If it's not one thing it's another. First the writers walk out, and now, as Playback goes to press, the actors are poised to do the same, a move that threatens to put yet another chill on the screen trade in Canada. And so we look into the near future and ask:

The summer shooting season - boom or bust?

For the services sector, the answer is neither boom nor bust. Canadian productions are hopping, and this is felt right across the country...On the location side, it is definitely mixed. Things are strong in Vancouver but struggling in Toronto. Right now we can't tell if the biggest effect is the strike threat or the currency rise.
Douglas Barrett,
President and CEO, PS Production Services

It could be quite damaging, especially after last year's [writers] strike. Pilots, episodes, even development could be held up or cancelled.
Kirstie Day,
CEO, Pyramid Productions

If SAG and AMPTP negotiations aren't resolved by mid-July...then the wheels are going to come off for production through the end of the year. There is considerable pent-up demand for product from the studios, and a number of projects poised to go at a moment's notice. If the talks are not resolved by then, we will continue on in an environment of uncertainty, which is typically bad for business.
Pete Mitchell,
EVP and COO, Vancouver Film Studios

Summer will be a bust for the below-the-line workers that rely on American productions in Canada. Just the mere threat of a strike has prevented many big-budget projects from receiving the green light, and the ripple effect is far-reaching.
Jon Tucker,
Screenwriter, Free for All But You

The summer shooting season will be - and is - an absolute disaster. Except for Vancouver, and to a lesser extent Calgary, the entire country is as slow as molasses with regards to service work.
Paul Bronfman,
Chair and CEO, Comweb Group