Episode #92: Two-thirds had never been on a Set. Now There's $100 million in Production with Andrew Barnsley of the Toronto Film School & Executive Producer, Schitt's Creek
Most people who've watched Schitt's Creek, Son of a Critch, Kids in the Hall, or Jann don't know they were watching a career college story unfold.
Andrew Barnsley — executive producer of all four, president of the Toronto Film School, and one of the most respected television producers in Canada — has spent the last several years running both a production company and an institution purpose-built to fill the creative industries with the people those productions need. In this Canada Day edition of the EdUp Canada Podcast, he makes the case that those two roles are not as separate as they sound.
The conversation starts in Newfoundland, where Andrew traces what five seasons of Son of a Critch did to an entire province's film industry: when they arrived, the province had roughly one and a half crews; when they left, it had more than doubled. $100 million in production flowed through in 2025 alone. That growth didn't happen by accident — it happened because the labour pool deepened, and labour pools deepen through training.
At Toronto Film School, Andrew is investing in the infrastructure that makes that depth possible: a new campus with motion capture studios, a theater, sound recording booths, and $2.5 million in state-of-the-art production equipment. The Hollywood Reporter has named it one of the top international film schools in the world for three consecutive years.
But the conversation's most memorable moment happens at a wrap party in Newfoundland, where Andrew turns to a grip and says: "Never forget how important your work is. When we do our jobs right at every level, we're impacting the world." It's a line he's been saying to students, too — and it's the clearest explanation of why he's doing both jobs at once.
What to expect
[00:07:30] — The Mission: A Graduate on Every Set, Coast to Coast to Coast
[00:08:00] — One and a Half Crews to Four: The Newfoundland Story
[00:09:30] — "Raise Your Hand If This Was Your First Time on a Set"
[00:11:30] — Three Years on The Hollywood Reporter's List
[00:15:00] — Why No Government Touches Film Tax Credits Anymore
[00:17:00] — 1,000 People Bring One Show to Life
[00:24:00] — "It Started in a Dark Room in St. John's"
[00:36:30] — People Want to Know the Secret
Read the full transcript here:https://share.descript.com/view/3VAHa5tbuZE