Source : Toronto Star

California plans to get industry back: But actors say our production is safe

BANFF, Alta.—The Canadian film industry shouldn't worry too much about plans by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to keep movie production work in Hollywood, say stars attending a celebrity fundraiser.

Canada has too many advantages to be ignored, said actor Peter Fonda, whose movie credits include Easy Rider, The Hired Hand and Ulee's Gold.

"Canada gives everybody a chance to make a motion picture that they would not be able to make in any place in the United States," he said while in Banff for the weekend.

"Canada offers so much in the way of scenery, background, light availability that we can't get for the same reason you can't fake Hawaii in California."

Canada's film industry has been keeping a wary eye on California ever since Schwarzenegger, an actor best known for his Terminator movies, promised to use his new role as governor to keep production work from leaving Hollywood.

Two years ago, production of Terminator 3 was switched at the last minute from Vancouver back to Los Angeles.

The film's producers denied reports at the time that the switch was prompted by Schwarzenegger's thoughts of a future gubernatorial bid, but he boasted during last year's California recall campaign he was responsible for keeping the work in Hollywood.

If that's the case, Schwarzenegger is barking up the wrong tree, said Fonda.

"We're not losing our jobs to Canada. We're losing our jobs because we're not making it possible to shoot back there (in the U.S.)," said Fonda.

"It's not just the difference in the dollar."

Fonda suggested Canada has a better "we-want-your-business" attitude. He also said California is getting more competition from other U.S. states than it is from Canada because it is so expensive to do business in Los Angeles.

"Let's go where people try to make it easier. Arkansas does it. North Carolina does it.

"They all have a film commission and they offer you additional funds."

Television actor Richard Dean Anderson, star of the sci-fi series Stargate SG-1, has spent the last eight years shooting in Vancouver.

He agreed that Schwarzenegger's plans are unlikely to seriously hurt the Canadian industry.

"People are always going to be making movies and looking for a place to make movies," said Anderson, who is originally from Minnesota.

"I think Canada has established itself — not just logistically but geographically."

He does see the increasing strength of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. greenback as a possible deterrent to working in Canada, however.

"There's also Australia. There's Mexico. Producers, production companies and studios ... are going to go where they can make a movie."

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, one of the stars in the former Seinfeld series, said she supports the idea of keeping movies in California, but added there's no doubt Canada has hurt the industry in her home state.

"I'm a Californian so I'm always in favour of business in California, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't shoot a movie outside of California," she said.

The celebrities are in Banff attending a fundraiser for The Waterkeepers Alliance, a coalition of more than 100 environmental groups working to protect waterways in North America.

© The Toronto Star