If exciting news were fireworks, the sky over Niverville would have been lit up in technicolour on the morning of March 23.
From the upper level of the Community Resource and Recreation Centre, government dignitaries, business executives, and local film industry leaders assembled to announce the coming of a film studio village to Niverville, along with a major infrastructure overhaul to accommodate the new venture.
Among those in attendance, both live and virtually, was the leadership team of U.S.-based Volume Global. Juliette Hagopian of the Winnipeg-based production company Julijette Inc. was also onsite.
Together, these companies have collaborated over the development of Jette Studios, soon to be built at the intersection of Highway 311 and Wallace Road.
“For those of you that aren’t from here, Niverville is known as the fastest growing community in Manitoba,” said Ron Schuler, local MLA, acting as emcee. “It is also known as the fifth fastest growing community in Canada. In Los Angeles, they now refer to Niverville as the Hollywood of the North!”
Jette Studios
The $30 million endeavour will comprise a state-of-the-art, full-service film and TV production village. It’s anticipated to create approximately 300 new jobs over the next three years.
The studio comes as the result of unprecedented international demand by the entertainment industry for cost-effective film-production space. The Niverville studio will cater to the making of small- and big-budget movies, TV series, commercials, animation and gaming.
It’s expected to grab the attention of major companies such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney who are continually in search of long-term studio rental space.
The Niverville studio will feature Volume Global’s signature pop-up soundstage as well as the very latest in LED backdrop screen technology, making it possible for film producers to get the entire movie-making process completed at one site.
“Today is not just about having a fancy and big LED TV screen,” said Chris Harrington, co-CEO of Volume Global. “It’s about having the experienced virtual production team and technology to give filmmakers the creative freedom they’ve never had before.”
Volume Global’s other founder, Michael Hamilton-Wright, attended the meeting live in Niverville and was excited to share news of the technology.
“You need these studios to control your [environment],” Hamilton-Wright said. “You can shoot anywhere at any time. You can control sunsets, you can shoot at Times Square or Stonehenge or wherever you want, and it’s all right here in this studio.”
Long-term plans for the film production village include brick-and-mortar production offices for all department heads, a carpenter mill, an online post-production facility with virtual effects, picture and sound editing bays, and, to view the final results, a Dolby Atmos 50-seat finishing theatre.
Manitoba’s Film Industry Tax Credits
Obby Khan, Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage, was also on hand.
“Thank you to Volume Global and Julijette Inc. for your confidence in Manitoba,” Khan said. “I’m excited to say that today is a blockbuster day for Manitoba.”
Khan and his department have played a key role in setting up Manitoba as a sweet spot for film companies such as Volume Global. In 2017, his government created the Manitoba Film and Video Production Tax Credit as a way to entice the industry to consider what this province has to offer.
These tax credits are among the most competitive across North America.
A few years later, the province invested almost $5 million to create direct flights between Winnipeg and Los Angeles. And there have been hints that more direct flights could be in the works.
According to Khan, the strategy is working. A total of 88 film projects were undertaken in Manitoba last year alone, generating $365 million for the economy.
“I speak for the Hollywood community [when I say] this is probably one of the best places in the world to shoot,” said Hamilton-Wright. “With the tax credits, and now with the direct flight to L.A., it makes a huge difference for a lot of the actors, directors, and producers that want to come up here.”
But Khan says its also about resources right here in Manitoba.
“We have heard time and time again that Manitoba, and now Niverville, is the ideal space for film production,” Khan said. “But the backbone of the industry is the people. Manitoba has a dedicated, creative, well-established media production workforce and they are ready to work.”
Hagopian, set to manage Jette Studio, says the company will also need the support of the Niverville community.
“With the community fully supporting the project, we will create opportunities for all filmmakers and crews as we grow the infrastructure for our film industry in the province,” says Hagopian.
The decision to set Jette Studio in the humble community of Niverville is based on a number of factors.
Ease of access is one. According to Hamilton-Wright, when you’re dealing with large convoys of people and production trucks, rural settings are less constrictive.
Additionally, the province offers an extra five percent tax credit for locating production in rural settings.
Even so, proximity to major travel routes, an international airport, and city amenities also play a big role.
Hotel and Highway Infrastructure Renewal
On this auspicious day in Niverville, good news came in threes. Across the road and along Drovers Run, dignitaries also met for an official sod-turning ceremony on the Blue Crescent Hotel and waterpark.
And responding to the inevitable tourism and traffic that will result from all the newly announced business in town, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister, Doyle Piwniuk made one more pronouncement.
“It is no secret that Niverville punches above its weight when it comes to community development,” said Piwniuk. “Today our government is announcing its support for improvements [including] a potential new roundabout between Krahn and Wallace Roads with the future twinning of the highway as traffic flows increase. We’re going to be putting $40.6 million into the region of Niverville… as part of our multi-year growth plan.”
A signalized controlled intersection is also expected where Krahn Road and Highway 311 meet, making it the second traffic light on that stretch of road, the first being the one at Mulberry.
