ARCHIVED - National Film Board of Canada

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Minister's Message:

Each year, the Canadian Heritage Portfolio organizations, including the National Film Board (NFB), work very hard so that Canadians across the country can benefit from our rich culture and heritage. As Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, I am proud to present the 2010–2011 Report on Plans and Priorities prepared by the NFB.

In the digital age, the unique role of the NFB as Canada's public producer and distributor of audiovisual works is taking on a new importance. As digital technologies transform the way media is consumed, a door is opening for all Canadians—as creators, consumers, and citizens—to position Canada as a global leader in creativity and innovation. The NFB is harnessing the potential of this digital revolution with groundbreaking programming and award-winning Canadian content on the Internet and on mobile platforms, allowing it to connect with Canadians in new and meaningful ways that encourage greater citizen engagement.

The NFB works with Canadian media makers and private sector partners in every region of the country to provide a unique environment where innovation and creativity merge. It develops made-in-Canada creative and technological innovations that allow our country to position itself as a leader in the global creative economy. In so doing, the NFB is instrumental in helping chart a course that will allow our creative industries to navigate the changing landscape, while increasing the country's economic potential and providing Canadians with greater access to their culture.

The 2010–2011 Report on Plans and Priorities demonstrates that the National Film Board intends to be innovative and effective in delivering its mandate, in order to achieve the objectives of the Canadian Heritage Portfolio and the Government of Canada. In this way, the NFB will contribute to Canada's cultural, social, and economic vitality.

The Honourable James Moore, P.C., M.P.

 

Commissioner's Message

Cultural activities and exchanges provide the necessary conversation for negotiating the ways in which we can exist as a society. This is done through the ongoing works of creation and through the continued interrogation of the past. Societies can only exist in time through the public realm. It is there that continuity and societal memory is built—not to be locked in by the past but to be enriched and informed by our history.

Through the vicissitudes of technological and demographic change the NFB has, since its inception, provided Canadians with a sense of continuity, identity and cultural memory.

Today, the digital revolution is having a profound social, cultural, economic and political impact that mirrors the depth of the industrial revolution of the late 18^th and 19^th century and the shifting social terrain is as radical. While such a fundamental shift presents numerous challenges, it is also rife with opportunity. As Canada's public producer, and a long-time leader in media literacy, the NFB is harnessing the democratic potential of digital media and enabling an ever-growing number of Canadians to engage with thought-provoking, socially relevant media. The NFB is seizing the moment to expand the parameters of filmmaking and above all, connect with audiences in new and meaningful ways.

Two years into its five-year Strategic Plan, the NFB is already setting the pace for creative innovation in digital media. NFB.ca was named one of the "Top 50 Canadian websites" by Canada's Web 50 (a collection of Canadian creative designers, marketing managers and online media buyers) and "Best Online Video Portal" by the Canadian Media Awards (Canada's only nationwide digital media awards show). Even more encouraging is how enthusiastically our expanding audience has embraced our new digital offerings. To date, the online Screening Room on NFB.ca has featured over 3 million screenings, with more than 1,400 NFB productions currently available, along with new titles added weekly. This fall, we broke all viewing records on NFB.ca with over 100,000 viewings for A Sunday at 105, a documentary short by Acadian filmmaker Daniel Léger. The NFB iPhone application ranked as the third most downloaded application, ahead of Facebook and Skype, two days after its October 2009 launch.

What this tells us is that Canadians, when given access, want to watch NFB films and are eager for challenging and socially relevant Canadian content online and—increasingly—on their portable players. In 2010-11 we will strive to meet this burgeoning demand for the kind of content that has come to be associated with the NFB brand: groundbreaking storytelling reflecting Canadian values and perspectives. We will do this by making even more of our collection available for viewing at NFB.ca and expanding our overall online presence. We will enhance our site with more interactive features and more targeted content for our educational clients. We will also continue exploring and developing new business models such as online video-on-demand.

We will push forward in taking the kind of risks that allow us to shape the future of digital creation, set new precedents in filmmaking, and help position Canada at the forefront of the global digital economy. We will continue to break new ground in animation and push boundaries in cross-platform storytelling, while exploring new ways of interacting with audiences, engaging them in the creative process and allowing them to document their own realities.

