Film Production

COVID-19 | Return to Safe Operation – Motion Picture and Television Production Industry

Find details specific to residents, business, and production in the clickable sections below.

Residents

COVID-19 | Return to Safe Operation

Over the coming weeks, Township of Langley residents and businesses can expect to see a slow re-entry of the motion picture and television production industry into our community. In order to be welcomed back, public health and safety remains a top priority. Township staff will be carefully reviewing individual production requests to support a gradual return to a pre-COVID-19 film production activity levels.

Here’s some important information to help you understand how this industry has prepared to safely return to communities across BC.

In early March 2020, BC’s motion picture and television production industry self-elected to go on hiatus as a result of COVID-19 - for the safety and welfare of its workers and the public
The industry immediately formed the BC Motion Picture Industry Working Coalition, comprised of industry agencies, guilds, and unions to develop new safety guidelines for all productions to follow for the industry’s safe return into communities across BC. The industry understands that COVID-19 has heightened the importance of early and ongoing public communications. Township staff have been closely monitoring this work.
As part of requirements under BC’s Restart Plan, on June 5, 2020 WorkSafeBC released its Return to Safe Operation Protocol - Motion Picture and Television Production.
The Motion Picture Industry COVID-19 Safety Guidelines was released on June 24, 2020.
As part of BC’s Restart Plan – Phase 3, announced on June 24, 2020, the go-ahead was given by the BC Government for the safe restart of the motion picture and television production industry.

In the Township of Langley, until further notice, it is mandatory that all productions must:

First contact our Film + Creative Department in order to scout/qualify a location/property;
Submit a Film Application no less than 10 business days prior to requested production start date; and
Restrict work hours to Bylaw-permitted hours only (7:00am - 10:00pm)
Deliver a Township-approved Film Notice to identified neighbouring properties no less than 5 business days prior to permitted production start date as part of its Film Permit conditions.

The Township’s Film + Creative Department staff have and will continue to work proactively with the motion picture and television production industry to ensure the safe return of this important economic activity to our community.

If you have comments, questions, or concerns, please email filminfo@tol.ca or call 604-533-6151.

Filming in residential neighbourhoods

Filming authorization

All filming that impacts the public, uses or occupies municipal lands, rights-of-way, and/or buildings, and is wholly contained to private property, must be endorsed by the Township of Langley.

Proposed filming notification

Every production must notify affected residents of proposed filming through a Township-approved notification letter.

Consent for proposed extraordinary filming

Through a Township-approved polling letter, every production must obtain residents’ support for proposed works taking place outside of bylaw-stipulated work hours.

Production vehicle parking

Only essential production work vehicles will be considered by the Township for approval to park on municipal streets.

Working with productions that want to film on your property

Property owners are responsible for negotiating directly with the production company the terms of use for their home and/or private property. The Township remains external to these private negotiations.

Registering your property for filming

Property owners interested in registering their private property as a potential filming location can visit Creative BC’s property registration page .

Commendations and complaints register

The Township maintains a database to log and track commendations and to register legitimate complaints against a non-compliant film production.

Bylaw infractions

If a Township-approved film production working in your neighbourhood does not appear to comply with municipal bylaws, contact the Bylaw Enforcement Department at 604-532-7551 or bylaws@tol.ca.

Business

COVID-19 | Return to Safe Operation

Over the coming weeks, business areas across the Township of Langley can expect to see a slow re-entry of the motion picture and television production industry into our community. In order to be welcomed back, public health and safety remains a top priority. Township staff will be carefully reviewing individual production requests to support a gradual return to a pre-COVID-19 film production activity levels.

Here’s some important information to help you understand how this industry has prepared to return to communities across BC.

In early March 2020, BC’s motion picture and television production industry self-elected to go on hiatus as a result of COVID-19 - for the safety and welfare of its workers and the public.
The industry immediately formed the BC Motion Picture Industry Working Coalition, comprised of industry agencies, guilds, and unions to develop new safety guidelines for all productions to follow for the industry’s safe return into communities across BC. The industry understands that COVID-19 has heightened the importance of early and ongoing public communications. Township staff have been closely monitoring this work.
As part of requirements under BC’s Restart Plan, on June 5, 2020 WorkSafeBC released the Return to Safe Operation Protocol for BC’s motion picture and television production industry.
The Motion Picture Industry COVID-19 Safety Guidelines was released on June 24, 2020.
As part of BC’s Restart Plan – Phase 3, announced on June 24, 2020, the go-ahead was given by the BC Government for the safe restart of the motion picture and television production industry.

