Economic pressures and tax advantages drawing film and television production out of state have all taken a toll on Hollywood’s entertainment industry, but faith still abounds.
Los Angeles-based Hudson Capital LLC is combining two legendary Hollywood studio lots to become one entity and changing the studios’ names to Capital Studios.
The former Sunset Gower Studios will now be called Capital Studios at Sunset Gower, while Sunset Bronson Studios (formerly KTLA/Tribune Studios) will be known as Capital Studios at Sunset Bronson.
Capital Studios will have a combined total of 23 sound stages and more than 700,000 square feet of office production and support space located on 28 acres in the heart of
Hollywood.
Hudson purchased the former KTLA/Tribune Studios for about $125 million earlier this year and the Gower Studios, two blocks away, for roughly $190 in August 2007.
“This is much more than a name change,” said Howard Stern, a Hudson principal. “We see a prime opportunity to redefine what the independent studio experience will be for the foreseeable future.”
That includes multi-million dollar renovations and aesthetic upgrades to the new main entrance and new exterior, as well as a new monthly screening series for new filmmakers through a partnership with NewFilmmakers LA, held in the 70-seat theater named after famed independent director Stanley Kramer.
Capital Studios at both the Sunset Gower and Sunset Bronson locations are currently home to high-profile film and television shows such as “Hannah Montana,” “Judge Judy” and “Trivial Pursuit,” among many other broadcast television productions.
L.A. Times Turns To Chi-Town
Nouveau media mogul Sam Zell, owner of the Los Angeles Times, KTLA-TV (Channel 5) and the Chicago Tribune, among other media properties, recently consolidated the storied L.A. Times Washington news bureau, vaulting D.C. thoroughbred Cissy Baker to the trimmed down bureau’s top slot.
Former L.A. Times Washington Bureau chief Doyle McManus gave up his post a day after Baker was named as the new bureau chief, overseeing all newsgathering operations from the nation’s capitol.
“Nobody should have the same job forever,” McManus recently told Editor & Publisher magazine. “Long ago, when I started with it, I had a discussion with a friend of mine who was a university president who had just left his post. He said when you start up one of those jobs, every one is your friend. With every decision, someone goes from being a supporter to being a detractor. It is very difficult to be effective in the same job for a long period off time. I am clearly past my ‘sell-by’ date.”
McManus’ replacement, Baker, has served as vice president of news operations for Tribune Broadcasting since 2003, and as its Washington bureau chief since 1994.
McManus’ first column will run in January, according to a Times statement.
In addition to the Times bureau chief post, the Chicago Tribune bureau chief position, vacant for the past two weeks, is also being eliminated, according to a Times statement.
While executives at the L.A. Times declined to comment beyond a brief written statement, the consolidation of the Washington bureau is believed to be yet another in a long line of cost-cutting maneuvers by Tribune Chief Executive Zell, who is struggling to come up with $1.5 billion in debt payment he assumed as part of a leveraged buyout of the Times, among other media properties.
Globally Social
After scoring big on their Facebook marketing campaign for the film “Jump,” 20th Century Fox is now pulling out all the stops to create the studio’s biggest movie promotion in the studio’s history.
Fox is employing seven of the world’s top social networks, such as MySpace, Facebook, Bebo and Netlog in order to promote the remake of the classic science fiction film “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” staring Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly.
Fox’s previous social networking campaign drew more than 800,000 unique page views a week. During that campaign Fox only utilized its parent company News Corp.’s subsidiary Facebook.
Going along with the film’s sci-fi theme, the international Web campaign asks people to make a list, called a “vital list.”
“We’re leveraging the most popular social networks around the world, with a question that resonates with all,” said Hilary Hattenbach, vice president, domestic digital marketing at Fox. “I personally am interested in seeing what fans will decide is the Earth’s Most Vital List.”
Earth’s Vital List, which launched last week, poses the question , if the earth was under attack what would you save?
Consumers are asked to build a list of 12 items (people, places or things) they would save on “the day the earth stands still.” Vital lists can be shared with friends who then vote on which items are truly vital. The world’s most vital items will be tabulated.
As the film’s Dec. 12 debut nears, Fox and its Atlanta-based marketing company Moxie, will reveal the world’s 1,212 most prized possessions on MySpace.com. Moxie is owned by Publicis Groupe Co.
Fox’s marketing guru Hattenbach said that she plans to put macaroni and cheese at the top of her list.
Staff reporter Brett Sporich can be reached at [email protected] or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 226
