Entertainment & Digital Media in British Columbia
With a thriving technology ecosystem, British Columbia (B.C.) has become a leader in the global creative economy. B.C. features a creative cluster of world-class digital media firms as well as film, television, visual effects, animation, and post-production companies. With the right mix of technology and talent, British Columbia has earned a reputation as one of the world’s leading creative media centres, consistently producing award-winning content enjoyed by global audiences.
Sector Profile
OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN HOLLYWOOD NORTH
260
There are 260+ immersive technology companies in B.C., second only to Silicon Valley
DigiBC (2021)$2.3B
B.C. immersive technology companies generated $2.3B in annual revenues
DigiBC (2021)20%
The video game industry is growing annually at a 20% rate in Canada
Entertainment Software Assoc. of Canada (2019)B.C. is a preferred location due to the wide range of benefits available to the motion picture, gaming, and digital media industry:
- Built for film and TV – British Columbia is Canada’s largest, and North America’s third largest, full-service motion picture hub and offers a diverse range of production locations in a single jurisdiction. From production talent, services, and infrastructure, to being one of the world’s largest animation and VFX clusters, through to world class post-production services, B.C. is proud to have built a global reputation for success.
- A thriving gaming ecosystem – British Columbia is an international centre for console, social, and mobile game production, as well as an emerging hub for virtual and augmented reality technology. British Columbia is the right place to be if you want to locate your business in a thriving interactive technology ecosystem or partner with creative game developers.
- Substantial support – Through organizations like CreativeBC and DigiBC, and programs such as the Canada Media Fund, the digital sector is sustainable, competitive, and maturing quickly.
- Financial incentives – Substantial tax credits and financial support are available to film, TV, and VFX productions thanks to the support of the provincial government.
- Creative gaming clusters – Join leading companies, including EA (Electronic Arts), Microsoft, Relic Entertainment (Sega), Eastside Games, IGG Games, Kabam (Net Marble), and over 150 gaming companies that make up British Columbia’s creative cluster of game developers.
- Next level gaming – VR firms, including Microsoft, Cloudhead Games and Archiact, are already looking beyond entertainment to create the future of computing, using VR and mixed reality to build practical tools to enhance education, health care, and other sectors.
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