Michigan

A 71,000 square foot movie studio in Lansing?

Lansing may be ready for its Hollywood close-up.

A team led by East Lansing's Gillespie Group and Lansing-based Ahptic Film & Digital are set to announce plans today for City Center Studios, which would have twin 24,000-square-foot soundstages large enough to handle a blockbuster.

It would likely be late 2009 before the studios could open, and no movie deals are yet in the works.

But the group is being spurred by a flurry of film-related activity coming to Michigan thanks to its new production incentives. State officials have green-lighted 19 projects for tax rebates of up to 42 percent of their Michigan production costs since the incentives were approved in April.

The building - about the size of a small department store - would replace a largely vacant lot between Cedar and Larch streets south of Saginaw Street.

It would cost about $9 million to build, Gillespie said. Millions more likely would be spent on equipment.

The building would be about 58 feet tall - a few feet taller than Gillespie's nearby four-story Stadium District building to the south. That would give the structure's soundstages a ceiling height of 50 feet.

It also would include editing suites, a screening room and office space.

The Ahptic partners estimate the studio would have about 20 full-time employees and could need 100 to 300 freelance workers for various projects. That work would range from building sets to editing footage with sophisticated computer software.

"Already, our friends from L.A., Chicago and elsewhere are looking to move back," said Martyn, Ahptic's executive producer. "We weren't having even remotely those conversations last year."

The Ahptic team plans to fly to Los Angeles soon to meet with producers who might be interested in using the studios.

The partners hope they can link the facility to area film studies programs. LCC, for instance, has about 500 students in its digital media, audio and cinema program.

"We are very interested in sitting down with those folks and exploring the possibilities that would enhance the educational experience of our students," LCC spokeswoman Chris Hollister said. MSU also has expressed interest in the facility.

Re:A 71,000 square foot movie studio in Lansing?

lopezdash:

Lansing may be ready for its Hollywood close-up.

A team led by East Lansing's Gillespie Group and Lansing-based Ahptic Film & Digital are set to announce plans today for City Center Studios, which would have twin 24,000-square-foot soundstages large enough to handle a blockbuster.

It would likely be late 2009 before the studios could open, and no movie deals are yet in the works.

But the group is being spurred by a flurry of film-related activity coming to Michigan thanks to its new production incentives. State officials have green-lighted 19 projects for tax rebates of up to 42 percent of their Michigan production costs since the incentives were approved in April.

The building - about the size of a small department store - would replace a largely vacant lot between Cedar and Larch streets south of Saginaw Street.

It would cost about $9 million to build, Gillespie said. Millions more likely would be spent on equipment.

The building would be about 58 feet tall - a few feet taller than Gillespie's nearby four-story Stadium District building to the south. That would give the structure's soundstages a ceiling height of 50 feet.

It also would include editing suites, a screening room and office space.

The Ahptic partners estimate the studio would have about 20 full-time employees and could need 100 to 300 freelance workers for various projects. That work would range from building sets to editing footage with sophisticated computer software.

"Already, our friends from L.A., Chicago and elsewhere are looking to move back," said Martyn, Ahptic's executive producer. "We weren't having even remotely those conversations last year."

The Ahptic team plans to fly to Los Angeles soon to meet with producers who might be interested in using the studios.

The partners hope they can link the facility to area film studies programs. LCC, for instance, has about 500 students in its digital media, audio and cinema program.

"We are very interested in sitting down with those folks and exploring the possibilities that would enhance the educational experience of our students," LCC spokeswoman Chris Hollister said. MSU also has expressed interest in the facility.

Why Lansing, Why not Detroit?

Re:A 71,000 square foot movie studio in Lansing?

[quote user="corvine"

Why Lansing, Why not Detroit?

I think the investors are Lasing-based.  But remember Studio City wasn't a Los Angeles.  Maybe we'll see a Universal Studios - Grand Rapids one day.

Re:A 71,000 square foot movie studio in Lansing?

I'm excited about new studios in Michigan. It doesn't matter where they are, the more the merrier since that means that more movies will be made here. I just hope the state doesn't recall the tax incentives.