As Canada's public producer the NFB is an essential partner in events of national significance, playing a role in major federal projects and showcasing Canadian innovation to the world. The NFB has entered into a partnership with Cirque du Soleil to produce the signature film presented in the Canadian pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai. For the third year in a row, it will make short films honouring the achievements of the Governor General's Performing Arts Award winners. With its DVD collection, The Many Faces of Afghanistan, the NFB will continue in its tradition of creating bridges between cultures through film by providing these films to all 143 Canadian Missions to use as part of Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's (DFAIT) Afghanistan Task Force Public Diplomacy events. And in partnership with the Inuit Relations Secretariat (IRS) and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) we are working to produce a DVD box set celebrating the history and traditions of the Inuit people.

Today the opportunities for creative organizations, particularly public institutions like the NFB, are profound. By taking smart and innovative risks with new technologies we can help to position Canada at the forefront of the knowledge-based global economy. However, we cannot do this without a larger national vision. This is why we appeared before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's hearing on the Internet, supporting a national digital strategy. The NFB is forming a think tank with key stakeholders in the industry to explore the ramifications of such strategy.

The NFB is proud of our legacy, but what we're most excited about is our future. We're in the midst of a change in the way we produce and experience media. It's time to seize these opportunities to truly shape the future of filmmaking.

Tom Perlmutter
Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the National Film Board

 

Section I: Departmental Overview

Raison d'être and Responsibilities

The NFB was created by an act of Parliament in 1939. A federal cultural agency within the Canadian Heritage portfolio, the NFB exists to produce and distribute original and innovative audiovisual works that add to our understanding of the issues facing Canadians and raise awareness of Canadian values and viewpoints across the country and around the world.

The NFB has offered valuable insights into Canada's richness and diversity through the exploration of contemporary social issues, with an emphasis on diverse, point-of-view documentaries; auteur, animation and new media. Throughout the decades, the NFB has also played an important role in marking the major changes and events taking place in Canadian society. It has set the benchmark for Canadian cinematic innovations.

At the heart of the NFB's Strategic Plan (2008–2012) is a return to the NFB's core values: supporting creators, privileging imagination and socially engaged creation in all technological forms, and making the results accessible to all Canadians. It continues to provide Canadian creators a place to develop new forms of authentic, socially relevant works that are central to creating common democratic, civil values in a rapidly changing and increasingly diverse society. By supporting emerging filmmakers, members of diverse cultural and linguistic communities, Aboriginal communities and people with disabilities, the NFB ensures that its audiovisual works reflect the country's diversity and explains the changing cultural and social realities of Canada.

In this digital era, the need for the NFB as Canada's public producer and distributor is more essential than ever to take commercial and artistic risks that private producers otherwise would not be able to take. By testing the creative possibilities of new technologies, tackling tough issues of concern or enabling distribution into remote communities, the NFB provides Canadians and the Canadian industry with new opportunities. As a creative laboratory for innovation, the NFB develops new formats and approaches to the storytelling of the future, ranging from digital creation and distribution to explorations in stereoscopic productions.

Accessibility to the audiovisual works that it produces and distributes to Canadians is an NFB priority. Caretaker of a remarkable Canadian audiovisual heritage, the NFB shares its vast archives with Canada and the world – a national treasure featuring over 13,000 productions. At NFB.ca the Canadian public and international audiences now have unprecedented access to audiovisual content reflecting Canadian culture and values. The NFB serves Canadians by making its rich collection available when and where Canadians want to see it, on the platform of their choice. Furthermore, it is a trusted provider of Canadian audiovisual content to Canada's educational institutions, in both official languages, and is a significant carrier of Canadian values to Canada's youth.

For more information on the NFB, please consult our web site at the following link: http://www.onf-nfb.gc.ca/eng/about-us/organization.php

 

Strategic Outcome and Program Activity Architecture (PAA)

In pursuing its mandate, the National Film Board aims to achieve the following strategic outcome:

The reflection of Canadian values and perspectives through the production of innovative Canadian audiovisual works accessible in relevant media of the day.

Program Activity Architecture

The chart below illustrates the NFB's program activities and sub-activities that contribute to its Strategic Outcome.¹

Planning Summary

Financial Resources ($ thousands)

2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013
67,217	67,167	67,167

Human Resources (Full-time Equivalent - FTE)

2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013
452	452	452

 

Strategic Outcome 1: The reflection of Canadian values and perspectives through the production of innovative Canadian audiovisual works accessible in relevant media of the day.

