After 14 years of steady employment, some B.C. film industry workers are now facing what most crew members have to face on a yearly basis: finding a new job.
That’s after the producers of the long-running TV series Supernatural announced Friday that its upcoming 15th season, set to premier this fall, will be its last.
The show — which centres around two brothers as they hunt demons, monsters, ghosts and various otherworldly creatures — has based its production in B.C. since it first premiered in 2005, with filming taking place across Metro Vancouver and parts of the Okanagan and Vancouver Island.
That’s created a huge boon to the provincial economy that could be tough to match when filming finally wraps up this year.
Prem Gill, CEO of Creative BC, said the show has been an “anchor” for the industry that has brought more projects to the province.
“It’s a Warner Bros. show that has brought in more shows since from Warner Bros., from Supergirl to Arrow to Riverdale,” she said. “It’s quite something that one show really helped lift the industry here and continues to.
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“We’re fortunate that we’ve had their presence here for such longevity, which is not usual for television productions.”
The latest data available from the Motion Picture Association of Canada shows production of the series’ first 10 seasons contributed more than $509 million into the B.C. economy, while supporting over 9,600 full time equivalent jobs.
Season 10 alone saw production engage more than 1,000 vendors across the province, while generating over $8 for every dollar spent.
Gill said the show has played a large role in boosting B.C. into the top four production centres in North America.
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“Thousands of British Columbians have worked on this show, and those people have gone on to other productions or have come and gone between this show and others, so we’re really proud,” Gill said.
Overall, B.C. film and television production contributed $3.4 billion during the 2017-18 fiscal year, according to the latest data provided by Creative BC.