Recent photos from a test shoot in the new sound stage facility.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Mastermind Studios
August 25, 2017 - 8:00 PM
KAMLOOPS - A new video production studio sound stage is expected to be built in Kamloops this year, and the local film industry is calling it a win.
Mastermind Studios says in a news release that thanks to a low dollar and tax incentives for production companies, the number of TV shows and movies filmed in the Lower Mainland has ramped up, and it's having an effect on Kamloops.
Thompson-Nicola Regional District Film Commissioner Victoria Weller says more filming opportunities in the Interior have come up.
"Kamloops and the region have definitely benefitted from productions filming here and there are opportunities to increase the number of filming days and productions if we increase our local experienced crew and talent pool, and provide motion picture infrastructure," Weller says in the release.
This is the second time Mastermind Studios has tried to set up a film facility in Kamloops, and the company's CEO Peter Cameron-Inglis says more filming in Kamloops will happen with a combined effort.
"Industry growth doesn't just happen on its own and we can't expect that government organizations are just going to grow a new industry in the region for us," Cameron-Inglis says. "It takes a lot of vision and investment as well as everyone in the region to be committed and working together in order to attract new industry and growth."
In 2014, Mastermind Studios didn't get its building permit application approved for expansion of its studios at 954 Laval Cres., but the company has now received an approved building permit to renovate new space for what's called a 'sound stage'.
The sound stage is used for smaller insert sets typically used by commercials, TV productions, movies, and green screen for visual effects.
Renovations are expected to be complete by October. Mastermind Studios says it will provide sound stage facilities, production offices, equipment and crew to support larger sound stages, production companies, and gaming studios in Vancouver for their overflow.
"This is going to be a win-win for everyone in Kamloops," Cameron-Inglis says. "It will create employment for actors, crew, and workers that support the industry from trades such as carpentry and electrics all the way down to production assistants and local business owners. It is also an opportunity for training crew. The film industry is going to get busy in Kamloops and Mastermind Studios intends to be the epicentre of its growth."
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News from © iNFOnews, 2017