Canada Media Fund (CMF)
4 reports, presentations and talks by Canada Media Fund (CMF) in the Game Industry Library, the newest “Gameplanner: Planning Game Events, Festivals and Conferences for Indie Creators” (2020).
Connections
Each row is a game or company named alongside Canada Media Fund (CMF), each column a document, oldest first. A mark means that document names it. Select a row to see those documents.
Documents
Gameplanner: Planning Game Events, Festivals and Conferences for Indie Creators
Gameplanner is a resource created between January and September 2019 with input from 56 game creators across Canada and over a dozen international game curators, gathered through one-on-one interviews and surveys.
- The authors' top-ten chart is based on 23 in-person interviews and 33 online surveys conducted between June and August 2019.
- For commercial game creators, the document says GDC is the top pick for networking with peers, with PAX ranked second.
- The document recommends setting a recurring calendar reminder twice a year to plan game events, because festivals often announce dates close to the event.
First Portrayal of Quebec's Digital Creativity Industry
The study, prepared by Groupe SAGE and La Fabrique de sens for Xn Québec with Alliance numérique and Coop La Guilde, profiles Quebec's digital creativity industry, defined as commercial activity producing content and experiences through computer tools and digital technologies.
- The authors estimate the sector contributes at least $1.25 billion to Quebec's economy, with growth of nearly 50% compared to 2015, while noting the figure is a minimum.
- Digital creativity companies are young, with 60% of surveyed firms created since 2010 and 19% launched in the last three years.
- The share of firms reporting a net profit margin of 10% or more rose from 20% in 2015 to 42% in 2018.
A Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit: Interactive Digital Media Industry
Interactive Ontario, a not-for-profit trade association representing over 330 Interactive Digital Media (IDM) companies in Ontario, commissioned this toolkit, conducted by consultant Kelly Lynne Ashton.
- Ontario has no statistics on IDM industry diversity, which the document attributes partly to no agreed definition of diversity and little funding for research.
- Female employees made up 25% of the workforce in Interactive Ontario's Measuring Success study, and 20% of Ontario IDM companies had no women staff.
- Producers said inclusion has to be led by studio leadership, since leadership commitment keeps diversity programs persistent through business ups and downs.
New Directions in the Financing of Interactive Digital Media in Canada
The study, New Directions for the Financing of Interactive Digital Media in Canada, was prepared by Communications MDR for the Canadian Interactive Alliance and funded in part by the Ontario Media Development Corporation, the Canada Media Fund, the Bell Fund, Canadian Heritage, the CMPA and the National Film Board.
- Canadian VC investment volumes fell from a peak of $3.7 billion in 2000 to $1.1 billion in 2010, according to the document.
- Approximately three-quarters of Canada's 2,960 digital media companies are small and medium-sized, and more than 50% of companies are small, reporting annual revenues below $250,000.
- The authors identify early-stage financing as the first finding, citing repeated stakeholder statements that young companies with high-growth potential need greater access to investment.
Reports about Canada Media Fund (CMF)
6 documents by other writers name Canada Media Fund (CMF) in the title or summary.
If You Don't Like the Game, Change the Rules: Alternative Modes of Videogame Production in Canada
The white paper "If You Don't Like the Game, Change the Rules: Alternative Modes of Videogame Production in Canada" was authored by Michael Iantorno and Marie LeBlanc Flanagan, with a July 2023 publication date.
- Crunch was the most frequently cited labour problem among surveyed Canadian game developers.
- Half of surveyed developers named the 4-day work week as the change they most wanted to see at their workplace.
- Survey support for unionisation at a current workplace was a small majority, while interest in starting a union was low.
How the Hell Do You Make Money!?
Sustainable game development relies on a diversified financial strategy that moves beyond traditional direct-to-consumer sales.
- Sustainable game development requires a diversified financial strategy that combines non-recoupable grants, equity financing, and work-for-hire contracts to move beyond reliance on direct-to-consumer sales.
- Developers in Canada, Europe, and Australia hold a competitive advantage due to more robust government and arts-based funding systems compared to those in the United States.
- Deals with subscription services like Game Pass or PlayStation Plus provide essential cash advances for future projects, though studios must account for long payment cycles and the logistical costs of multi-platform porting.
Interactive Ontario Discoverability Report: Ontario
Interactive Ontario, a not-for-profit trade association for Ontario's interactive digital media (IDM) industry, commissioned Laura Mingail to investigate marketing and discoverability of Ontario IDM products.
- Studios interviewed identified a typical estimated discoverability spend of approximately $30,000 for an IDM experience, with larger studios spending significantly more.
- 49% of Ontario IDM companies have no more than 5 full-time employees, which limits their capacity to dedicate staff to insights.
- Citing Veria.ca, the report notes the importance of uncovering insights about a core consumer group first so the appeal of the game will not be diluted.
Measuring Success: The Impact of the Interactive Digital Media Sector in Ontario
Commissioned by Interactive Ontario and prepared by Nordicity in February 2017, this study measures the Ontario interactive digital media (IDM) industry, drawing on an online survey of IDM companies conducted between August and September 2016, stakeholder interviews in the Junction Triangle (Toronto), London and Ottawa, and an…
- Ontario IDM companies generated 1.3 billion dollars in revenue in 2015 on expenditures of 954 million, implying a 25.0% profit margin.
- The IDM industry generated 1.4 billion dollars of GDP in 2015, with 420 million dollars in taxes across all levels of government.
- Access to public funding was rated the most significant barrier to growth, scoring 2.17 on a 0 to 4 scale.
How to get funding to set up a games company in British Columbia
British Columbia offers a robust ecosystem of financial support for game studios, centered on a strategic combination of federal grants, provincial tax credits, and specialized labor incentives.
- The Canada Media Fund offers competitive grants of up to $1.2 million for innovative projects, contingent upon the studio providing 25 percent in matching funds.
- Studios can claim a 17.5 percent Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit on eligible labor costs to reduce operational expenses.
- Fiscal stability can be enhanced by stacking the Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit with federal Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credits.
International Digital Media Co-Production: A Guide for Canadian Companies
The Interactive Ontario guide, prepared by consultant Kelly Lynne Ashton and funded by the Ontario Media Development Corporation, the Canada Media Fund and the Bell Fund, examines international co-production of interactive digital media by Canadian companies.
- Official co-production treaties do not cover interactive digital media; under the Canadian funding agencies' Working Framework for Digital Media Co-Production, not less than 75% of the financial contribution from Canada must be spent in Canada or on Canadians.
- The guide reports that some producers suggested raising co-production budgets by 10-20% to cover added project management, legal fees and travel.
- Canada is reported to have more digital media financing than any reviewed jurisdiction, which means foreign producers often approach Canadian producers with fully developed projects seeking extra funding.
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