Performance Indicators	Targets2
Percentage of Canadian public that perceive the NFB as an innovative, creative and socially engaged institution	60% by March 31, 2011
Percentage of completed productions dealing with major social issues	90% by March 31, 2011
Percentage of NFB audience who indicated that NFB productions reflect Canadian values or perspectives	85% by March 31, 2011

Program Activity ($ thousands)	Forecast Spending 2009-10	Planned Spending			Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
		2010-11	2011-12	2012-13
Production of Audiovisual Works	47,477	46,714	46,666	46,666	A Vibrant Canadian Heritage and Culture
Distribution, Accessibility, Outreach	13,048	12,733	12,734	12,734
Internal Services	7,926	7,770	7,767	7,767
Total Planned Spending	68,451	67,217	67,167	67,167

 

Contribution of Priorities to Strategic Outcome

The NFB will focus on the following operational and management priorities as outlined in its strategic plan 2008–2012. This Report on Plans and Priorities sets out the goals to be achieved over the planning period.

*Overall Strategic Outcome: The reflection of Canadian values and perspectives through the production of innovative Canadian audiovisual works accessible in relevant media of the day.

Operational Priorities	Type	Links to Strategic Outcome	Description
Creative leadership and programming excellence: The NFB will exercise its leadership as a world reference point for innovation and creation of documentaries, and auteur animation, digital/new media content and other emerging forms for and across all platforms.	Ongoing	*see Overall Strategic Outcome	Why is this a priority? The NFB's audiovisual works provide a uniquely Canadian perspective, playing a pivotal role in the Canadian film and television industry. The NFB is able to take creative, financial and technological risks that must be taken for Canada to remain at the forefront of the cultural industry.   Plans for meeting the priority: The NFB is bringing a multiplatform, digital focus to its overall programming process in 2010-11. It will continue developing new formats and new approaches to storytelling in digital creation and distribution.   The NFB will also maintain and strengthen its ability to identify, develop and mentor the talent and creative skills of emerging filmmakers, and filmmakers from Aboriginal and diverse regional, linguistic and ethnocultural communities.   The NFB will continue seeking out new partnerships with public and private sector organizations and leverage existing ones.
Wide accessibility and democratic engagement: The NFB will make its work and the work of its partners readily and widely accessible to Canadian and international audiences on all relevant platforms.	Ongoing	*see Overall Strategic Outcome	Why is this a priority? Canadian and international audiences rely on the NFB to provide high-quality, distinctly Canadian content on all relevant platforms. By harnessing the potential of digital technologies to connect with Canadians on issues of social relevance, the NFB fosters social cohesion and civic engagement while expanding its reach. The NFB is also a trusted provider of Canadian audiovisual content – in both official languages – to Canada's educational institutions and is a significant carrier of Canadian values to Canada's youth.   Plans for meeting the priority: The NFB will enhance its online offerings at NFB.ca and expand its online presence in syndication with its partners.   It will also develop a dedicated online offering for the educational sector.   These activities will be supported by a more structured and prioritized approach to marketing.
Digital Transformation: By continuing to implement its digital strategy, the NFB will ensure that it can deliver on its mandate into the future: in programming, distribution, accessibility, business development and conservation of its audiovisual heritage	Ongoing	*see Overall Strategic Outcome	Why is this a priority? The digitization of the NFB's audiovisual works is essential for the future of the NFB and its ability to deliver programming and value to Canadians. Digitization is essential for both the preservation and accessibility of the NFB's rich Canadian heritage collection for future generations.   Plans for meeting the priority: The NFB will continue the implementation of the Digitization and Digital Archiving plan.   By transforming into a tapeless environment through increasing digital transactions and delivery, the NFB is better adapting to the needs of the new media shift.

 

Management Priorities	Type	Links to Strategic Outcome	Description
Organizational Renewal: The NFB will become a model for the creative organization of the 21st century: a flexible, efficient and effective organization that is a crucible for creative innovation, values its employees, works in a timely and transparent manner with its stakeholders, delivers value to Canadians and takes initiative in implementing environmentally sustainable practices.	Ongoing	*see Overall Strategic Outcome	Why is this a priority? The NFB must adapt to the shifting environment so it can continue to deliver value to Canadians.   Organizational renewal, based on principles of good governance and accountability, supports the NFB's five-year strategic plan, which positions it and its industry partners to be more competitive in the changing environment.   Plans for meeting the priority: The Operational Committee will continue the implementation of the strategic plan according to priorities set for the year.   Training will be a priority that not only ensures that the skills of the workforce are up to date with the new environment, but will also ensure that NFB staff can grow with the organization.   The NFB will work towards improving management areas based on the ratings of MAF round V, and in preparation for the assessment in 2010–2011.
Firm Financing: The NFB will continue to implement better financial planning and control mechanisms to maximize internal efficiencies, in addition to focusing on new areas of revenue generation, leveraging partnerships in areas like marketing and becoming more aggressive in our traditional distribution activities.	Ongoing	*see Overall Strategic Outcome	Why is this a priority? Faced with a constant erosion of its purchasing power and pressing capital needs to meet the challenges of digitization and other transformations in production technology, the NFB must be on firm financial footing in order to be able to deliver on its mandate and responsibilities.   Plans for meeting the priority: In 2010–11 the NFB will focus on new areas of revenue generation, by monetizing some of its online offerings, through syndication with partners. It will explore online video-on-demand and other business models.   The NFB will put in place a more structured and effective approach to marketing and distribution.

