Now that the Canuckabuck has passed the yankie dollar, guess where ALL my work is coming from? Unbelievable.Not that there isn't any work about, but thanks to the social structure of our entertainment industry giving out grants and monitoring them provincially, I can't live in Vancouver and freelance on a gig in Ontario. WTF? I was contacted by a studio, because they wanted me on the team, but then realized that unless I lived and paid taxes in that province, they'd be hooped when they invariably get audited during production. Nice, huh?
Okay, forget for a minute the arguments of limited talent pools, getting the right person for the job, and oh yeah, a FREE COUNTRY without BORDERS, let's try to work around the bureaucracy. Out of my own pocket, I offered to open an Ontario wing of my incorporation in T.O, then all the tax dollars related to the job would stay there. Simple, right? It's kinda bullshit, but so is the system, and in it's own dick-up-it's-own-ass way, makes sense.
Nope.
I gotta frikken' MOVE there and pay my PERSONAL taxes there as well! Gee, what happens when work finishes and some starts in Saskatoon? Sheesh.
So now, I'm doing boards for New York , (LA), Book illustration (above, also for LA), artwork for live action (LA),and guess who now has screwed themselves outta my GST quartery infusion of waste doniroes? Don't even get me started on GST...
What a great system. Especially full of barnyard aroma is that this is what happens to a relatively little studio trying to get going and make a decent product, while the more established machines STILL get all the Telefilm grants etc., and have the bucks to throw it around and get artists from out of province when they feel it's needed. (Finish that last thought yourself.)
What a great way to run an industry! Vive la Golden age du Cinema!!