As a business owner in the Township of Langley, if you are approached by production personnel wishing to film at your location, before you enter into any agreement with them please ensure that you are aware of the requirements that productions are required to comply with.

WorkSafeBC - Return to Safe Operation Protocol - Motion Picture and Television Production

Motion Picture Industry COVID-19 Safety Guidelines

In addition, until further notice, it is also mandatory that all productions interested in working in the Township of Langley must:

First contact our Film + Creative Department in order to scout/qualify a location/property
Submit a Film Application no less than 10 business days prior to requested production start date
Restrict film-related activities hours to occur within Bylaw-permitted hours (7:00am-10:00pm)
Reduce level of impact including no special effects
Once approved by staff, deliver a Township-approved Film Notice to identified neighbouring properties no less than 5 business days prior to permitted production start date as part of its Film Permit conditions

If you have comments, questions, or concerns, please email filminfo@tol.ca or call 604-533-6151.

Filming in business areas

Filming authorization

All filming that impacts the public, uses or occupies municipal lands, rights-of-way, and/or buildings, and is wholly contained to private property, must be endorsed by the Township of Langley.

Proposed filming notification

Every production must notify neighbouring businesses of proposed filming through a Township-approved notification letter.

Consent for proposed extraordinary filming

Through a Township-approved polling letter, every production must obtain support from the neighbourhood for proposed works taking place outside of bylaw-stipulated work hours.

Production vehicle parking

Only essential production work vehicles will be considered by the Township for approval to park on municipal streets.

Filming on your property

In advance of proposed filming, productions are required to contact businesses that may be directly or indirectly impacted. Where a business is a tenant, the tenant is encouraged to contact the property owner to obtain their consent for filming. The Township remains external to negotiations and to agreements for use of business and/or private property. For information on recovering business loss of revenue, visit Creative BC .

Studio location on your business property

Productions wishing to locate their studio on business properties must ensure the property is located in an appropriate zone and complies with associated municipal zoning requirements. Where proposed use of a property is different than property zoning permits, productions must first contact the Township Film Coordinator about Temporary Use Permit requirements.

Open for business signage

When Township-approved filming is to take place fronting a business, productions must place approved signage proximate to the business, indicating the business remains open.

Acknowledging businesses through restricted filming periods

Filming in all areas of the municipality is restricted:

on Saturdays and Sundays
on statutory holidays
in July, August, and December
during municipal special events and/or during construction periods in potential coinciding locations

Filming is not permitted in the business core of Fort Langley:

on statutory holidays and may include, as required, dates preceding statutory holidays
in December

Commendations and complaints register

The Township maintains a database to log and track commendations and to register legitimate complaints against a non-compliant film production.

Bylaw infractions

If a Township-approved film production working in your neighbourhood does not appear to comply with municipal bylaws, contact the Bylaw Enforcement Department at 604-532-7551 or bylaws@tol.ca.

Production

COVID-19 | Return to Safe Operation

With the BC Restart Plan - Phase 3 now underway, and through the collaborative work of BC Motion Picture Industry Working Coalition and WorkSafeBC, we are happy to see the gradual restart of industry across BC. We look forward to working with you as you explore potential locations in the Township of Langley.

Balancing the needs of our residents, businesses, and industry continues to be our primary focus. For that reason, we have implemented a gradual phased-in approach for industry’s return.

Here’s some important information to help you understand Township requirements as you explore locations in our community.

During the Township’s initial restart phase for the industry, we will only consider film projects that:

Have first contacted our Film + Creative Department in order to scout/qualify all potential location(s)/property(ies). Our goal is to respond to each scouting request within 1 business day
To qualify a location, you will be required to include preliminary details along with the level of impact and duration
Restrict film-related activities hours to occur within Bylaw-permitted hours (7:00am-10:00pm)
Reduce level of impact including no special effects
Submit a Film Application no less than 10 business days prior to requested production start date. Completed packages must be submitted by email to film@tol.ca and include:
- Film Application form
- Highways Use Permit – Filming permit application
- Business License Application form
- Notice of Intent for each pre-qualified location outlining all proposed filming activities, dates, times, a site plan including all film and parking locations, along with the level of neighbourhood impact
- Confirmation that production has developed and implemented a COVID-19 Safety Plan as required by WorkSafeBC

Staff will work to review each Film Application in a timely manner.

