‘Off Campus’ bringing B.C. talent into the global spotlight

Another steamy hockey TV series is starting to shoot Season 2 on Monday in Vancouver.

Filming has begun on the second season of “Off Campus,” following the breakout success of the steamy hockey series.

The adaptation—based on the book series of the same name—is currently the No. 1 show on Amazon Prime in Canada, and was filmed entirely in Vancouver.

Elle Kennedy, author of the “Off Campus” novels, is also Canadian, from Toronto. She serves as a producer for the TV series.

The show was filmed at the University of British Columbia, which was transformed into the fictional Briar U in Boston.

Amira Anderson, a graduate of the Vancouver Film School, acted in two episodes of the show, and said it was the most fun she’s ever had on set.

“The crew was incredible, the cast was incredible,” she said.

Anderson played one of the love interests of lead character Dean De Laurentis, and describe the actor Stephen Kalyn—another Canadian, hailing from Markham, Ont.—as having an “infectious energy.”

“He’s just so intentional about making sure everything’s fun,” she said.

Anderson wasn’t alone, with a total of 14 VFS alumni helping bring the first season to air, on screen and off.

“We don’t see that very often anymore,” explained Anderson. “Talent is flown in and we don’t make use of what’s here. So it was really nice to be surrounded by that.”

Breaking records

The show broke records, bringing in more than 37 million viewers in 12 days, putting it ahead of other teen dramas on Prime including “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”

It’s been a major win for B.C.’s film and television industry, which has seen challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic and recent writers strike.

Marnie Gee, B.C.’s film commissioner, says she is “cautiously optimistic.”

“It’s been a really tough year, not just for British Columbia but globally for the motion picture industry,” she said.

Gee hopes more productions will aim to showcase Canadian talent after seeing the global success of the show.

“Theres more work to do,” she added. “We want to make sure that we are top of mind, always, when people look at where to bring production, but something like ‘Off Campus’ just makes us incredibly proud.”

Canadian band The Beaches also saw a boost, with their song “Edge of the Earth” experiencing an 888 per cent increase in streams after being featured in the show.

Notable campus spots include the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre at UBC, which stands in for the hockey arena and locker rooms.

Actors like Anderson hope it’s a sign of more work to come after a dark cloud for the industry.

“Its just kind of a spark of hope that I think we all really needed,” she said.