Economic impact of TV and film production in Cambridge estimated at $1.26 million last year
Film and TV productions continued to move to Cambridge in record numbers in 2021, despite pandemic restrictions which saw the industry’s presence fade between January and June.
The city’s first feature film will arrive at council next week to highlight the past two years and celebrate the city’s progress in an industry that brought in an estimated $1.26 million to local hotels, restaurants and services last year. .
The figures, which are provided by industry as part of the licensing process, are based on expected local expenditures, excluding salaries and transport costs.
Since the city began tracking the impact of film production in 2015, the economic impact is estimated at $6.3 million.
The report says the city’s economic development office will refine its application process this year to ask production teams to estimate hotel stays and further track the economic impact of the industry.
Other figures in the report prove that the city’s scenic river views and unique downtown areas are still in demand as film production in 2021 rebounded in record form after a slowdown in 2020.
Last year, 75 days were used for filming, compared to 61 days in 2019 and only 27 in 2020.
And while inquiries to the economic development office remained below the 2019 high of 75 inquiries, the 65 calls to the city by location scouts in 2021 were higher than the 59 inquiries in 2020.
Production for television and streaming services made up the majority of local film productions in 2021, with 75% of all projects filmed in Cambridge ending up on the small screen.
The city collected $23,717 in filming-related fees in 2021, including permit fees, administration and parking.
The city says it charges its fees on a cost-recovery basis to encourage localization budget spending within the community, with affected businesses, instead of generating revenue for the city.
Since 2015, the city has seen a steady increase in inquiries, which have increased by 160% over the past six years.
Prior to 2015, the city regularly hosted film crews for returning films like Murdoch Mysteriesbut it’s only when projects like Stephen King’s 22-11-63, which shot in Hespeler, and The Handmaid’s Talewho continues to tour Cambridge in each successive season, this interest in Cambridge has spread throughout the industry.
The report says these projects are seen by the city’s economic development office as catalysts that have proven that “the community could effectively and effectively facilitate (and tolerate) larger-scale production.”
At this point, the staff began to actively market the unique projects that chose to make Cambridge their home and began to widely promote the community as a film-friendly city while highlighting frequently filmed areas to the residents and visitors in an effort to build community pride.
One such effort is a map of filming locations, which can be viewed HERE.
The city stopped issuing filming permits between January and June of last year during the provincial stay-at-home order.
The first project to shoot in 2021 was the Amazon Prime Video series To reach, who shut down Black Bridge Road in Hespeler on a Friday last June to film an explosive action scene. The series premiered on the streaming service on February 4.
In November, the next Disney+ series Guilty became the first production to film in all three main areas.
Other film projects that have returned to Cambridge over the past two years include The Handmaid’s Tale, Letters to Satan Claus, Hotel Paranormal, The Odd Squad, The Good Witch, Murdoch Mysteries, Killer Deal, My Fair Snowman, The Perfect Pairing, Fire Masters, Ruby and the Well, Locke & Key and Hardy Boys.
