Bow Valley College unveils $5.5M film and TV production hub

Bow Valley College has raised the curtain on its new $5.5 million film and television production space.

Bow Valley College has raised the curtain on its new film and television production space.

The school unveiled its 3,560-square-foot Digital Entertainment Nexus Production Hub on Monday, showing off the studio’s high-level production features.

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Some of the features of the studio include:

A soundstage with a large wrap-around screen – or volume wall;

Motion capture technology;

A post-production/ incubation space to “develop content, collaborate and create special effects”;

A dailies room that features sound and colour calibration tools to review and adjust projects as they are being filmed.

Bow Valley said it is the only studio in Calgary, and among the few in Canada, with an immersive audio sound room.

“This production hub is a significant investment in the creative and digital industries that will benefit high-calibre film and TV productions as well as independent creators,” said Dr. Misheck Mwaba, president and CEO of Bow Valley College, in a news release.

“Our contributions to this ecosystem affirm that Bow Valley College is a catalyst for innovation and growth.”

The school says the space will be made available to film and television producers, commercial ventures and athletes, while also offering a space for students to train to be on set in preparation for production and post-production careers.

The hub is meant to generate revenue for the school and provide a boost to Calgary’s film industry.

“It’s a key milestone for us,” said Brad Perry, Calgary Economic Development CEO.

“When you talk to studios and producers, when they know they have access to this kind of equipment, this kind of technology coming in, [it] makes it so much easier to close those kinds of deals and convince them why they should be putting their money in the city and investing in our film and TV sector.”

The hope is that film and TV producers will not only shoot films in and around Calgary but that they’ll also do post-production as well.

“Having this sort of space allows filmmakers to execute their creative freedom. It allows them to connect with the student community. It allows them to be here in person working on amazing things. These are the sorts of spaces we need,” Tori Romano, the executive director of the Alberta Media Production Industries Association, said.

The school was able to create the facility through a $5.5 million grant from the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund in 2023.