Film industry in Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, has become a popular destination for the television and film industries, attracting dozens of film and television productions each year.cite web|url=http://www.investinhamilton.ca/filmtelevisionoffice.asp |title=Hamilton Economic Department- Film & Television Office|accessdate=2008-01-25]

Many of these productions have chosen Hamilton as their home base because of regional tax incentives.cite web|url=http://www.myhamilton.ca/myhamilton/CityandGovernment/CityDepartments/PlanningEcDev/EconomicDevelopment/Publications/PubNews.htm |title=Regional Tax Incentives for Filmmakers|accessdate=2008-01-25] cite web|url=http://www.omdc.on.ca/Page3249.aspx |title=Regional Tax Incentives for Filmmakers (Ontario Media Development Corporation)|accessdate=2008-01-25] As well, Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced on December, 2007, that the 'Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit' for domestic producers, would increase as well as the 'Ontario Production Services Tax Credit' benefitting foreign production.cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/article.php?Article=5146 |title= (www.hollywoodnorthreport.com) "Ontario Liberals Boosting Film/ TV Tax Credits."|accessdate=2008-02-02]

Hollywood actors who have filmed in Hamilton in 2006 and 2007 include: Don Cheadle, Jeff Daniels, Michael Keaton, Harvey Keitel, Eugene Levy, Shirley Maclaine, Michael Madsen, Steve Martin, Edward Norton, Chris O'Donnell, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Plummer, Randy Quaid, Tim Roth, Martin Sheen, John Travolta, Mark Wahlberg, Christopher Walken, Sigourney Weaver, and Robin Williams.cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/List?endings=on&&locations=Hamilton,+Ontario,+Canada |title=Actors, Films shot in Hamilton|publisher= Internet Movie Database|accessdate=2008-01-25]

Hamilton also figures prominently in a number of TV commercials. In the current May 2008 Lotto 6/49 commercials, people are doing their "happy dance" all over town. Brown cows took over James Street South at Main for a chocolate milk protest. ING used the historic bank building at Main and James as their backdrop. Also, Hamilton is home base for a number of new and returning TV shows including ReGenesis, Jeff Ltd., "MVP" and "Would Be Kings".Invest in Hamilton, Economic Development Review 2005, Wednesday, 28 June, 2006, "Hamilton 'Reels' In The Stars." Page H20]

McMaster University president Peter George joined Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty on a 17-day trip to India in January 2007. The trip was intended to lure that country's $1.7-billion film industry to shoot in Ontario, a.k.a. Bollywood North.cite news | last = Faulkner| first = Rob| title = Peter goes to Bollywood| pages = A10| publisher = The Hamilton Spectator| date = 2007-01-15| accessdate = 2008-01-25]

Also in 2007, the City launched a new ad campaign called " [http://www.investinhamilton.ca/pdf/FilmGuide06s.pdf|REEL CHOICES: HAMILTON, Why Shoot Anywhere Else?] " [ [http://www.investinhamilton.ca/pdf/FilmGuide06s.pdf "REEL CHOICES: HAMILTON, Why Shoot Anywhere Else?" (investinhamilton.ca)] ] Awards have been received from the Association of Film Commissioners International and the Economic Development Association of Canada.Invest in Hamilton, Economic Development Review 2006, Hamilton Spectator Insert; Tuesday, May 23, 2007, Page IH5]

Film & culture activity

Hamilton's contributions

Local TV station CHCH introduced Canadians to "Smith & Smith", which featured Steve and Morag Smith (the former better known from his stint as Red Green). "The Hilarious House of Frightenstein" was a Canadian children's television series which was also produced by CHCH in 1971. It was syndicated to television stations across Canada and the United States, and occasionally still appears today in some TV markets. The show's cast included Billy Van, Fishka Rais, Guy Big, Mitch Markowitz, Vincent Price, and Julius Sumner Miller. One hundred and thirty episodes of the series were made in a nine-month span starting in 1971. "Don Cherry's Grapevine" began airing on CHCH TV in the 1980s and shot on location at the restaurant Cherry had in town, also called "Don Cherry's Grapevine". The restaurant was on Main Street West. CHCH also produced local broadcasts such as "Tiny Talent Time" and "The Party Game".cite press release| title =The Hamilton Memory Project;| publisher =The Hamilton Spectator- Souvenir Edition| date =Saturday June 10, 2006| accessdate = 2008-01-25]

