North Shore movie studios are buzzing with activity after a big upswing last year in the Lower Mainland's film and TV business.

"I think that we are feeling optimistic, and we are off to a good start," said Peter Leitch, chairman of the Motion Picture Industry Production Association of B.C..

A total of 246 productions were shot in B.C. in 2010 according to the B.C. Film Commission. The early part of the year was slow because of the Olympics, but the busy summer and fall seasons brought in more than $1 billion in revenue.

"We don't target shows according to how much money they are going to spend. What we do is showcase the province to everybody. We just take them as they come," said the commission's Susan Croome.

The introduction of the production service tax credit and the HST has increased the popularity of filming in Vancouver, said Leitch.

North Shore Studios is concentrating on B.C.-based producers to increase the local industry, but Leitch admits there aren't any simple solutions. "There's a bunch of factors that are difficult to influence."

In 2010, most of the production last year was in television, with more than 100 television shows filming or in production.

"We've developed an expertise for getting the job done on time and on budget, and we've got a really good track record here. We've got great infrastructure with five major studios in the Lower Mainland. We've got the crew base, the cast and the infrastructure, and those are the key things for television," said Leitch.

Television series production brought in $512 million in 2010, an increase of $74 million from 2009.

The film business employs an estimated 35,000 jobs around the province, making British Columbia the third largest film production centre in North America, after Los Angeles and New York.

amacdonald@nsnews.com