OPENFILE Vancouver 8 November 2011
Not sure if this has been posted before:
Vancouver is known as one of North America’s top spots for movie and television productions, thanks to its diverse terrain and enticing tax cuts.
However, in the last few years, Vancouver has been increasingly used as the backdrop for reality television. More specifically, reality television focusing on entrepreneurs: The Cupcake Girls, At the End of My Leash, The Stagers and The Last Ten Pounds put the spotlight on business owners around town, detailing what they do, both inside and outside of the office.
Jason Dussault, owner of the clothing line Dussault Apparel Inc., branched out into television in an effort to expand his brand. He had been on several reality shows before, including Gene Simmons Family Jewels and the locally shot Chop Shop, and believed he had a compelling story to tell.
A few years ago, the clothing designer approached Paperny Films and pitched his idea; Dussault Inc. is now in its second season, although it’s currently based in L.A.
Dussault says the best part about having a televsion show is its reach. For instance, he wanted to expand his brand to sunglasses. In order to create a good storyline, the producers helped him find collaborators, so he didn’t have to do the grunt work.
“The contact base grows expediently,” he says. “It doubled the size of my company by having the production team on my side.” He says his show also gave him “opportunity and access and a little bit of star power” that he wouldn’t have had otherwise.
