ABS-CBN Soundstage

ABS-CBN Soundstage (Horizon IT Park)
Alternative names	Horizon IT Park
General information
Status	Operational (Parts of the area are still unfinished, including the second soundstage and the rest of Horizon IT Park)
Type	Studio, soundstage, broadcasting, production facility, back lots, storage, visitors center, post production facility, offices, support building
Architectural style	Modern
Location	Igay Road, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan
Country	Philippines
Coordinates	14°48′25.7″N121°05′12.5″E / 14.807139°N 121.086806°E / 14.807139; 121.086806
Current tenants	ABS-CBN Entertainment (Entertainment division) ABS-CBN Films (Film production division)
Construction started	May 2017 (Phase 1A; the second soundstage under Phase 1B is still under construction)
Construction stopped	December 2018 (Phase 1A) (Parts of the area are still unfinished, including the second soundstage and the rest of Horizon IT Park)
Opening	December 12, 2018 (Phase 1A)
Inaugurated	December 12, 2018 (Phase 1A)
Cost	₱ 700 Million (Estimated for Phase 1A) ₱ 6 to 7.5 Billion (Horizon IT Park with 10 Soundstages, projected)
Owner	ABS-CBN Corporation
Landlord	ABS-CBN Studios, Inc.
Height	30 feet
Technical details
Floor count	2 floors (support building; first floo is the mezzanine floor and second floor is the elevation floor)
Floor area	1,500 m
Grounds	7.7 hectares
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Bastien and Associates (California), AIDEA (Philippines), with consultants from Hollywood-based Manhattan Beach Studios
Other designers	Manhattan Beach Studios (Consultants)
Other information
Number of rooms	40 rooms (support building; including restrooms, wardrobes and offices and facilities. Some still unassigned as of 2018)

The ABS-CBN Soundstage at the Horizon IT Park, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, is the main production facility of ABS-CBN. ^[1] It is owned by ABS-CBN Corporation, operated and managed by ABS-CBN Studios, Inc.

Although the original plan is to have a total of 10 soundstages with 2 stages each, only 1 soundstage with 2 stages have been completed as of 2018. No announcements have been made as of 2021 regarding the construction of the other soundstages.

The area also includes parking spaces, storage, visitors center, offices and other facilities. The cost of the project is estimated to be between ₱6 and 7.5 billion. ^[1]

History

On June 16, 2011, ABS-CBN announced its plans to develop a state-of-the-art studio complex. It would, as they claim, enable the network to produce Hollywood-caliber programs in a more cost-effective manner. A 15-hectare property acquired by the company in Novaliches, Quezon City was the originally planned site for the complex ^[2] but it would later be moved to a 7.7-hectare land in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. ^[3]

Before the end of 2013, ABS-CBN announced it would raise ₱5 billion the following year to finance the construction. ^[4] The project officially kicked off on the first quarter of 2014, but construction would not commence until May 2017. ^[5] The first phase of the complex, designed by California-based architecture firm Bastien and Associates in collaboration with a Filipino firm AIDEA, includes two soundstages, each housing two stages and occupying an area of 1,500m².

Parallel to the construction, production and support teams for TV and film started a 3-year training to learn how to operate the sound stages and ensure that production processes mirror the best practices in the world. ^[1] The training, which involved 150 people, was designed by Manhattan Beach Studios, ABS-CBN Studios Inc., and ABS-CBN University.

On December 12, 2018, ABS-CBN inaugurated the new state-of-the-art studio complex and its name, Horizon IT Park, was unveiled. This date is significant because it marks the 65th founding anniversary of ABS-CBN, 25th anniversary of Star Cinema, and was only a few days shy from the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of ABS-CBN Broadcast Center in Quezon City which was considered the most advanced facility in Asia when it opened on December 18, 1968. ^[5]

Status

Only the first of the two planned soundstages for Phase 1 was finished. This consequently became known as Phase 1A, with the remaining unfinished part being called Phase 1B.

Phase 1A

The first stage is known as EL3 Stage, named after ABS-CBN's chairman emeritus, Eugenio "Gabby" Lopez III. The second stage is simply called Stage 2. It features a support building called Breezeway Production Building which contains dressing rooms, wardrobe, and storage areas. ^[6]

The two stages are currently being used by ABS-CBN Entertainment (Dreamscape Entertainment and Star Creatives) and ABS-CBN Films (Star Cinema and Black Sheep). The former produces serial content for linear television and on-demand streaming while the latter mainly produces feature films for theatrical releases, with the exception of titles released during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Your Moment was the first program to utilize the soundstage, followed by Idol Philippines for which it was dubbed "Idol City." It was rumored that the soundstage will house the noontime variety show It's Showtime ^[7] ; however, this never came to fruition and by July 25, 2022, the new set of It's Showtime was revealed to still be at Studio 3 of the ABS-CBN Broadcast Center in Quezon City. ^[8] Other notable programs that were taped at the ABS-CBN Soundstage include Darna and the international prison drama, Sellblock. ^{[9] [10]}

Phase 1B

The other soundstage which will also have two stages is believed to be still under construction, although no updates are made public. Its opening date remains unannounced as of 2021.

Phase 2 and succeeding phases

The company remained mum with regard to the construction of succeeding phases of the soundstage and the Horizon IT Park complex as a whole. While direct correlation cannot be established, the ambiguity comes following the cease and desist order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission, and the eventual denial of Philippine Congress to renew ABS-CBN's franchise which resulted to the shutdown of their flagship station and their secondary channels on free-to-air radio and television. ^{[11] [12]}

Aside from the soundstage, Horizon IT Park also features backlots, production and post-production facilities, and offices. ^[13]

See also

• ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center
• ELJ Communications Center
• List of real estate properties owned by ABS-CBN
• ABS-CBN Corporation
• ABS-CBN

References

1. "ABS-CBN inaugurates sound stages, aims for Hollywood-caliber production". ABS-CBN News . Retrieved December 12, 2018.
2. Santos, Rafael (June 16, 2011). "ABS-CBN cuts costs, says to meet profit target". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
3. "ABS-CBN sound stages finally open in Bulacan". Business World. December 12, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
4. Amojelar, Darwin (December 3, 2013). "ABS-CBN announces plan to raise ₱5 billion in 2014 to build a Hollywood-style studio". Spot.ph.
5. "ABS-CBN unveils sound stages as part of 65th year of television celebrations". ABS-CBN. December 12, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
6. "ABS-CBN". Bastien and Associates. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
7. "Vice Ganda announces her new single, teases 'It's Showtime's' new studio!". LionhearTV. March 18, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
8. Severo, Jan Milo. "'It's Showtime' welcomes back live studio 'madlang pipol' in TV5 debut". Philstar.com. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
9. "Darna-Valentina face-off in the works? ABS-CBN releases new outtakes from Darna: The TV Series". PEP.ph. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
10. "Next on the ABS-CBN sound stages: International prison drama 'Sellblock'". ABS-CBN News. February 15, 2022.
11. Mercado, Neil Arwin (May 5, 2020). "NTC orders ABS-CBN to stop broadcast operations". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
12. Gutierrez, Jason (July 10, 2020). "Philippine Congress Officially Shuts Down Leading Broadcaster". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 29, 2023.
13. "Hollywood-level sound stages inauguration marks ABS-CBN 65th anniversary". The Manila Times. January 3, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2021.