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Industry News

Link: Netflix to commit $500M over 5 years on new Canadian productions: sources

From Catherine Cullen of CBC News:

Link: Netflix to commit $500M over 5 years on new Canadian productions: sources
Internet streaming service Netflix will spend at least half a billion dollars over the next five years to fund original Canadian productions, CBC News has learned.

The funding will officially be announced tomorrow by Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly as part of a speech unveiling her vision for Canadian content and cultural industries in the digital world. It comes after months of public consultations, which were held last year. Continue reading.

 

 

 

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Industry News

Link: A look at what’s on the line for Canada’s cultural industry

From Susan Krashinsky Robertson of The Globe and Mail:

Link: A look at what’s on the line for Canada’s cultural industry
Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly is set to unveil her vision for the future of Canada’s $48-billion broadcasting, media and cultural industries in a much-anticipated speech on Thursday. The scale of coming upheaval – potentially touching everything from publishing to the music and gaming industries to arts funding – hasn’t been seen in more than 25 years. Continue reading.

 

 

 

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Joan Lambur forms new production company Lambur Productions with Sinking Ship Entertainment

From a media release:

Industry leader Joan Lambur is launching a new production company, Lambur Productions, with Sinking Ship Entertainment taking a minority interest. As President of the new company, Lambur will continue to create globally successful children’s and family programming. Joining Lambur Productions as COO is Suzanne Wilson.

Lambur is a highly respected and well-established executive producer whose most recent work includes the award-winning series of three movies, Lucy Maude Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, starring Martin Sheen, Sara Botsford and Ella Ballentine for PBS in the US and Corus Entertainment in Canada. Other series Lambur has executive produced include the British co-production RIDEand buddy comedy Max & Shred, both for Nickelodeon. Working with broadcasters, agents, writers and other creative talent to create internationally successful product, Lambur will establish Lambur Productions as a major player in children’s and family programming for television, SVOD and licensing.

As COO, Suzanne Wilson will be responsible for developing strategy and handling the company’s business affairs and financing activities. She will report to President Joan Lambur.

Prior to forming Lambur Productions, Lambur was Executive Vice-President, Family Entertainment for Breakthrough Entertainment and was the Executive Producer for all animation and kids’ live action and family programming. Lambur handled acquisitions of projects in these areas while overseeing the creative development and financing. She also managed all licensing and merchandising activities for the company tied to their television programming. Prior to working at Breakthrough, Joan founded Lambur & Associates, a Toronto-based television development, distribution and brand management company specializing in children’s and family programming.

Lambur was also President of On-Screen Entertainment for New York-based The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company, where she managed the company’s entertainment divisions, including international television distribution, television and film acquisitions, development and pre-sales.

Prior to the launch of Lambur Productions, Suzanne Wilson most recently held the role of Vice-President of Family Entertainment at Breakthrough Entertainment, working on all aspects of the development, financing and production of Breakthrough’s animation, kids’ live action and family programming.  Before joining Breakthrough, Wilson handled children’s media acquisitions for Ontario broadcaster TVOKids. She previously worked with Joan Lambur at The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company and Lambur & Associates, and worked with Breakthrough’s Legal & Business Affairs department.

The company will be based in Toronto at the Sinking Ship headquarters.

 

 

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Industry News

Canadian Screenwriters and Producers Extend Agreement

From a media release:

Canadian screenwriters and producers have agreed to extend the current agreement governing English-language screenwriting in Canada. The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), and the Association Québécoise de la Production Médiatique (AQPM) announced today that all parties have ratified an eighteen-month extension to the Independent Production Agreement (IPA), which will come into effect Jan. 1, 2018. This agreement maintains the current terms of engagement, with an increase of minimum script fees, and now expires on June 30, 2019.

All parties agree that screenwriters and producers are best positioned to face a time of industry flux by continuing to work under the terms of the current IPA in order to focus on issues that impact the entire industry. The extension includes a one per cent script fee increase in 2018.

WGC President Jill Golick says, “From contentious CRTC decisions to the government’s Canadian Content in a Digital World policy review, there’s a lot of uncertainty in our industry, making it a less than ideal time for labour negotiations. For now, our top priority is ensuring a healthy future for Canadian screenwriters. We are hopeful that in 18 months the situation will have improved significantly.”

CMPA Senior Counsel and Vice-President of National Industrial Relations Warren Ross says, “Today’s announcement means Canada’s independent producers and the country’s talented writers can continue to focus on what they do best — bringing compelling stories to life on screen that entertain audiences here at home and around the world.”

AQPM President and CEO Hélène Messier says, “The AQPM is confident that the agreement reached by the associations and the Guild will allow for the continued success of Canadian writers and producers. Canadian writers, with their remarkable ideas and distinct sensibilities, are an integral part of the Quebec television and film industry and the AQPM is glad to count on their continued services for the foreseeable future.”

 

 

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Link: Arnold Amber was CBC TV’s behind-the-scenes mastermind

From Fred Langan of The Globe and Mail:

Link: Arnold Amber was CBC TV’s behind-the-scenes mastermind
Most viewers never knew his name, but Arnold Amber, who died in Toronto on Labour Day at the age of 77, was the brains behind TV programs that millions of Canadians watched. For a decade and a half, he was the man in charge of special news broadcasts at the CBC, covering elections, leadership conventions, the first Quebec referendum and the Meech Lake crisis. He was also a passionate union leader, representing fellow journalists at the CBC. Continue reading.

 

 

 

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