"Power Play" was a Canadian television drama series that aired on CTV from 1998 to 2000. The show starred Michael Riley as Brett Parker, a former New York City sports agent who became the general manager of a (fictional) National Hockey League franchise, the Hamilton Steelheads.cite web| title = Internet Movie Database: Power Play (TV series)| url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0161185/| accessdate = 2008-01-25]

A number of Hamiltonians played a part in the early development of Hollywood, including Jean Adair (1873-1953)cite web| title = Internet Movie Database Biography: Jean Adair| url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0010443/| accessdate = 2008-01-25] , Julia Arthur (1868-1959)cite web| title = Internet Broadway Database Biography: Julia Arthur| url=http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=14065| accessdate = 2008-01-25] , Douglass Dumbrille (1889–1974)cite web| title = Internet Movie Database Biography: Douglas Dumbrille| url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0241523/| accessdate = 2008-01-25] , and Florence Lawrence (1890-1938) who was a silent film actress and often referred to as "Hollywood's First Movie Star". She was also known as "The Biograph Girl" and "The Girl of a Thousand Faces". During her lifetime, Lawrence appeared in more than 270 films for various motion picture companies.cite book|title=Dictionary of Hamilton Biography (Vol III, 1925-1939)|first=Thomas Melville |last=Bailey|publisher=W.L. Griffin Ltd|year=1992] Del Lord (Grimsby, Ontario) was an early Hollywood film director and actor, best known as a director of Three Stooges films. Interested in the theatre, he travelled to New York City; when fellow Canadian Mack Sennett offered him a job at his new Keystone Studios, Lord went on to work in Hollywood, California. There he played the driver of the Keystone Kops police van, appearing in several of the successful films.cite web| title = Internet Movie Database Biography: Del Lord| url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0520419/| accessdate = 2008-01-25]

Modern-day contributions to Hollywood by Hamiltonians include SCTV alumni Eugene Levy, Martin Short, and Dave Thomas. All three attended McMaster University along with John Candy in the 1970s.cite web| title = McMaster University Alumni| url=http://www.mcmaster.ca/ua/alumni/| accessdate = 2008-01-25] Well-known movie directors and producers in Hollywood from Hamilton are Daniel Goldberg ("Space Jam", "Twins") and Slovakian-born, Canadian-raised Ivan Reitman. Reitman is most remembered for directing and producing a string of comedies, mostly in the 1980s and 1990s ("Meatballs", "Stripes" and "Ghostbusters"). Reitman is also a founder of the McMaster Film Board at McMaster University.cite web| title = Internet Movie Database Biography: Ivan Reitman| url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0718645/| accessdate = 2008-01-25] Reitman and Goldberg have worked together in the past on a number of film productions and continue to work together today as partners in the production company Northern Lights Entertainment.cite web| title = Internet Movie Database Biography: Daniel Goldberg (I)| url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0325175/bio| accessdate = 2008-01-25] cite web| title = Tribute.ca: Ivan Reitman| url=http://www.tribute.ca/bio.asp?id=1971| accessdate = 2008-01-25] cite web| title = CinemaReview.com: "Reitman currently heads Northern Lights Entertainment"| url=http://www.cinemareview.com/cast.asp?movieid=069804&castid=1053| accessdate = 2008-01-25]

Outdoor production locations

Many of the streets of Hamilton are used for a number TV/ film shoots. Some examples of these are listed below:

In 1999, "Detroit Rock City", starring the rock group Kiss, was filmed at the Copps Coliseum arena on Bay Street North.cite web|url=http://www.cswap.com/1999/Detroit_Rock_City |title=CSW
accessdate=2008-02-02] cite web|url=http://www.kissasylum.com/movie/index.shtml |title= (www.kissasylum.com) "KISS Shoots Film Scenes In Ontario."|accessdate=2008-02-02] In 2004, Copps Coliseum was used again to film Meg Ryan's "Against the Ropes".cite web|url=http://www.tribute.ca/movies/synopsis.asp?id=4989 |title= (www.tribute.ca) Against the Ropes filmed in Hamilton.|accessdate=2008-02-02]

