Posted on 10/17/2001 9:17:09 AM PDT by Rebelbase
Western North Carolina residents have long known that the area in and around Asheville is well suited for the silver screen. Now the city will have its own studio from which directors and producers from all over the nation will be able to work.
Blue Ridge Motion Pictures has just moved into the former Girmes plant on Old Charlotte Highway. Leanne Campbell, the studio head, purchased the building and the 40 acres it sits on this past August. Though the company will share the space with three other tenants, Blue Ridge Motion Pictures will be using more than 120,000 square feet for its productions.
"It's nice to find a city that's perfect for filming," Campbell said standing in the "black studio," an enormous room painted entirely black which can be used for still photography. Although the building interior and exterior still resemble the factory it was originally constructed as, Campbell and her two partners have big plans for the building.
Six hundred feet of the exterior of the main building will be covered with a façade which Campbell likens to street façades seen in Disney World. The objective is to recreate "Main Street, USA" for directors and producers to use as a set. 200 feet of the exterior of a second building will be covered in the same way, allowing for 360 degree shots.
Campbell says the studio will feature everything producers and directors, who will lease space to work on productions, will need. Blue Ridge Motion Pictures will construct the largest soundstage in the nation on their property. The 160' x 240' by 45' stage will be completely soundproof and will contain a green room for actors, a dressing room, make-up facilities and space for cameras and lighting as well as catering, so stars can be as pampered in Asheville as anywhere else they film.
Also under construction is an "effects" tank, which will be used to film water scenes. When finished, the tank at Blue Ridge Motion Pictures will be even larger than the tank used to shoot the movie The Abyss.
Other features at the studio will include an animation department, editing and recording studios, a wardrobe department and scenery and effects shops. Campbell adds that the property will be protected with a secured front gate. "It gets kind of crazy when Tom Cruise comes to town," she says.
If Campbell seems to have high expectations for the studio, her hopes are certainly warranted. North Carolina is third in the nation after Los Angeles and New York City for movie production, and although Wilmington, NC, takes the lion's share of that business, many movies have been shot in Western North Carolina, including Patch Adams, Last of the Mohicans, Hanibal, Dirty Dancing and Nell.
"Producers are trying to come away from the fast pace of Hollywood," Campbell says. "Here, they can find a place to work and shoot without the hustle and bustle. Asheville lends that - it's quiet and peaceful and the mountains are beautiful."
Campbell adds that the studio is not just for big producers, but is also suitable for shooting commercials, still photography, television and industrial or instructional videos. Already, Blue Ridge Motion Pictures is looking into the possibility of hosting the production of a television pilot, says Campbell, and many producers, directors and location scouts from all over the nation have visited the studio to look into its capabilities.
Campbell, whose background is in business management and real estate, met her two partners, Merwin Gross, the executive producer, and Tom Barkstedt, the creative director, through a mutual acquaintance at a meeting of a capital venture group. When Gross and Barkstedt learned about Campbell's business expertise, they asked her to join them in creating Blue Ridge Motion Pictures. Campbell then purchased the building, and the group closed on the property on Monday, August 13.
Gross and Barkstedt have over 30 years of experience writing, producing and directing theatre and film. "Their wealth of knowledge of the film industry and my knowledge of business makes a nice marriage," says Campbell.
Campbell says city officials and businesses have helped lend a hand since the company arrived in Asheville. Mayor Leni Sitnick has welcomed the three partners to the area, says Campbell, and the company has worked with several local businesses to set up their offices. Campbell says she hopes that Blue Ridge Motion Pictures will be able to "bring in the economics that everyone here wants for Asheville."
Blue Ridge Motion Pictures began interviewing for jobs in all areas of the industry on Monday, September 24. The company has few openings for permanent positions, such as managers in the different buildings on the property and maintenance workers. Other positions will be offered on the basis of specific projects, but even these positions may last for a year or more, says Campbell. For more information about openings at Blue Ridge Motion Pictures, visit the company's Web site at www.blueridgemotionpictures.com.
That will be one huge water tank. Was'nt The Abyss filmed in an unfinished nuclear cooling tank?
Asheville used to be a town rich in the culture of the Blue Ridge but for the past 10 years has steadily imported outside influences. What was once a regional cultural hub is fast becoming a New Age mecca. The introduction of Hollywood on a grand scale will only hasten the demise of its cultural roots.
You are correct, sir! Thanks for the flag :-)
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