ANDREW DODD IS manager of Film London, a London Economic Development Corp. (LEDC) agency that attracts and supports creators of TV and film projects in London.
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He grew up in Grimsby and came to London in 2007 to attend Huron College. He earned a degree in English and philosophy and was always a film buff. “I was one of those kids asking to borrow his uncle’s Handycam to make movies, convincing my friends to act and animating my figurines with stop-motion,” he says.
When the LEDC created Film London in 2021, Dodd was already working for the city in recreational services. He happily changed jobs. When not working, Dodd, 38, is involved with community theatre, enjoys dinner parties with friends and, not surprisingly, watches a lot of movies. His recent recommendations include Poor Things, Anatomy of a Fall and American Fiction.
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Film London is described as a concierge for filmmakers. Is that what’s required to attract production to London?
Well, it certainly doesn’t hurt. Being available, knowing the right people and finding answers to questions you didn’t know anyone would ever ask is immensely helpful for productions when they’re here. Attracting productions is a bit of a different matter.
Presumably, filming here is cheaper than in larger locations. So, is your job to build on that advantage? How do you do that?
Filming in London can be cheaper than the major film hubs in Canada, but to the productions for which that’s most important, they’ll have to incur costs of travelling to London, making it difficult to take advantage of our hospitality. Building a local crew base and offering financial incentives are the real keys to attracting productions to Southwestern Ontario, and we’re working on that.
People and businesses can register their properties with you as potential filming locations, right? How many people have done that to date? What’s involved if their place is chosen?
We have over 160 locations, 138 crew members, 165 performers and 85 resources listed on our databases, all of which show what London has to offer. If someone wants to list their property, they’re merely stating that they’re open to the idea of hosting a production, which could vary from student films to big-budget features. There are of course no obligations, and an owner always gets final say over who can rent their space, how much of their space can be used and how much their space is worth to them.
The Apple TV series The Changeling filmed in downtown London in 2022. Can we assume you watch with rapt attention when it aired last fall?
Well, I watched London’s parts! Wasn’t it incredible how the street was transformed? Some tremendous set decoration, a great cinematographer, a little digital trickery, the necessary smoke and mirrors and bingo — London is New York City circa 1982.
What other projects have filmed in London? What’s coming up in 2024?
London has hosted 25 or so productions since the office was created, some of the most prominent being Blackberry, The Changeling, Please, After You, Pradeeps of Pittsburgh, How to Die Alone, Mr. Monk’s Last Case, Sunshine City, You Gotta Believe and The Greenscreen Saga. The Hollywood strikes put a hold on many productions throughout the industry, but we’ve got some exciting leads coming up, including —if all goes well — an Amazon series shooting here.
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Obviously the LEDC is looking for economic benefits from Film London. How are those measured? What has the program delivered in its first three years?
Productions share their local spend with Film London, which can include local hotels, catering, crews, security, drivers, restaurants and a lot of other economic impact ripples that spread throughout the community. I’m currently working with other film offices throughout the province to develop a multiplier tool that can properly measure the full economic impact of film and TV productions. We also report on number of jobs created by visiting projects.
Is there ever an opportunity for Londoners to be extras in productions?
Yes! Sometimes paid and sometimes not, but always exciting! In all seriousness, background acting can be cool but almost always requires long days and a real commitment. If Londoners are serious about background acting, the best way get involved is to contact Act Out [previously CDN Flim Agency], London’s first casting talent agency.
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