LOS ANGELES: 8/10

Like good luck or certain forms of nausea, board flow comes in waves, and LA prodcos seemed to be riding some biggies in March. The majority of EPs we got on the horn were more than pleased to see the back end of a snooze-worthy February, and somewhat surprised to experience the flood. "We're on fire here," enthused one EP. "I look at the bottom line and say 'Whoa, I'm shocked.'" Another exec could barely contain his stoked-ness - "We're doing fuckin' good, man."

This tidal wave is washing up automotive, entertainment, telco, booze, beauty and burger boards upon the desks of respondents. Opinions of budgets vary, with one rep being very succinct in summing up the cash on hand: "No big budgets. At all." Keeping in the tradition of expletive-laced commentary, another producer saw a mild downswing in spending: "The budgets then weren't fucked. I'm dealing with some now that are, shall we say, financially challenged." But while another EP is pleased with budgets being approved it's seen as a trade-off for shoddy creative. "There haven't been any scripts that have come through where I've said 'Wow, I'm really excited to be pitching on this.'"

Indeed, the consensus is that current creative is at low tide. One EP summed up the predicament perfectly: "Meal or reel." Surf's up.

TORONTO: 7/10

"Are we at a wedding or a funeral?" asked one Toronto EP rhetorically, anticipating another round of board flow questions. "We're at a wedding!" But maybe this past month board-wise is more like a quiet elopement on a secluded beach as opposed to a massive, 400-friends-and-family-members blow-out. To back up the beach theory, there's the widespread belief about recent shoots: "Everybody still wants to travel," said one EP, citing talent buyouts and the ever-undependable Canadian weather as prime motivators. "Jobs that we would've taken out to Vancouver or the Rockies, like snowboarding stuff, we're now seeing them go to Chile," said another.

Playing with the marital metaphor just a tad more, judging by the jobs some prodcos are bidding on, perhaps we're talkin' shotgun wedding here. "Liquor, beer and birth control," rhymed off one EP. Others saw automotive, packaged goods, telco and pharmaceuticals. Creatively, we're in a honeymoon phase. "It's all been pretty good," offered one EP, citing comedy and visual jobs making the rounds. "A couple of things are particularly good, but none of it's been terrible." Budget-wise, well, why bother asking? "We're always trying to fit the square peg in the round hole, as the money's never enough," opined one EP, while another was mildly kinder: "There are some healthy budgets and then there's the usual shit."

So while the March flow may've been a mixed bag, it wasn't necessarily busting at the seams. While one EP marveled, "This is the busiest March we've ever had," most polled said things were starting to pick up practically at the moment we called. "I wasn't happy last week, but this week has changed pretty dramatically," said one EP with an audible sigh of relief. "We're not just squeezing stones anymore."

NEW YORK: 6/10

We might know it as an ominous forewarning, but in Roman times the phrase "ides of March" was actually just an innocuous way of saying "the middle of March". This month in New York, both meanings applied, as February's decent close gave way to a bit of a slump as the weeks wore on. Says one exec: "We thought our phones were broken for a couple of weeks, it was so quiet."

With telecommunications, software and a bit of car and beer driving the action, the majority of the creative was assessed as being somewhere between "uninspiring" and "not too bad", with budgets not faring much better. While there were reportedly some big jobs out there for the taking, most of the prodcos we spoke to could've done with a bit more theoretical meat on their theoretical bones.

But despite the flagging American dollar, the cash-strapped end of the fiscal year, and the looming threat of another possible SAG strike ("people are beginning to really clench up about it"), some found a way to put a positive spin on the drought. "This time of year is always bad for us," rationalized one EP. "Every time I freak out, and my accountant's like 'Calm down, it's always your slow period.'"

LONDON: 4/10

What a difference a month makes. Four short weeks ago, things in London were chugging along at a respectable pace, strongly enough that most EPs were relatively happy with their lots in life. Fast forward to mid-March and everyone sounds like they've just lost their puppy down a well. "It's pretty crap right now," lamented one sales rep. "Everything's pretty much stopped."

The only thing more excruciating than the work you're not seeing is the work you're seeing but not getting. If there was one prevailing complaint from London's prodcos for March, it was that an overwhelming amount of boards were pulled back for review. "We've got off to a great start and now it's gone into this spiral," said one EP. "There were so many things we thought were very exciting and lovely. If I have to hear the research word again, I'm gonna scream. It's happened a lot."

Of the jobs floating around, most were smaller budgeted spots for one-day local shoots. With creative also flagging ("There's a couple of little things," joked a rep, "but nothing where you go, 'Oooh, gold stars for everyone!'") prodcos were left with lots of time to commiserate over jars, like many did at the BTAA awards. The one upside to all this review business? It could mean bigger budgets are just around the corner. Reasoned another exec: "If it is a big campaign and if they're looking at a production that's £500,000 or more, I think they're very nervous without researching it."