ATLANTA --- Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, local elected officials, EUE/Screen Gems COO Chris Cooney and Executive Vice President Kris Bagwell today announced plans to build a second, new, state-of-the-art sound stage on the Lakewood studio lot.
"It's hard to believe that just one short year ago, this site of the former Lakewood Fairgrounds was a vacant lot overrun with kudzu and weeds with a fairly bleak future," said Mayor Reed. "But thanks to everyone at EUE/Screen Gems, this is an expanding, full-scale, state-of-the-art film studio where between 250-300 people come to work on an average day. The significant investment being made here has had a tremendous economic and cultural impact on the city of Atlanta. Not only has this partnership provided valuable job opportunities to our residents, but it has also had a positive impact on Lakewood’s neighboring areas.”
In August of last year, Mayor Reed and city officials joined EUE/Screen Gems, a television, film, digital, content, and commercial production company based in New York City, to celebrate the lease of the former Lakewood Fairgrounds property to the company. The demand for studio space in Atlanta has exceeded expectations. In April 2011, EUE/Screen Gems opened Stage 5, a new 37,500-sq-ft sound stage, one of the largest east of Los Angeles. The latest addition, Stage 6, is a 30,000 sq ft sound stage that can be divided for two productions filming simultaneously. It will allow the studios to host as many as seven different productions at one time or very large productions that need multiple buildings and stages.
“We are grateful to be a part of the thriving film industry in this great city. The business here is flourishing, due to Georgia’s film incentive and the support of The City of Atlanta. We are pleased to partner with Mayor Reed and be part of his vision of economic development and opportunity. Stage 6 will be finished in February 2012, just in time for the television pilot season,” said Chris Cooney.
Kris Bagwell, Executive Vice President for the Atlanta studios, says the company has worked with BET Networks on three shows: “Let’s Stay Together,” “Sunday Best” and most recently, “The Game." Other production partners include Paramount Pictures, Turner Broadcasting’s Cartoon Network and Tyler Perry Studios. USA Network’s new show, “Necessary Roughness” booked Stage 5 before construction was completed. Two films are scheduled for Stage 5 while “Necessary Roughness” is on hiatus.
Jobs now at the EUE/Screen Gems Atlanta site include actors, writers, directors and producers along with many workers providing support services such as catering, set decoration, props, construction, lighting and electric, wardrobe and transportation.
EUE/Screen Gems Atlanta BY THE NUMBERS:
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32 acres of land leased from the City of Atlanta in the Lakewood area in a 50-year lease
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30,000 sq ft of sound stage space will be offered by Stage 6
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80,500 sq ft of total sound stage space will be available on the lot when Stage 6 is completed
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35,000 sq ft of flex space available for wardrobe, plaster, mill and prop storage.
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24,000 sq ft of finished production office space with high-speed, wireless Internet
Four existing, Spanish Mission-style buildings were renovated on site
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37,500 sq ft: Stage 5’s capacity. It was finished this spring and is one of the largest sound stages east of Los Angeles.
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$9 million investment by EUE/Screen Gems into the Atlanta location with the completion of Stage 6. The company does not receive refunds or rebates of any kind through the Georgia film incentive.
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250 to 300 people have been working on the studio lot on an average day over the past 12 months.
ABOUT EUE/SCREEN GEMS
EUE/Screen Gems supplies production space, studios, technological infrastructure and support for movie, film and commercial producers. They also produce original content and offer digital content and production services.
The Wilmington, N.C. studio campus has been home to more than 350 productions, including “One Tree Hill,” “Dawson’s Creek” and “Matlock” and the HBO comedies “Eastbound & Down” and “Little Britain USA.” Recent films that have called Wilmington home include “Nights in Rodanthe” and “The Secret Life of Bees.” The Wilmington property is also home to Stage 10, a $15 million special effects water tank and sound stage. “One Tree Hill” completes an unprecedented run in Wilmington, N.C. this fall.
The EUE/Screen Gems’ New York City facility provides high-end production, post-production services and “wired” production offices to CBS’s “Rachael Ray” show. New York clients include Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Food Network and others.
The Lakewood studio campus in Atlanta completes the suite of EUE/Screen Gems studio sites. The company also owns a lighting and grip company in Charleston, S.C.
Visit www.euescreengems.com and www.screengemsstudios.com
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For more information about City of Atlanta, please visit
www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26