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Fixers in Canada
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Kensington Market - filming location in Canada

SCENE 01 / PRE-PRODUCTION

Pre-Production Services

The team handles production planning and creative development and logistics which maintain your schedule and budget and creative vision.

Creative Scriptwriting, storyboarding, and pitch-ready treatments.
Logistics Permits, budgeting, scheduling, and crew coordination.
Delivery Production-ready plans with Canada-wide coverage.
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Planning with Precision

Comprehensive Pre-Production Services

From initial concept to production-ready plans, our team sets the foundation for successful films, TV, commercials, and digital content around the world.

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Creative Excellence

The creative team at CBC and CTV along with international co-production partners worked together to develop scripts and storyboards and visual treatments for the project.

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Strategic Planning

The line producers who created CAD budgets with federal and provincial tax credits included in their planning used Canadian holiday schedules and union regulations to determine their production timeline.

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Local Expertise

Fixers across all Canadian provinces and territories—from Nova Scotia beaches to Rocky Mountain villages to Pacific coastlines.

Service Catalog

Our Pre-Production Services

Every phase is covered—creative development, casting, permits, budgeting, crew, logistics, and compliance.

Why Fixers in Canada

Why Choose Fixers in Canada for Pre-Production

Integrated creative, logistics, and compliance backed by seasoned producers and local fixers.

01.

Proven Expertise

Industry-leading team across all formats and budgets, trusted by global broadcasters.

02.

Fast Response

Rapid 24-48 hour turnarounds for quotes, permits, and scheduling updates.

03.

Global Network

On-the-ground partners in 100+ countries with local permits handled for you.

04.

Full Service

End-to-end coverage from concept and casting to legal, logistics, and delivery.

On Location

Canada pre-production planning and development

Here is how the picture comes together. From Toronto's studio districts to the mountain corridors of Banff and the sprawling plains of the Prairies, Canada gives production planners a vast range of settings to handle. Our pre-production team works across the country to translate your creative brief into a viable, well-ordered shoot plan. We manage scheduling, budgetary frameworks, permitting logistics, and creative development from day one, making sure your team arrives on location with each logistical detail already resolved, your crew briefed, and your creative vision clearly defined.

Schedules built on real Canadian permitting timelines and provincial crew availability — never optimistic assumptions about either.

Here is what we have to work with. Our services cover the full creative and logistical arc of pre-production. During Concept Development and Creative direction we work with your team to shape the visual feel and story arc of a project. Scriptwriting and Script Consultation services make sure your screenplay or brief is production-ready before a single call sheet is issued. We also produce Storyboards and Moodboards that align the director, DP, and client around a shared visual reference, and build Pitch Decks that communicate your project's scope and tone to stakeholders with clarity and confidence.

FAQs

Pre-Production FAQs

Clear answers on timelines, coverage, and how we tailor planning to your production.

What's included in pre-production services?

Here is how this works in practice. Our team gives complete production services which have script breakdown and scheduling and location selection across all Canadian provinces and Toronto agency casting and crew member selection from our OK'd network and budget development in CAD with federal and provincial tax credit calculations and permit submission to local film commissions and city offices. You receive a production-ready package which becomes ready before the cameras start filming.

How long does pre-production take?

Here is the short of it. The process of obtaining locations and casting actors and wrapping Telefilm Canada forms for feature films needs a minimum of 8 to 12 weeks. The production timeline for commercials stays short because they need only 2 to 4 weeks to finish production when shoot sites have easy access. The process of getting documentary access and conducting interviews decides which film projects filmmakers can start their work on. The team can accelerate project work when needed but Canadian authority rules about permit processing create key time needs.

Do you work with international productions shooting in Canada?

That's our specialty. We bridge the gap between global shoots firms and Canadian crews, vendors, and authorities. Our team handles everything from carnet needs for gear crossing borders to setting up with ACTRA and IATSE unions and handling Telefilm Canada co-production rules. Most of our clients are UK, US, European, and Asian shoots shooting on Canadian soil.

Can you work within a specific budget?

Here is the breakdown. The firm creates budgets which use CAD as currency and have detailed line items that follow the formatting needs of the Canadian production industry. If you have a target number, we'll tell you honestly what's achievable—whether that means adjusting the shooting schedule, finding alternative locations, or restructuring the crew. We'd rather have a frank conversation upfront than deliver surprises later.

What happens if permits get denied or locations fall through?

Here is what that looks like on the ground. It happens, and we plan for it. The location packages we give have backup solutions and we have set up connections with Canadian property owners and film commissions to handle unexpected changes in filming locations. Our location managers have pulled off same-week replacements for everything from historic estate shoots to Canadian apartment interiors.

On Set

Ready to Start Your Pre-Production?

We'll build a production-ready plan with detailed budgets, schedules, and permit timelines for your project.