In 2000, LIUNA Station reopened the James Street North Canadian National rail station as a banquet hall. In 1996 the station was used for the most expensive film ever made in Canada to that time, "The Long Kiss Goodnight", which cost $95,000,000.00 (USD) to make and starred Samuel L Jackson. Also in 2000, "X-Men", featuring Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, shot some of its scenes at LIUNA Station.cite web|url=http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/x/xmen.html |title=The World Wide Guide to Movie Locations: X-Men filming locations- Hamilton, Ontario|accessdate=2008-01-29] cite book|title=Footsteps In Time: Exploring Hamilton's heritage neighbourhoods|first=Bill |last=Manson |publisher=North Shore Publishing Inc|year=2003|id= ISBN 1-896899-22-6] Also that year, parts of Sean Connery's "Finding Forrester" was filmed inside the gymnasium of Cathedral Secondary School on King Street East and Copps Coliseum arena stands in for Madison Square Garden in the film.cite web|url=http://www.movielocity.com/p/finding_forrester.htm |title= (www.movielocity.com) Finding Forrester: "Copps Coliseum stands in for Madison Square Garden in the film." |accessdate=2008-02-02]

In 2001, the Steven Seagal film "Exit Wounds" used the streets of Downtown Hamilton for a period of six weeks for a night shoot of the movie's climatic chase scene that features the Gore Park water fountain and the Hamilton GO Transit station (the original site of the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway from 1892 to 1987).cite web|url=http://episodenetwork.com/content/view/748/70/ |title= (www.episodenetwork.com) Exit Wounds: Parts of it shot in Hamilton, Ontario |accessdate=2008-02-02] At the same time, around the corner, the second unit was shooting a rapid-fire car crash involving a motorcycle, a car, and a couple of dumpsters. Downtown Hamilton had been invaded by the cast and crews of "Exit Wounds," but no one seemed to mind and even though it was the middle of the night, a huge crowd was on hand to cheer the performers on. cite web|url=http://www.cinema.com/articles/358/exit-wounds-production-information.phtml |title= (www.cinema.com) Exit Wounds: Production Information |accessdate=2008-02-02] cite web|url=http://www.myhamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/4DCC9006-FD30-4F14-935C-DE181386FA62/0/investhamilton2005.pdf |title= (www.myhamilton.ca) Hamilton Film: "Hamilton Goes Hollywood." - Page 10 |accessdate=2008-02-02]

In 2005, George A. Romero's "Land of the Dead" zombie flick was partly filmed at the Hamilton Cemetery on York Boulevard, across the street from Dundurn Castle and Dundurn Park. Also in 2005 the Mark Wahlberg film "Four Brothers" was filmed mostly in Hamilton's North End neighbourhoods, north of the Canadian National Railway lines, and featured Stelco and Dofasco's steel mills as a backdrop. Also that year Ron Howard's "Cinderella Man" starring Russell Crowe filmed the dock workers scene on the boardwalks of one of the piers of Hamilton Harbour.

For the 2006 movie "Man of the Year", starring Robin Williams and Christopher Walken, some scenes were shot throughout Dundas, Ontario and most of Downtown Hamilton.

In 2006, the Disney film "Firehouse Dog" was filmed at the old Westinghouse headquarters building (1903-1997), on Wentworth Street North, (entrance one block east on "Sanford Avenue") which featured the firehouse dog jumping off the roof of the burning building.

In 2007, the film "The Incredible Hulk" was filmed on Main Street East — a two-week night shoot that featured the film's climatic fight scene between the Hulk and Abomination. Temporary buildings were erected by the film's crew on parking lots behind the Royal Connaught Hotel building on the north side of Main as well as across the street on the southwest corner of Main and John Streets. The streets of Hamilton were made to look like Harlem, New York. The film is scheduled to be released in June 2008.cite web|url=http://www.mania.com/56123.html |title=Mania Movies: "INCREDIBLE HULK Invades Hamilton, Ontario."|accessdate=2008-01-30] cite web|url=http://www.superherohype.com/hulk/index.php?from=20 |title=(SuperHeroHype.com) Exclusive Incredible Hulk Set Photos: Hamilton, Ontario|accessdate=2008-01-30] cite web|url=http://www.superheroflix.com/news/67/23367.php |title=SUPERHEROFLIX.COM: "The Incredible Hulk Blows Up Hamilton, Ontario."|accessdate=2008-01-30] cite web|url=http://www.comics2film.com/index.php?a=story&b=29259 |title=Comics 2 Film: "Pictures from Hamilton, Ontario set of the Incredible Hulk."|accessdate=2008-01-30] cite web|url=http://www.aintitcool.com/node/34345 |title=Aint It Cool News: "THE INCREDIBLE HULK set footage from Hamilton"|accessdate=2008-01-30] cite web|url=http://www.themovieblog.com/2007/10/incredible-hulk-set-explosion-video |title=The Movie Blog: "Incredible Hulk Set Explosion Video."|accessdate=2008-01-30] cite web|url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=38079 |title=ComingSoon.Net: "Exclusive The Incredible Hulk Set Photos!" (Hamilton, Ontario) |accessdate=2008-01-30] cite web|url=http://www.steeltownkids.com/Hulk.htm |title=Steel Town Kids: "The Incredible Hulk films in Hamilton." |accessdate=2008-01-30] cite web|url=http://www.thespec.com/article/217423 |title=The Hamilton Spectator: "Strong Canadian dollar does not scare Hulk." |accessdate=2008-01-30] cite web|url=http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/253931 |title=The Hamilton Spectator: "Stand by for mayhem on Main. The Incredible Hulk's to blame — but he'll be in a digital hiding place." |accessdate=2008-01-30]

