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'Fringe' moves to Vancouver


Richard Lightstone, CAS

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This relates to another thread of mine about the fickleness of producers who jump from one "State tax rebate" to another.  The hit show was originally shooting in Toronto and moved to New York to reap the benefits of the New York state incentives. Now they are going back to Canada - but now to Vancouver. That will mean two complete sets of crews that J.J. Abrams has thrown under the bus to save costs and maximize his cut of the show.

Variety reports:

"After spending weeks on tenterhooks over the status of New York’s endangered production tax credit, Fox has decided to pull up stakes and relocate production of its hit frosh series “Fringe” to Vancouver.

The show, which reportedly spent $4 million an episode in recession-pummeled New York, originally relocated from Toronto to Long Island’s Silvercup Studios specifically to take advantage of the Empire State’s much-publicized incentives. It applied too late, unfortunately. The $515 million set aside to expand the popular tax program and extend it into 2013 had dried up by the beginning of this year."

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118000478.html?categoryid=3284&cs=1

And my original thread: http://www.jwsound.net/SMF/index.php?topic=3703.0

How about we start a boycott of J.J. Abrams shows, "Lost" and "Fringe" and heck, his features as well!

RL

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Well, it's good for the Vancouver guys I guess.  So they never actually shot anything in NY?

Philip Perkins

No, they've been here since last summer and are finishing the first season here, then I guess moving out west to Van.  I've been over there from time to time doing second units and filling in on first unit when Larry Hoff has needed a break.  I have heard discussion that the official line of "we're leaving because the tax break is ending" is maybe not the whole story of why they're leaving, as per several friends who have worked over there at one point or another in various capacities.  I'm sure it does play a part, however.

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Phil,

They started the show in Toronto and shot about 6 episodes. They relocated to New York and began shooting in September 2008, [Noah says the Summer of '08] where they have shot about 13 episodes so far. I assume that season 2 will begin shooting in Vancouver.

Vancouver is very busy again this year, both Toronto and Montreal are lagging in productions starts. British Columbia also has a "Tax rebate" incentive that has kept their film technicians and local actors busy.

Here are the four western Canadian province's rebate programs: http://www.reelwest.com/happening/funding.htm

RL

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" That will mean two complete sets of crews that J.J. Abrams has thrown under the bus to save costs and maximize his cut of the show....How about we start a boycott of J.J. Abrams shows, "Lost" ... "

Mr. A spends a bunch on his shows, his TV series' are the most expensive episodics going.  In Hawai'i, they found the local sound crews lacking, and so they have a 2nd unit crew that commutes from LA, and makes a ton of $$$.

tripping over dollars to pick up dimes???

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Phil,

They started the show in Toronto and shot about 6 episodes. They relocated to New York and began shooting in September 2008, [Noah says the Summer of '08] where they have shot about 13 episodes so far.

Yes, when I interviewed for the job in June they had shot only the pilot in Toronto (not 6 episodes) and were set up here in New York for the stretch run.  The job ended up going to a friend who started mixing it here in July -- I spent a few days on the "Fringe" set here filling in in July and August, so I can authoritatively say they started shooting here before September.

I assume that season 2 will begin shooting in Vancouver.

This is correct, according to my understanding.

Vancouver is very busy again this year, both Toronto and Montreal are lagging in productions starts. British Columbia also has a "Tax rebate" incentive that has kept their film technicians and local actors busy.

Probably also not hurting matters for our Canadian brothers and sisters is that the Canadian dollar is currently US $0.79.

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