Real-Life Communication -- Solution
For a documentary producer, filming in foreign countries is just
one of the many complex issues that have to be dealt with. This trip is going
to be expensive enough, so if you can manage to save some money at the border,
that would be nice.
It takes you a while, but you finally get through
the document from the Government of Canada. You soon realize that much of
it doesn't apply to you. As a documentary film crew, you have no costumes,
sets or special effects equipment.
Here's your memo:
To:
All Crew on Timber Wolf Project
From: Producer Tilley
Subject: Duties
at Border
It's important that we all get through customs without
paying more duty than we have to. I have reviewed the official documents and
have summarized the relevant sections. Please review this memo to ensure you're
well informed about the issues before reaching customs.
According to
Section 1, our cameras and film will qualify for a break on duty. We'll only
have to pay one-60th of the film equipment's value. Because we'll be there
for less than a year, and the production is educational in nature, we qualify
for this break.
The importation of clothes and supplies for the shoot
is another matter. According to Section 7, it might be better to purchase
clothing and supplies after we get into Canada:
"Other goods to be
imported temporarily, but not listed above, may be considered for one-60th
entry if it can be established that similar or substitute goods were not available
from a Canadian source of supply for the requisite time period."
So,
the plan now is to take the filming equipment to Canada and buy other
supplies once there.