Major film studio will be built in New Orleans

[nukmusic]

just a heads up.

I think I'll be taking a few post-pro classes.

NEW ORLEANS -- A major Hollywood company plans to build a $20 million movie studio in New Orleans that will accommodate both feature film and television production.


Sunset-Gower Studios, formerly known as Columbia Pictures, plans a studio with five soundstages, 200,000 square feet of office space, and digital postproduction facilities.

The studio also will have an outdoors movie set designed to look like the French Quarter so that moviemakers can film street scenes without having to close downtown blocks.

A state tax-incentive program that took effect in July 2002 offered investors a 15 percent tax credit on the cost of productions valued at $8 million or more. Since the tax incentives have been available, a long list of films has been shot in the state, including "Ray," "Mr. 3000," "The Skeleton Key," "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "All the King's Men."

"This is the next phase: infrastructure," said Mark Smith, entertainment industry director for Louisiana.

Bob Papazian, chief executive officer of Sunset-Gower, said the tax credit program was a major factor in the decision to build the studio.

"What attracted us was the recent Louisiana tax credit," Papazian said. "It's attracted a lot of filmmakers to the state and, just as importantly, the production companies are going to take advantage of the tax credit to help lower the cost of production."

Sunset-Gower, which is owned by Global Innovation Partners, an equity investor group, will partner with the Kern family, best-known for its creation of elaborate Carnival floats, on the project. The studio will be built on a 15 acres of land owned by the Kern family.

Albert Salzer, a veteran producer and New Orleans native who once had to convert an air-conditioned warehouse into a set for the "Big Easy" television series, said the project would sustain the state's growing film industry.

"To take it to the next level we need to have a studio," he said. "Large theatrical features need a lot of space."

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Jules]

Go od news for the area!

[jmiller]

What, no scoring stage?

[Bob Olhsson]

Don't hold your breath expecting a lot of audio post and scoring!

90% of this will continue to be done within a couple Los Angeles neighborhoods for the foreseeable future. No other city can offer hundreds of people to work on a show in a crunch and no producer can afford to not have their ass covered by that capability.

It is good news for local picture editors because a lot of that is being done right on the set.

[nukmusic]

at New Orleans rates and that new Tax Break, anything is possible. This city is in need of something to generate income for its people. With all the movies being shot here and throughout Louisiana(LA), the future looks good.

now if we can just get rid of the LA Political Machine......

I love this line:

The studio also will have an outdoors movie set designed to look like the French Quarter so that moviemakers can film street scenes without having to close downtown blocks.


So they can go to NOLA to shoot reality in the studio! Cool!

<L>

[nobtwiddler]

I want to relocate who do you call for a job?
Paul

[s00p3rm4n]

Let's just see if they actually pour money into making it soundproof. Instead of a big empty metal shell. You can't use that shit as a soundstage.

[jmiller]

Don't get me wrong, I really like living and working in L.A.- even moreso now than ever- but there are so many people moving here everyday it's getting a little crowded. And, I love New Orleans. I always like to keep my eyes open for things like this.

I hope they got good air conditioning!