 

Risk Analysis

A Fragile Film and TV Industry

Currently, both the NFB and its partners in the private sector are experiencing the repercussions of an increasingly fragile Canadian film and TV industry. Due to the collapse of traditional broadcast models and the evolution and fragmentation of markets, there are fewer avenues available for broadcast and a tightening of licensing budgets. Independent documentary producers in particular – who often rely on advance broadcast license agreements (or "pre-sales") to finance their productions –are facing tough challenges. According to the Canadian Film and Television Production Association's Profile 2009 report, steep declines in television advertising have been linked to Canadian and international broadcasters' "downward demand for Canadian television programming."³ It further states that Canadian producers continued to rely heavily on Canadian broadcasters: "foreign financing for Canadian television production dropped by 33 percent, from $250 million to $167 million, as Canadian producers found it more and more difficult to pre-sell Canadian programming to foreign broadcasters."⁴ The NFB has not been immune to this global trend: in 2008–2009, revenues from public and private broadcasters decreased by 26 percent. The NFB is, however, anticipating it will see some improvement in 2010–11 as Canada and other parts of the world emerge from the recession. The report also shows that there was a substantial drop of 50 percent in the volume of production in the category that includes one-off documentaries.⁵

New Digital Platforms

While we are witnessing a narrowing of traditional broadcast options, we are also being presented with a broadening of digital possibilities. Digital technologies offer easier reach, and a much more efficient and effective delivery of cultural products to Canadians and to the world. There is an urgent need to provide Canadian content in a globalized digitized space that is increasingly dominated by foreign content. The NFB is part of a solution that will have significant implications on such areas as the creative economy and the future of national cohesion.

The digitization of the NFB's audiovisual works is essential for the future of the NFB and for its ability to deliver programming and value to Canadians. The caretaker of a vast audiovisual heritage of high cultural value to Canadians, the NFB must digitize its entire collection of over 13,000 titles in order to preserve it and make accessible for future generations of Canadians. However, this is an enormous undertaking, presenting many technical and financial challenges. Approximately 20% of the NFB's 70-year production of films is at risk of loss over the medium term unless it is migrated to new formats. In a constantly evolving technological climate, obsolescence risk is significant and requires careful consideration and thorough analysis. The NFB must continuously review and upgrade (when appropriate) its digital technologies in order to remain innovative and provide the most value to Canadians.

There are challenges particularly related to the financing of costs of digitization, technological upgrades and rights management – while a rights management process is in place, it takes a substantial investment to clear rights to make its collection available online. In addition to the loss of broadcast revenues, the NFB has been contending with the erosion of its purchasing power through a rise in program costs. To gain a more steady financial footing, the NFB is strengthening financial planning and focusing on new areas of revenue generation.

Organizational Renewal

In order to effectively and efficiently carry out its strategic objectives, including the transition to digital media, the NFB has been undergoing major changes in its operations and organization. In September 2009, the NFB merged nine branches into five branches as a move towards a more integrated and coherent way of working.

Finally, it is imperative that the NFB train and update skills among its workforce to stay at the forefront of innovative media production in the changing media technological landscape. Though training in new media is already ongoing at the NFB, a formal training and skills development strategy will have to be put in place for 2010–11.

 

Expenditure Profile

($ thousands)

 

Voted and Statutory Items

Voted and Statutory Items
($ thousands)

Vote # or Statutory Item (S)	Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording	2009-2010 Main Estimates	2010-2011 Main Estimates
65	Program expenditures	65,062	67,217
TOTAL		65,062	67,217

 

Variance explanation

The increase of $2,155 (thousands) from 2009-2010 to 2010-2011 is explained by the following items:

Compensation for Collective Agreement	2,303
Reduction from Procurement cost efficiencies	(148)
TOTAL increase Year-Over-Year	2,155

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