

Cast:

Workers Compensation Board Number: Incorporation/Registry No.:

Proposed Activities:

Explosion Drive up/away Stunts

Rain or Snow Fire Car Stunt/Drive by

Animals Gun Fire Helicopter

Tow Shots Wet downs Exterior Set Construction

No. of Crew on Locations: Length of Work Trucks:

Parent Company (or Agency or Studio):

Address:

Phone: Fax:

E-mail Address:

AS WE ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH YOUR PROJECT, PLEASE PROVIDE US WITH A SYNOPSIS

OF THE SCRIPT – THANK YOU

PRODUCTION GUIDE 11
 Location Worksheet
To be submitted with the Street Use Request Form and a map

Production Company: Office Phone:

Production Title: Episode No.:

Location Manager: Cell:

Location: Date(s):

Move in Time: Start Time: End Time:

Move out Time:

Curfew extension required YES NO

Scenes to be filmed Please include detailed description and requirements of scenes (a seperate page may be used)

Spfx & Misc

Guns/Gunfire Stunts Rain/Snow

Animals Fire and/or Explosion

Other: No. of Picture Vehicles:

Extras:

Traffic Control
Street/Lane (east/west, name): ITC Closure applicable

Sidewalk (side): ITC Closure applicable

Lighting Please specify (a seperate page may be used) and attach a map of positioning

Cameras Please specify (a seperate page may be used) and attach a map of positioning

Film Office Coordinator to confirm with Location Manager

P R E - B O O K – OT H E R P R OX I M A L & E I C P R E V I O U S C O M P L A I N T I N F O & B I A C O N TA C T S NEIGHBOURHOOD

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 PROPERTY MANAGERS GUIDE

Incident Report
Date: Location:

Approximate time of incident:

Production Title: Production Company:

Location Manager: Phone:

Brief Description of Incident

Action Taken

Follow Up

Witnesses / Police
1. Name: 4. Name:

Phone: Phone:

2. Name: 5. Name:

Phone: Phone:

3. Name: 6. Name:

Phone: Phone:

PRODUCTION GUIDE 13
 Notice to User

The information provided or referred to in this
Production Guide is provided to assist the needs of
the film community and give general information
about filming in British Columbia. The information
herein does not constitute expert advice.
The Production Guide and the Digital Photo Library
are the sole property of the Government of British
Columbia and are made available to the domestic and
international film production industry as a resource
only and without the transfer of any copyright or other
intellectual property right to the user.
The Government of British Columbia does not
authorize the reproduction or distribution of either the
Production Guide or the Digital Photo Library for any
commercial purpose other than as research materials.
All of the locations in the BCFC web photo packages
are intended as a visual representation for marketing
BC as a film destination. The Government of British
Columbia makes no representations or warranties
concerning the availability of these locations.
The Copyright Policy can be found on the website:
Copyright Policy - www.gov.bc.ca
and the Privacy Statement can be found on the
website:
Privacy Statement - www.gov.bc.ca
are incorporated as part of this Notice.
Limitation of Liabilities
Under no circumstances will the Government of
British Columbia be liable to any person or business
entity for any direct, indirect, special, incidental,
consequential, or other damages based on any use of
this Production Guide, including, without limitation,
any lost profits, business interruption, or loss of pro-
grams or information, even if the Government of
British Columbia has been specifically advised of the
possibility of such damages.

This Production Guide and all of the information it

contains are provided “as is” without warranty of any
kind, whether express or implied. All implied
warranties, including, without limitation, implied
warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular
purpose, and non-infringement, are hereby expressly
disclaimed.

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PROPERTY MANAGERS GUIDE

PRODUCTION GUIDE 15