Cables, cord-cutting and Canada: Power Gems interviews Garin Josey of William F White International
As film production in Vancouver ramps up, Power Gems talks to Garin Josey, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of William F White International and die-hard advocate for the film industry in Canada.
Garin Josey, Vice President/GM Vancouver of William F White International with Patrick McGuane of Power Gems
Tell us a bit about your background
Nineteen years ago, at the age of 21, I was working as a fishing guide and bartender. I looked at getting into the film industry, but after visiting the union hall and DGC, I realised it would be a challenge without having industry connections.
While bartending a private event, I struck up a conversation with a guest and mentioned my interest in the film industry. It turned out this gentleman worked at Whites and had a business card on him for one of the department managers.
Through this connection, I was accepted as a volunteer at Whites in the cable department.
It was February and raining a lot. This department is dirty, and the cable was heavy.
It was a far cry from the slick and sexy image I had in my head of the film industry. I finished my two weeks, not expecting to return. I was contacted a couple of times by Whites following up with an offer for a full-time position. I ignored the calls but finally gave in on their third attempt.
Since then, I’ve held positions in nearly every department within the company. I’ve left a couple of times to explore opportunities on set but always found myself coming home to Whites.
Over the years, I’ve held senior positions within Whites, ranging from department management, sales & marketing to national operations.
I’ve also held lead positions with industry associations, such as Chair of the Commercial Production Association of Western Canada and Executive with the Motion Picture Industry Association, all of which provided additional insight into the film industry.
This real-life experience, along with leadership and finance executive training courses, has given me the skill set to take on the challenge of running Whites, and navigate the unprecedented exponential growth that has been seen within our company and industry.
About the Vancouver market…Where will the greatest activity come from – foreign productions, returning Netflix series, new feature films?
The vast majority of the business in BC is service work, mainly US-based. Over-the-top (OTT) content creators, such as Netflix, Apple and Amazon, have become key players both in Canada and worldwide, disrupting the way business and productions do business and bringing the volume of production to levels never before imagined.
This disruption has caused ripples across the mainstream studios as well, with companies like CBS and Disney, fresh from its acquisition of Fox, ramping up production for their OTT platforms in an effort to stay competitive. There’s also increased opportunity for production partnerships, with companies such as Viacom running lead on a series here in Vancouver, for Apple, and Fox producing a large series in Winnipeg for Amazon. All of this benefits production hubs, Canada is no exception.
Can you tell us about the productions you’ve worked on recently?
- Sonic The Hedgehog – A Paramount feature film shot in Vancouver in 2018
- Twilight Zone – CBS series shot in Vancouver in 2018 at Whites Studios Ironwood
- Shazam – Warner Bros feature shot in Toronto in 2018
- Supergirl, Arrow, Flash and Titans – All four Warner Bros series shooting in Canada
- Skyscraper – Legendary feature film shot in Vancouver in 2017
- Polar – Netflix feature shot in Toronto in 2018
- Tales from the Loop – Amazon series currently shooting in Winnipeg
- Ink – Apple series which just wrapped in our Whites Studios Fraserwood
Is there a long-term effect? Or will Vancouver lose out to other provinces like Ontario; to whichever destination can offer the best tax breaks?
A lot of investment has been made to support the growth of this industry, nationwide; including both government and corporate. Vancouver has significant benefits, including continued government support through the incentive programme, amazing industry advocacy as well as being in the same time zone and a short flight from LA.
- Calgary has impressive vistas and continued government support.
- Winnipeg has one of the most lucrative incentive programmes in the world.
- Toronto, being Canada’s largest metropolis, provides significant benefits to production and can compete head-to-head with most jurisdictions when it comes to the all-spend incentive.
- Sudbury has a flourishing industry, with increased investment and lucrative additional incentives in place.
- Halifax continues to draw clients with its unique locations and recently enhanced incentive programme.
All of these industry hubs complement one another, and I feel each one brings its own list of benefits to a production. As long as the content creation industry is thriving, Canada as a whole will reap the rewards.
Over the last seven years, WFW has upgraded most of its older electronic power supplies to the latest Power Gems modular 1000Hz high speed units – what attracted you to invest in Power Gems?
Whites Studios has over 750,000 square feet of studio and support space nationwide. We use Power Gems equipment across all our operations – Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Sudbury and Halifax
Power Gems has been our go-to for as long as I can remember. Patrick and the team have continued to deliver products that meet or beat our client’s increasing demands. Like Power Gems, Whites prides itself on providing nothing but the best in equipment quality and client experience. Upgrading our units only seems logical.
Our thanks to Garin for sharing his experience of life at William F White International
This interview is part of an occasional series. If you enjoyed this, you should read:
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