Multi-use studio plan in development
 
With a new film commissioner and a commitment to building a quality production facility, the city is looking to attract attention from Hollywood, reports Tony Lofaro, The Ottawa Citizen

A former east-end Loblaws store is not a glamorous setting for a feature film, but these days it's providing the backdrop for a thriller shooting in Ottawa called Penthouse North.

The movie, starring Michael Keaton and Michelle Monaghan, has been shooting at several locations around town since mid-December. On Monday morning, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, councillors Steve Desroches and Bob Monette, film commissioner Geneviève Ménard-Hayles and several Ottawa film producers visited the makeshift studio and met the stars.

All agreed that a permanent multiuse studio was desperately needed if more film productions were going to be brought to Ottawa. The city recently hired Ménard-Hayles as film commissioner and has committed $1.5 million toward building a multi-use studio it hopes to develop with a private partner.

Watson said Ottawa was poised to become established as a film destination and the recent moves at the city level were steps in the right direction. "This is an exciting, dynamic industry, and it creates a lot of jobs," Watson said. "The producers indicated that 80 per cent of the people on this project are local residents. There are huge economic spinoffs for the community, and, from our perspective at City Hall, we've increased the budget of the film office because this is an area we want to see expand and grow."

Watson said Toronto remained the filmmaking centre of Canada, but Ottawa should still be able to attract productions and grow the local industry.

"People are looking for different venues and different visuals: everything from the Gatineau Hills to the downtown that is replicating Manhattan," Watson said. "And we have the skilled workforce.

"We have $1.5 million in the budget for a starting point for a digital media studio. We know it's going to take more than that, but we're going to start working with partners because that's one of the missing pieces that we need. They (producers) have improvised using a former Loblaws store, but they are making do with what they got."

Monday's set visit was more about film optics and shoring up support for Rob Menzies and Michael Baker, the Ottawa producers of Penthouse North. Watson, who admitted he had never been on a film set, said he shared a few brief moments with Keaton, Monaghan and Hollywood director Joseph Ruben.

"They said, 'Is it always this cold here,' " Watson said after watching filming of a dramatic hostage scene with Monaghan and Keaton, who are not doing media interviews at this time.

"They like Ottawa, and they knew about the Rideau Canal," Watson said, adding that the stars didn't exactly commit to skating on the world's largest skating rink.

Penthouse North, a $7-million production, is about a reclusive female photojournalist living quietly in a New York City apartment until a smooth, but sadistic criminal looking for a hidden fortune enters her life. Monaghan plays the photojournalist, and Keaton portrays the antagonist in the cat-and-mouse thriller.

Scenes have been shot at The Mayfair apartment building on Metcalfe Street, St. Paul University on Main Street, on Somerset and Kent streets and this week at the former Loblaws store. Ottawa was chosen because certain sections of town resemble New York City, the film's producers said.

The hostage-taking sequence shot Monday at the Loblaws store recreated Monaghan's character's New York City apartment, and included furniture purchased from IKEA and other stores. A pivotal scene was filmed on a fake terrace, using a green screen as a backdrop. A New York City skyline will be added during post-production.

Baker said Ottawa had lots to offer as a film destination, but competition with many U.S. states offering attractive film subsidies was tough.

"We think our crews are strong, and that attracts more people, and I'd like to think that we have a smart team here that can squeeze the most out of every dollar. When they meet us and see this is how we do it, they realize what they're getting here is really professional," he said.

Baker said the director, Keaton and Monaghan had been pleased with the filmmaking experience so far in Ottawa. He said there were tentative plans to bring another big movie here in May, but he and Menzies are competing for that project with a group based in Louisiana.

Penthouse North is expected to wrap up filming at the end of the month.

Original Story: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Multi+studio+plan+development/6005541/story.html