Film studios

On March, 2008, a brand new film studio opened up on 525 Parkdale Avenue North called, "Steel Work Studios". It is a full service studio with 13 departments to meet the needs of the TV and film industry which includes a talent agency for Extra's and talent called, 'Cast In Steel.' This one stop shop for film production is a convert|20500|sqft|m2|sing=on facility with plans for expansion of up to convert|30000|sqft|m2.cite web|url=http://steelworkstudios.com/ |title= STEEL WORK STUDIOS- 525 Parkdale Avenue North |accessdate=2008-03-17] The group involved with Steel Work Studios were very optimistic about the studio noting that in 2007 TV and film was a $1-billion industry in Ontario and 40% of that was in Hamilton, Ontario.cite web|url= http://thespec.com/article/341720|title= (www.thespec.com) Hollywood dreams on Parkdale North - New studio aims at share of $1 billion Ontario business (March 2008) |accessdate=2008-03-21] Three months later the facility closed down and no official word was given for the closure. Hamilton still lacking a much needed film studio.

In recent years there has been talk of converting the convert|500000|sqft|m2|sing=on facility on Victoria Avenue North that was one time home of the Otis Elevator Company and Studebaker plant into a Mega-Film Studio. In 2004 a group of local investors were ready to open up the $30-million facility named "Hamilton Film Studios" but pulled out 2-months after it opened up. One of the main reasons was they over-estimated the appeal of the site, in that the interior had too many support beams, making the space impractical for productions requiring wide, uninterrupted expanses.cite web|url=http://www.playbackonline.ca/articles/magazine/20040621/studio.html |title= (www.playbackonline.ca) Hamilton studio closes doors (June 2004) |accessdate=2008-03-17]

Film list

The following is a partial list of films and television programmes shot in Hamilton, Ontario, and their release dates:

