Canada, primarily Toronto and Vancouver, have been gigantic film and tv production cities for a long long time. Since 2000, thats 20 years ago, both have each had over $1 Billion worth of shoots every year.
Fer instance, ALL of the X Files were shot in Vancouver. That ran from 93 to 2002.
It is true that the Canadians give tax rebates to film companies. But the exchange rate helps a lot, too. Right now, a Loony- a Canadian Dollar- is only worth seventy five cents US.
Within a hundred miles of Vancouver are way more types of landscape and towns than LA, too. Its easy to shoot a film there, and pretend its almost anywhere except the Sahara.
And there is an enormous base of skilled subcontractors and freelancers- like my friend with 3 catering trucks, who will routinely be cooking 3 meals a day for 150 out of each truck, including a bunch of special diet options ranging from Paleo to Vegan to Picky.
I know costumers, hair people, makeup people, location scouts, prop builders, and more, all with 20 plus years of experience, who work for Canadian dollars up there.
If you know what Toronto and Vancouver look like, you can start to pick em out in almost all tv shows and movies.
