Tower 33 Expands Operations to British Columbia, Tapping into a World-Class Talent Pool

Tower 33, a leader in post-production and visual effects (VFX), has expanded its operations to British Columbia (B.C.), citing the region’s exceptional talent and advantageous tax incentives.

Supported by a prime location with strong links to Hollywood, B.C. boasts a robust creative cluster. With a potent mix of technology and talent, B.C. has built a reputation as a premier creative media centre attracting innovative companies, such as Tower 33, looking to expand in North America.

Trade and Invest British Columbia played a pivotal role in facilitating Tower 33’s growth in B.C., further enhancing the province’s reputation as a key hub for global VFX innovation.

Tower 33’s Creative Excellence

Originating from a shared apartment where its founders were film school interns in Los Angeles, Tower 33 has grown over the past twelve years into a renowned post-production company. The company employs over 65 individuals spread across Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Nashville and now British Columbia.

Tower 33 has reached a milestone of delivering VFX and post-production services for nearly 1,000 TV episodes and several feature films. The company’s impressive portfolio boasts popular projects such as “Space Force,” “A League of Their Own,” “American Born Chinese” and “Quantum Leap.” The newly established B.C. team is set to work on notable projects as well, including “Cobra Kai,” “Running Point” (featuring Mindy Kaling and Kate Hudson), “The Sex Lives of College Girls” and “Bel Air.”

Based in California, Tower 33’s recent expansion to B.C. was driven by several key factors including access to a large pool of VFX skilled workers and competitive tax incentives.

“Tower 33 is always evaluating its options as it pertains to tax incentivized locations, we have a small presence in New York, Atlanta, as well as Louisiana with our largest footprint in Los Angeles. However, as we talked with the studios and were inquisitive about their needs, B.C. became the obvious choice for where we wanted to open our next location.

We feel fortunate to be relatively busy while the industry finds it’s new equilibrium which positioned us well to tap into the large pool of talent available in B.C. at the present. We have been able to find some really talented and genuine people so far.

As the industry continues to shapeshift, it’s imperative we remain as elastic as possible and being in Vancouver offers increased flexibility to us and therefore our clients.”

– Kyle Gordon, President of Tower 33

Canada’s Creative Powerhouse

Located on Canada’s West Coast, B.C. is Canada’s creative powerhouse. Globally acclaimed for the quality of its crews, locations and competitive production environment, the Vancouver, B.C. region is the fourth largest film and TV production centre in North America. B.C. is a trusted partner for visiting productions and home to one of the world’s largest animation, VFX, post and virtual production clusters.

In Vancouver, there are over 100 VFX and animation businesses, 39 post-production companies and more than 70 studios, making it the world’s largest collection of domestic and foreign-owned studios. Vancouver’s VFX and animation sector has more than doubled in size in the last decade, with streaming services helping to drive further investment.

Vancouver’s rich pool of world-class VFX artists, attracting top talent from around the globe and the opportunity to collaborate with such high-caliber professionals was a significant draw for Tower 33. The company noted that the decision to explore opportunities in B.C. was influenced by the increasing number of applicants from the region for their projects.

Initial plans involved hiring 5-10 remote staff members in the first year. However, by June of 2024, Tower 33 has already hired 14 staff members located in nearly all regions of the province and is actively recruiting additional B.C. talent into the fall of 2024.

B.C.’s close proximity to Los Angeles’ entertainment industry and to the technology centres of Seattle and Silicon Valley in California’s Bay Area places B.C. in a desirable geographic position. Further, the strong tax incentive programs available in British Columbia provide substantial financial benefits, enhancing the viability of many media projects. Available tax credits include:

• Production services tax credit
• Film Incentive BC (FIBC)
• Digital Animation and Visual Effects and Post-Production Tax Credit (DAVE)

Thanks to its many business advantages, B.C. stands as a global leader in film, television, visual effects, animation and post-production.

Trade and Invest BC’s Support of Tower 33

Trade and Invest British Columbia helps facilitate foreign investment and enables businesses to successfully expand to and establish a business presence in British Columbia. Trade and Invest BC played a crucial role in Tower 33’s successful expansion into British Columbia by providing personalized advice and continuous support, making the growth process smooth and efficient.

In January 2024, Tower 33 first met with the Trade and Invest BC’s Los Angeles representative to discuss support for their growth into B.C. The Trade and Invest BC representative provided key information to assist Tower 33 in setting up in Vancouver, including:

• Referrals to local service providers to assist with tax information, business incorporation and immigration support.
• Detailed report on salary comparisons for potential talent hired in British Columbia.
• An introduction to a B.C. VFX industry association, DigiBC, to connect into the local community.

Trade and Invest BC, along with Creative BC and Invest Vancouver, worked together to support this investment. Tower 33 has expressed appreciation for the smooth process facilitated by B.C., highlighting the region’s efficient incorporation procedures and the support provided by local authorities.

As Tower 33 continues to grow, it aims to contribute positively to the industry and help artists achieve a healthy work-life balance. The expansion to British Columbia marks a significant step in Tower 33’s journey, leveraging the province’s rich resources and fostering creative collaborations that promise to elevate the quality of their productions.

Through its efforts, Trade and Invest BC continues to create a thriving environment for international media companies like Tower 33, promoting growth, fostering partnerships and reinforcing British Columbia’s position as a global creative hub.

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