Once approved by staff, deliver a Township-approved Film Notice to identified neighbouring properties no less than 5 business days prior to permitted production start date as part of its Film Permit conditions.

Staff will work to keep industry updated as the Township’s gradual restart of the film industry progresses.

If you have comments, questions, or concerns, please email us to film@tol.ca or call 604-533-6151.

We look forward to working with you as industry safely returns to operation during COVID-19.

Film production in the Township communities

Mayor and Council support the film industry, and recognize the economic and social benefits it brings to our community. We invite you to our community and appreciate your cooperation while filming in the Township.

The Township of Langley expects all production companies and their cast and crews to abide by the Creative BC Film Industry Code of Conduct for Cast and Crew , which outlines community expectations when filming in British Columbia.

Each production wishing to film on private or public property must obtain all necessary approved municipal and agency permits in advance of filming.

Please familiarize yourself with the Township's Filming Guideline and new Filming Policy . At the time of your next filming application, you must sign acknowledgement of having read and understood both documents.

We offer simple, straightforward processes, timely turnaround, reasonable fees, and client location confidentiality.

Getting Started

Familiarize yourself with the Township’s Filming Guideline and Filming Policy
Submit a completed Film Application package
Contact our Film Coordinator at 604-533-6151 or film@tol.ca
Submit a completed Film Permit Highways Use Permit

Useful Links

Contributing to our Community Partners in Film Reserve

Interested productions can make donations and other contributions to a Township reserve, which funds future, small-scale improvements across our community, such as playground equipment, park benches, and picnic tables. For more information, contact our Film Coordinator at 604-533-6151 or film@tol.ca.

The Township of Langley is one of the most film-friendly municipalities in the Lower Mainland. This has been achieved largely because of you – residents and businesses that welcome and support balanced, safe, and harmonious filming in our community.

Today the industry works in all 7 Township communities, producing feature films, TV series, made-for-TV movies, commercials as well as documentaries. The industry is vested in maintaining positive relationships with neighborhoods and communities in order to continue to be welcomed. In 2016 alone, there were over 1,000 film-days permitted in the Township, representing over 110 separate productions. Each year, the industry invests millions of dollars in direct spend in the Township’s local economy through the acquisition of services and the purchase of goods. According to provincial agency Creative BC, in 2017, close to 1,700 Township residents worked in film, an industry which provides high-paying jobs.

Since 1999, the Township has had a Filming Guideline in place to provide general direction to entities interested in producing film in all communities within the Township. This Guideline was last updated in 2013 through an extensive stakeholder engagement and public consultation process. In 2013, Township Council equally adopted a Filming Policy that acknowledges the Township’s support for the film industry in the community, recognizing the economic and social benefits generated. The Policy provides for general direction and decision making supportive of the creative sector’s investment in our local economy. Every film request to the Township is handled individually by staff to evaluate conflicts, risks, etc., to maximize success, and to ensure balance for our residents and community.

Established in 2013, and a 1st in BC, the Township endorsed the creation of the Community Partners in Film Reserve, a non-statutory reserve that productions can contribute to in support of future small community capital improvement projects (benches, street banners, public art, picnic tables, playgrounds). Further, all productions contribute by virtue of the Township applying all film application fees to this reserve. By year-end 2017, the Reserve had collected $27,000.

In Q1 2017, the BC Government realigned provincial film tax credit program boundaries to include the complete jurisdiction of the Township. As a benefit, the Township is equally realizing sector diversity from traditional film production to the emergence of film studio investment through the establishment of new film studios. In 2018, Netflix secured five-year stage agreements with studios in northwest Langley.

In 2017, the Township partnered with Metro Vancouver’s Regional Prosperity Initiative on a Regional Film Application Portal. This project will build a centralized system for film productions to access the processes and forms of each local jurisdiction that enable filming, enhancing the film-friendly reputation of the Metro Vancouver region and improving communications among industry and municipal partners. In January 2018, the pilot for this program began with five municipalities, including the Township, participating to work through technological and administrative considerations.

We want to hear from you!

Your feedback is encouraged. Contact our Film Coordinator if you have questions or concerns regarding a specific film production or want to provide input for future consideration.

Township of Langley Film Coordinator
Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 4:30pm
604-533-6151 or film@tol.ca

How can we help?