* "Strange Brew" (1983); Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas
* "Youngblood" (1986); Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves
* "Hearts of Fire" (1987); Bob Dylan
* "Amerika" (1987 TV mini series)
* "Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman" (1989); Lee Majors
* "The Cutting Edge" (1992); Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds
* "The Air Up There" (1994); Kevin Bacon
* "Camilla" (1994); Bridget Fonda, Jessica Tandy
* "Direct Action" (1994); Dolph Lundgren
* "Canadian Bacon" (1995); Alan Alda, John Candy
* "The Long Kiss Goodnight" (1996); Samuel L Jackson
* "Power Play" (1998-2000 TV series); Michael Riley
* "The Big Hit" (1998); Mark Wahlberg, Lou Diamond Phillips
* "Detroit Rock City" (1999); Rock group KISS
* "New Jersey Turnpikes" (1999); Kelsey Grammer
* "The Third Miracle" (1999 Drama); Ed Harris
* "The Time Shifters" (1999 TV Sci-Fi/Action); Casper Van Dien
* "Daydream Believers: The Monkees Story" (2000)
* "Gone in Sixty Seconds" (2000); Nicolas Cage, Robert Duvall, Angelina Jolie
* "Rated X" (2000); Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez
* "X-Men" (2000); Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart
* "Finding Forrester" (2000); Sean Connery
* "Laughter on the 23rd Floor" (2001 TV Comedy); Nathan Lane
* "Brian's Song" (2001 TV movie)
* "Exit Wounds" (2001); Steven Seagal
* "Glitter" (2001); Mariah Carey
* "Our America" (2002 TV Drama); Vanessa A. Williams
* "John Q" (2002); Denzel Washington
* "Avenging Angelo" (2002); Sylvester Stallone
* "Death to Smoochy" (2002); Robin Williams
* "Global Heresy" (2002); Peter O'Toole
* "RFK" (2002 TV Drama); Linus Roache
* "Second String" (2002 TV Comedy/Drama); Jon Voight
* "The Limit" (2003 Crime Drama); Lauren Bacall, Henry Czerny
* "Wrong Turn" (2003); Desmond Harrington
* "Bulletproof Monk" (2003); Chow Yun-Fat
* "How to Deal" (2003); Mandy Moore
* "Spinning Boris" (2003); Jeff Goldblum, Anthony LaPaglia
* "Saint Ralph" (2004); Adam Butcher
* "Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story" (2004 TV movie)
* "Against the Ropes" (2004); Meg Ryan
* "" (2004); Milla Jovovich
* "The Confessor" (aka: "The Good Shepherd") (2004); Christian Slater
* "Land of the Dead" (2005); Dennis Hopper
* "The Man" (2005) Samuel L Jackson, Eugene Levy
* "Cinderella Man" (2005) Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger
* "Zoom" (2005); Tim Allen, Courteney Cox
* "Riding the Bus with My Sister" (2005); Rosie O'Donnell
* "Four Brothers" (2005); Mark Wahlberg
* "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" (2005); Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt
* "Terry" (2005 TV Movie); Shawn Ashmore
* "Swarmed" (2005 TV Movie); Michael Shanks
* "Plague City: SARS in Toronto" (2005 TV movie)
* "Solar Attack" (2005 Sci-Fi/Thriller); Louis Gossett Jr.
* "Shades of Black: The Conrad Black Story" (2006 TV Drama); Jason Priestly
* "The Last Sect" (2006); David Carradine
* "Man of the Year" (2006); Robin Williams, Christopher Walken
* "Silent Hill" (2006); Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean
* "The Path to 9/11" (2006 TV Movie); Harvey Keitel
* "Firehouse Dog" (2006 Disney); Bruce Greenwood
* "Snow Cake" (2006); Sigourney Weaver
* "Away from Her" (2006); Julie Christie, Gordon Pinsent
* "The War At Home" (2006 TV Series); Rob Lotterstein
* "" (2006 Universal)
* "Skinwalkers" (2006); Jason Behr
* "UKM: The Ultimate Killing Machine" (2006 Horror); Michael Madsen
* "The Four Horsemen" (2007)
* "Hairspray" (2007 Musical); John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer
* "Talk to Me" (2007 Bio-drama); Don Cheadle, Martin Sheen
* "Weirdsville" (2007 Comedy-drama); Matt Frewer
* "Closing the Ring" (2007); Christopher Plummer, Shirley Maclaine
* "Final Draft" (2007); Jeff Roop
* "Left for Dead" (2007 Horror); Steve Byers
* "The Poet" (2007 Drama); Jonathan Scarfe
* "The Company" (2007 TV Drama/Thriller mini-series); Michael Keaton, Chris O'Donnell, Alfred Molina
* "The Incredible Hulk" (2008 Action-drama/Sci-Fi); Edward Norton, Tim Roth
* "Flash of Genius" (2008); Greg Kinnear
* "Traitor" (2008 Drama); Jeff Daniels, Don Cheadle
* "XIII" (2008 Action, TV mini-series); Val Kilmer, Stephen Dorff
* "Right Hand Man" (2008 Crime, TV); Joe Mantegna
* "Weapon" (2008 Action); Bruce Greenwood
* "The Time Treveler's Wife" (2008 Sci-Fi/ Romance); Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams
* "Splice" (2009 Sci-Fi); Sarah Polley, Adrien Brody
* "The Summit" (2008 TV Drama/ Thriller mini-series); Christopher Plummer, Wendy Crewson
* "The Good Witch" (2008 TV Family); It starred Catherine Bell and Chris Potter.
* "Max Payne" (2008 Action Thriller); Mark Wahlberg, Beau Bridges, Chris O'Donnell, Mila Kunis
* "Real Time" (2008 Comedy/drama); Randy Quaid
* "The Last Hit Man" (2008 Crime); Joe Mantegna, Elizabeth Whitmere
* "Amelia" (2009 Drama); Hilary Swank, Richard Gere
* "Repossession Mambo (2009 Sci-Fi Thriller); Jude Law, Forest Whitaker

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References

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/List?endings=on&&locations=Hamilton,+Ontario,+Canada Internet Movie DataBase: Listing of TV/ Film Productions shot in Hamilton, Ontario]
* [http://www.investinhamilton.ca/filmtelevisionoffice.asp Hamilton Film Office]