2023 was a year to forget for Hollywood North

Final numbers haven’t been released yet, but as members of the BC film industry will tell you, they probably won’t be pretty.

According to the Vancouver Economic Commission, 2022 saw a record $4.9 billion in production spending, a strong rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the industry.

However, this year was a different story, as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes halted many productions.

“For the industry overall, I think 2023 has been a tough year,” said Sean Williamson, president of Brightlight Pictures.

“The strikes have completely shut things down, or really shut things down, and some things have been able to continue but 95 per cent of what we normally shoot in Vancouver has been on hold.”

Last April, the provincial government granted $15.9 million to the struggling industry.

For Frank Devine, a digital imaging technician, it’s been a year of sitting and waiting.

“It was kind of disastrous,” he said.

He says he has had no work for nine months, a wait that has major financial implications.

“For me personally, I used up all my savings and then invested in my retirement savings just to stay afloat,” Devine said.

Williamson says he’s optimistic things will pick up again in 2024, but says the hits may have caused some lasting changes.

“(This) has really given studios the opportunity to look internally at where they’re making money, how they’re making money, and how many shows they’re going to greenlight moving forward,” he said.

As for Devine, he and his fiancée will be welcoming a baby soon, and while the industry may have its ups and downs, he has no plans to leave.

“It’s like a twisted love of self-punishment and filmmaking. I’ve met some of the biggest actors in the world, and as a kid you can only dream of that,” he said.