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All About Business Degrees in Entertainment in Vancouver

Read about "Hollywood North" and learn how you can find a business degree in entertainment in Vancouver, B.C.

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By Gianni Truzzi

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movie set in vancouver

What do teenage vampires, sexy Cylons and slacker demon-hunters all have in common? They might not make compatible roommates, but they live in the same production home in the entertainment industry—Vancouver, B.C.

Major film and television production has steadily flocked to "Hollywood North" over the past three decades, and today between 20 and 30 projects are actively in production at any time, totaling more than 250 in 2008. The entertainment business contributes over $1 billion to the B.C. economy each year, making Vancouver the third-largest city for film and television production in North America. With this much industry hustle and bustle, it's easy to see why you can find several types of business degrees in entertainment in Vancouver.

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Business Degrees in Entertainment in Hollywood North

Vancouver appeals to Hollywood producers because it is in the same time zone as Los Angeles, an easy two-hour plane trip away, has moderate temperatures year-round, with up to 16 hours of daylight in the summer.

Production costs in Vancouver also tend to be lower than in Hollywood or New York, and the exchange rate between the Canadian and US dollar is often favorable. The B.C. provincial government also provides attractive tax credits (up to 25 percent of local labor costs) to US producers.

Permission to film in British Columbia is streamlined due to a policy that actually states, "The government will start from 'yes.'" Provincial and municipal film offices and even the parks board have highly developed location support departments, with Community Affairs offices that help coordinate with impacted neighborhoods. That offers filmmakers the opportunity to make use of Vancouver's urban setting, its long coastline, the Coast Mountain Range, or the forests and rivers that offer lens-loving backdrops.

In fact, many of the movies and television shows you watch may actually have been filmed in and around Vancouver.

find business degrees in entertainment

Shot There, Set Here

The Twilight books may take place in Forks, Washington, but it's the forests and soundstages of B.C. where the first two films (Twilight, New Moon) were shot, and the third (Eclipse) will be completed.

The SyFy channel series Battlestar Galactica was filmed at the 64,000 square-foot Canadian Motion Picture Park Studios in nearby Burnaby, while Vancouver landmarks like the Orpheum Theatre, the Waterfall building and the Vancouver Art Gallery served as otherworldly locations.

Vancouver often acts a stand-in for cities in the United States:

  • CW's Reaper and Showtime's Dead Like Me, set in Seattle, were filmed in the Canadian city.
  • The American ideal of Smallville is created in the nearby suburbs of Surrey and Aldergrove.
  • New York's Museum of Natural History in Night at the Museum was really a B.C. soundstage.
  • Vancouver even substitutes for Los Angeles in Showtime's The L Word.
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Entertainment Capital of Canada

For those with the skills, education and ambition, Vancouver has plenty of career opportunity, with over 80 film and television production houses making Vancouver their first or second home. Major film producer Lionsgate, named after Vancouver's landmark bridge, is based there and so is Canada's largest independent production company, Insight Film Studios.

In addition to live-action production, Vancouver also creates plenty of animation for children's programming, led by companies like Studio B Productions. That talent pool has drawn computer-animation pioneer Pixar to open a 100-person facility in Vancouver in the fall of 2009 to produce short films, TV series and DVD films.

Finding a Business Degree in Entertainment in Vancouver

This largest metropolis of western Canada provides sophisticated living with many schools where you can learn filmmaking or earn a business degree in entertainment. Vancouver offers programs where you can learn hands-on film production skills, such as at The Vancouver Film School's single year intensive program or The Art Institute of Vancouver. Langara College offers professional training in Digital Film Production. Simon Fraser University has both a business school and arts programs in either film or interactive arts/technology. Arbutus College, Ashton College and The University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business all offer a variety of undergraduate and graduate business degrees in entertainment.

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Business Outlook

While Vancouver remains economically strong, its film business, like other cities, is feeling some stress. A downturn has hurt the entertainment industry everywhere, and firms such as Insight Film Studios have had to lay off some employees. The city also faces competition from other Canadian provinces like Ontario and Quebec, which have begun to offer equally attractive tax credits as well.

But despite the current business climate, Vancouver's natural climate stays the same, granting it an edge over Canada's other snowbound cities in visual appeal and accessibility. Its easygoing policies in regard to filming—and the wealth of educational business degrees in entertainment—make Vancouver an exciting city to achieve your degree and career goals. You'll be part of the bright lights and bustle of the movie or television industry, applying your business degree in entertainment acumen to a position in a Vancouver-based film production management office, a digital film production role, or in a critical behind-the-scenes job, such as production accountant or film publicity and promotions director.

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find business degrees in entertainment