New Orleans Film Studios - 2009

First a piece on the Louisiana Film Studios:

Film producers moving into Elmwood

by Mark Waller, The Times-Picayune
Friday February 13, 2009, 4:58 PM

sprawling film production complex is taking shape inside a long-closed Winn-Dixie distribution center in Elmwood, where the cavernous warehouses soon will hold sound stages and the grocery company's front offices will become meeting places for movie makers.

With about 500,000 square feet of buildings on 25 acres, the development has the potential to become the largest film production hub in Louisiana, said Cherreen Gegenheimer, a Jefferson Parish government executive leading the parish's efforts to attract Hollywood business.

A firm called Louisiana Film Studios is renovating the vacant warehouse complex at 600 Edwards Ave. It has already lined up a $60 million project that Jefferson officials touted last month, although the producers have yet to announce details of the film.

"We're trying to build a film community," said Dan Forman, president of Louisiana Film Studios and son of Audubon Nature Institute CEO Ron Forman. "That means a campus for the entertainment industry."

It will be able to house up to eight productions simultaneously, said Wayne Read, studio CEO.

Next, a piece on Second Line Stages:

Lower Garden District warehouse being converted into film studio

Posted by Kimberly Quillen,
The Times-Picayune January 25, 2009 6:30PM

A dilapidated warehouse in the Lower Garden District is quietly being transformed into a $32 million independent film studio.

Second Line Stages began construction of the 90,000-square-foot complex -- which includes three sound stages, a 49-seat digital screening theater and nearly 50,000 square feet of space for offices and production support -- earlier this month.

The new facility will bring badly needed film production capabilities to Orleans Parish, according to Jennifer Day, director of the New Orleans Office of Film and Video.

"Because of demand and the high amount of (film) production we've been bringing to the region .¤.¤. we're having to turn away projects," Day said. "This is going to allow us to bring in more projects, more money, and it is absolutely needed."

Susan Brennan, owner and developer of Second Line Stages, acquired the fire-damaged warehouse at Richard and Chippewa streets in 1998

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If and when these two facilities are completed (and the Louisiana Film Studios is already being used by films), this will give the New Orleans area three proper studios and stages; which is something the area and local film industry has needed. This allows us to compete with New Mexico and the new facilities in North Carolina and Michigan as well as the New Orleans area can properly compete with Shreveport and Baton Rouge for films.

I would love to see the building used for K-Ville and FD4 also bought and renovated into a proper studio since there is plenty of space there, but the facility does need a lot of renovation from electric to plumbing to just turning it into a proper soundstage.

Nice to see the Jefferson Parish leadership seems to recognize the trickle down effect the movie business has on Elmwood. I only hope the leadership of Harahan understand this as well

Things have been a little slow the beginning of this year as compared to last year. I know those who work on set are hurting bad and most are going to have to wait until the end of March/beginning of April for things to kick in. But offices are opening up, so that is good news for everyone.

Interesting fact, if Dead of Night actually films here, that will mean three comic book adaptations have filmed here in the first half of the year. Kind of cool. We have a new David Simon project (pilot for HBO) shooting here called Treme, and a huge action film called The Expendables directed and starring Sylvester Stallone and also starring Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Coutoure.