EUE/Screen Gems Opens Studios in Atlanta
EUE/Screen Gems Opens Studios in Atlanta
EUE/Screen Gems rolls into Atlanta to entice film, television and digital production companies to incentive-friendly Georgia.
Atlanta, GA (Vocus) June 8, 2010 — EUE/Screen Gems has opened a studio complex in the former Lakewood Fairgrounds site near midtown Atlanta. The new studio targets film, television and digital production communities and commercial agencies in the United States and other countries as potential clients. According to the lease agreement with the City of Atlanta, EUE/Screen Gems can book films and television series in an existing soundstage now. One nationally recognized entertainment brand is currently shooting a film at the facility.
EUE/Screen Gems is undertaking a multi-million dollar phased renovation for the property and is updating five other buildings. They will start construction on a new 37,500-foot sound stage that will be ready in March 2011. Plans include the development of office space, a mill shop and lighting and grip facilities. The Lakewood site has a film history. It was home to “Smokey and the Bandit” the 1977 film that inspired other trucking films and its own sequels.
This investment represents another bold move for the bullish studio provider who currently houses the “Rachael Ray” show in New York City and offers a 50-acre studio complex in Wilmington, N.C.
“Producers, directors and studios came to us and asked us to go into Atlanta. We were humbled by that vote of confidence, and we feel strongly about how this investment further extends our offerings,” says Chris Cooney, chief operating officer and co-owner of EUE/Screen Gems. “Through our properties in New York City, Wilmington and now Atlanta, we provide coastal, rural and urban settings to our clients as well as size and infrastructure needed to handle intensive special effects for film, commercial and gaming needs. This urban location expands our portfolio in a powerful way.”
Cooney says the company was also drawn to the attractive 30 percent tax credit to qualified production and post-production expenditures. The credit is available not only to traditional motion picture projects such as feature films, television series, commercials and music videos, but also innovative new industries such as game development and animation. In addition to the incentive, the city’s ethnic and cultural diversity in the talent base was a draw as well as the close proximity to the airport and the number of direct flights to Los Angeles and New York.
Bill Thompson, Deputy Commissioner of the Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office welcomes the arrival of EUE/Screen Gems. “The agreement between EUE/Screen Gems and the City of Atlanta could not have come at a better time,” said Thompson. “Having a high-profile soundstage in the metro area will only add to the many assets Georgia offers for the film industry. We are building this industry in Georgia, and EUE/Screen Gems locating here helps us achieve that goal. The new facility will create more jobs for Georgians and increase our competitiveness as a state for film and television productions.”
For more on the Georgia incentive and the sales and use tax exemption, visit http://www.georgia.org/GeorgiaIndustries/Entertainment/AboutUs/Pages/Incentives.aspx
The expansion into the Lakewood community was widely heralded in the Atlanta press as a source of jobs in a growing, vibrant industry.
ABOUT EUE/SCREEN GEMS
EUE/Screen Gems supplies production space, studios, technological infrastructure and support for movie, film and commercial producers. Its Wilmington, N.C. studio campus has been home to more than 350 productions, including the recently renewed television series “One Tree Hill.” Other titles include “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 company has just invested in updating wireless and coast-to-coast remote capabilities on its lot in Wilmington. The Wilmington property is also home to Stage 10, a $15 million special effects water tank and sound stage. 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 company also owns a lighting and grip company in Charleston, S.C. www.euescreengems.com and www.screengemsstudios.com