News about film studios and backlots Archives

Film Studios Development Consultants - SCP Experience

There Are 20+ New Film Studios in Development, Worldwide

Much of the development is occurring in the U.K., Canada, and in New York.

There are 20+ new film studios in development worldwide. The slate of new production facilities is coming to market even as the global film industry copes with re-opening after the Covid-19 pandemic and the concurrent economic shutdown.

In fact, the number and scale of these new stages and production support venues may be at an all-time high for delivery of such facilities within a couple-year period. As well, this surge of studio development arrives just as burgeoning content production has been overwhelming existing facilities. In the following, we’re sure a few of these will lag due to financing and local land use approvals, but regardless, there’s a lot coming.

This new facility surge is primarily focused in the U.K., in Canada, and within the U.S., in the New York and New Jersey. Many of these new film studios are coming to market as a direct result of visionary public officials seeking local economic development through creative repurposing of former warehouses, rail yards, factories, and industrial buildings.

In the U.K., new film studios coming to market include Ashford International Studios (former Newton railway works site), Blackhall Studios (Reading), Dagenham Film Studios (at London East Business and Technical Park), OMA Film Studios (London), and Sky Studios (Elstree). Mercian Studios (Birmingham) may also be on the horizon but does not appear to have a project site fully confirmed. The Dagenham project may lag a bit with Pacifica Ventures having dropped out after being awarded the tender.

Over in Scotland, First Stage Studio (Port of Leith) now has a developer having won the tender by Screen Scotland for a repurposed site that has been used temporarily production of portions of the Disney/Marvel film, Avengers: Infinity War.

Among the largest new facilities coming to Canada are Martini Film Studios (Langley, BC) and Studio City Toronto (Ontario), and possibility, along with First Studio City (Markham) and Aeon Studio Group’s Hamilton Studio District.

In New York and New Jersey, newly-arriving film studios include Lionsgate Studios (Yonkers)), Netflix New York (Brooklyn), Sunset Park (Bush Terminal), Robert De Niro’s Wildflower Film Studio (Queens), as well as in New Jersey – Caven Point Studios (Jersey City) and the Industry Go facilities also in Jersey City.

A full list of the 20+ new film studios in development is provided in the Global Directory of Film Studios at the link below, along with a roll call of existing facilities worldwide.

Global Directory of Film Studios - Existing and Planned

Film studio conceptual design - Adventure Entertainment Cos.

California Dept. of Public Health Announces Return to Film Production as of June 12

On June 5 (yesterday), the California Department of Public Health provided its guidance that music, TV and film production can resume in California as of June 12, 2020. The state approval is subject to further approval by county public health officers following their review of local epidemiological data including cases per 100,000 population, rate of test positivity, and local preparedness to support a health care surge, vulnerable populations, contact tracing and testing.

According to the state CDPH website, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, productions, cast, crew and other industry workers should abide by safety protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by county public health officers. Back office staff and management should adhere to Office Workspace guidelines published by the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Industrial Relations, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Such enhancements as CDPH refers to include the white paper released be the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee Task Force associated with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (“AMPTP”). That white paper entitled “Proposed Health and Safety Guidelines for Motion Picture, Television, and Streaming Productions During the COVID-19 Pandemic was published on June 1, 2020. For the convenience of our clients, that white paper is available here: AMPTP COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines

White Paper is Released Regarding Covid-19 Production Guidelines

03.06.2020 Economic Development Growth Monitor, Media Producer, News about film studios and backlots

A white paper has been released, titled “Proposed Health and Safety Guidelines for Motion Picture, Television, and Streaming Productions During the COVID-19 Pandemic (June 1, 2020).” The guidelines are presented by the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee Task Force associated with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (“AMPTP”).

As a courtesy to our studio and production clients, we have provided a download of the white paper here (we had trouble finding the document):

COVID-19 Production Guidelines

According to its website since 1982, AMPTP has acted as the trade association “responsible for negotiating virtually all industry-wide guild and union contracts, including those with American Federation of Musicians (AFM); Directors Guild of America (DGA); International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE); International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW); Laborers Local 724; Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA); Teamsters, Local #399; and Writers Guild of America (WGA) among others. The AMPTP, the entertainment industry’s official collective bargaining representative, negotiates 58 industry-wide collective bargaining agreements on behalf of hundreds of motion picture and television producers.”