Cinespace Film Studios

Last updated

Cinespace Film Studios is a series of film studio facilities in the US and Canada, founded in 1988 by Greek-Canadian Nick Mirkopoulos. [1] The studios began with a facility in Vaughan (suburban Toronto), that had been in operation since the 1960s. Current studios include facilities in Toronto; a branch (Cinespace Chicago Film Studios) in Chicago, founded in 2007 with Mirkopoulos's nephew Alex Pissios; and, facilities in Atlanta and Wilmington, NC acquired in 2003 from EUE/Screen Gems. [2] In 2022, TPG Real Estate Partners acquired the facilities of Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam-Babelsberg and merged those into Cinespace [3]

Contents

Studios

Kipling Avenue Studios

The company acquired a 30 acres (0.12 km2) campus at 777 Kipling Avenue in Toronto's Etobicoke area in 2009. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

During the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, Mayor of Toronto John Tory joined with Cinespace officials to announce plans to build two very large new studios on the site, with a combined footprint of 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2). [6] [8] [9] One of the large studios will be permanently devoted to underwater filming.

Selected Feature Films
Film LinksYear
Resident Evil: Retribution 2012
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones 2013
Pacific Rim 2013
Pompeii 2014
xXx: Return of Xander Cage 2017
Flatliners 2017

Television Series

Kleinburg

Toronto International Studios is a film studio that was established in Kleinburg, Ontario in the 1950s. Its geocoordinates are 43°51′09″N79°38′53″W / 43.85243°N 79.64809°W / 43.85243; -79.64809 .

Cinespace moved out of the studios in 2015, and the complex is now home to the Vaughan Sports Centre, a baseball training complex. [10]

Selected Films
Film linksYear
The Hired Gun 1957
The Fox 1967
The First Time 1969
The Reincarnate1971
Mahoney's Estate1972
Recommendation for Mercy1975
Death Weekend 1976
Silver Streak 1976
Equus 1977
Rituals 1977
Welcome to Blood City 1977
Riel 1979
H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come 1979
Fish Hawk 1980
Virus 1980
The Amateur 1981
Class of 1984 1982
The Wars 1983
Strange Brew 1983
Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird 1985
The Fly 1986
Love at Stake 1987
Divided Loyalties1990
The Good Son 1993
To Die For 1995
Murder at 1600 1997
Dick 1999
Thomas and the Magic Railroad 2000
The Sentinel 2006
Casino Jack 2010
Selected television films
TV movie linksYear
The Day Reagan Was Shot 2001
The Brady Bunch in the White House 2002
Selected television shows
TV linksYear
Hudson's Bay 1959
The Forest Rangers 1963–1966
Hatch's Mill 1967
The Adventures of Timothy Pilgrim 1975
The Littlest Hobo 1979-1985
You Can't Do That on Television 1979-1990
Matt and Jenny 1979-1980
Fraggle Rock 1983-1987
Shining Time Station 1991-1996
The Doodlebops 2005-2007
The Big Comfy Couch 2006

Chicago

Cinespace Chicago Film Studios opened for business in 2011 [1] and Alex Pissios, the president and CEO of the company, worked with his uncle, Nick Mirkopoulos, to establish the Studios in Chicago. Mirkopoulos and Pissios purchased 60 acres of the former Ryerson Steel complex in the Windy City's North Lawndale neighborhood. The Studios are the largest independent movie studios outside of Los Angeles.

The Studios have continued to expand and now has 36 sound stages. Pissios and Cinespace Chicago Film Studios were featured in the December 2019 Chicago Magazine and highlighted the success and influence the studio has had on the film industry in Chicago. [11] Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, is the “Hollywood of the Midwest,” bringing more than 15,000 jobs in digital media and education opportunities to the community and region by revitalizing a depressed neighborhood. [12] Cinespace Chicago has been instrumental in infusing billions of dollars of revenue into the city and the state of Illinois. [13]

Its 70 acres (0.28 km2) campus has been the nexus for over 40 major productions used to film multiple television series and Feature Films, including:

Selected Feature Films
Film LinksYearNotes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon 2011
Divergent 2014
Captive State 2017
Rampage 2017
Widows 2018
Proud Mary 2018

With 36 sound stages on its 2 million+ square foot main campus in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood, and additional studios currently under construction at 31st and Kedzie, Cinespace is not only the largest film studio outside of California but is continuing to grow. In addition to studio space, Cinespace Chicago Film Studios houses dozens of production offices and support spaces as well as numerous production tenants that offer equipment, casting services, post-production houses, a 3D animation company, plus camera and lighting rentals and sales.

Cinespace partnered with DePaul University's film school in 2013 to house student classrooms, two interactive stages, faculty offices, lounges, and equipment vaults. Ranked in the top 25 film schools nationwide, DePaul University's School of Cinematic Arts program teaches aspiring producers and creatives about all aspects of television and film production.

Since its inception, Cinespace has brought in more than 3 billion dollars in film-related spending to Chicago.

Related Research Articles

Hollywood North is a colloquialism used to describe film production industries and/or film locations north of its namesake, Hollywood, California. The term has been applied principally to the film industry in Canada, specifically to the cities Toronto and Vancouver.

The Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, commonly known as Humber College, is a public College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1967, Humber has three main campuses: the Humber North campus, Carrier Drive campus, and the Lakeshore campus. Humber consistently ranks as the number one college in Toronto, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kleinburg</span> Unincorporated community in Ontario, Canada

Kleinburg is an unincorporated village in the city of Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. It is home to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, an art gallery with a focus on the Group of Seven, and the Kortright Centre for Conservation. In 2001, the village and its surrounding communities had a population of 4,595; the village itself has 282 dwellings, with a population of 952. Kleinburg comprises a narrow section of hilly landscape situated between two branches of the Humber River. The historic village is bounded by Highway 27 on the west and Stegman’s Mill Road to the east. Kleinburg has subsumed the nearby hamlet of Nashville, but it has not itself been fully subsumed into the main urban area of Vaughan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara College</span> College in Ontario, Canada

The Niagara College of Applied Arts and Technology is a public College of Applied Arts and Technology within the Niagara Region and the city of Toronto in Southern Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Toronto</span>

The economy of Toronto is the largest contributor to the Canadian economy, at 20% of the national GDP, and an important economic hub of the world. Toronto is a commercial, distribution, financial and industrial centre. It is Canada's banking and stock exchange centre and is the country's primary wholesale and distribution point. Ontario's wealth of raw materials and hydroelectric power have made Toronto a primary centre of industry. The metropolitan area of Greater Toronto produces more than half of Canada's manufactured goods. The economy of Toronto has had a GDP growth rate of 2.4 percent annually since 2009, outpacing the national average. Toronto's population was 3.025 million people as of 2022, while the population of the Toronto census metropolitan area was 6.47 million during the same year.

California College of ASU is a private college in Los Angeles, California. Until 2023, it was known as Columbia College Hollywood. It is one of only 20 film institutions in the United States that have been awarded full membership by the International Association of Film and Television Schools (CILECT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babelsberg Studio</span> German film studio

Babelsberg Film Studio, located in Potsdam-Babelsberg outside Berlin, Germany, is the second oldest large-scale film studio in the world only preceded by the Danish Nordisk Film, producing films since 1912. With a total area of about 460,000 square metres (5,000,000 sq ft) and a studio area of about 25,000 square metres (270,000 sq ft) it is Europe's largest film studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago film industry</span> Film industry in the US city of Chicago

The Chicago film industry is a central hub for motion picture production and exhibition that was established before Hollywood became the undisputed capital of film making. In the early 1900s, Chicago boasted the greatest number of production companies and filmmakers. Essanay Studios founded by George K. Spoor was one of the earliest successful studios to produce movies in Chicago, employing stars such as Charlie Chaplin and Gloria Swanson. Actor and co-founder of Essanay Studios, Broncho Billy Anderson gave birth to the western genre. Early film companies such as Essanay Studios produced multiple silent films every week and rented viewing equipment to showcase the latest cinematography to the public. This rental culture gave birth to the popularity of Nickelodeons up until the Great Depression. However, due to the high demand for motion pictures during this time, a black market for films and equipment developed. The Motion Picture Patents Company, established in 1909 as a conglomerate of the major studios, sought to eliminate all illegal use of patented film equipment. As a result, independent ventures entered the film scene. Independents drove the film industry to the west to avoid legal trouble with the trust of major film companies united under the Motion Picture Patents Company. The west offered fairer weather and scenery that better accommodated film making. Not until the 1980s and early 21st century has Chicago experienced a film production revival. Blockbusters, such as Blues Brothers, Sixteen Candles, and The Dark Knight, have rejuvenated the Chicago film scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steiner Studios</span> Film studio in Brooklyn, New York City

Steiner Studios is a film studio at Brooklyn Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York City. It is the largest film and television production studio complex in the United States outside Hollywood. Steiner Studios, spread across 50 acres (20 ha), contains 30 soundstages as well as additional support space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinewood Toronto Studios</span> Filming location

Pinewood Toronto Studios is a major film and television studio complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is the largest of its kind in Canada. It is the first in Toronto capable of accommodating the production of large-scale films. The studio is named for the British Pinewood Studios Group. In March 2018, it was announced that Bell Media would be buying a controlling stake in the studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EUE/Screen Gems</span> American film and television studio production company

EUE/Screen Gems Ltd. is an American film and television studio that owns and operates facilities in Miami, Florida. The company collaborates with other studios and producers for the development, production, marketing, and distribution of entertainment for feature film, television, and digital content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina Film Office</span>

The North Carolina Film Office, originally called the North Carolina Film Commission, is a member of the Association of Film Commissioners International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Warner Brothers Studio</span> United States historic place

The Old Warner Brothers Studio, now known as the Sunset Bronson Studios, is a motion picture, radio and television production facility located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The studio was the site where the first talking feature film, The Jazz Singer, was filmed in 1927.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kari Skogland</span> Canadian filmmaker

Kari Skogland is a Canadian filmmaker. In 2016, she co-founded independent production company Mad Rabbit. Her most recent project is The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, a television series for Marvel Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corus Quay</span> Building in Ontario, Canada

Corus Quay, originally named First Waterfront Place, is an eight-storey commercial office tower located on a 2.5-acre (1.0 ha) waterfront site in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The CA$160 million building is the first major development planned for the East Bayfront district, and completed construction at the foot of Jarvis Street or Jarvis Street Slip. Corus Quay is Corus Entertainment's new Toronto headquarters, consolidating its 10 locations and 1,200 employees into one site. The building was designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects with interiors completed by Quadrangle Architects. The building was being developed by the Toronto Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO), a city agency. Funding for the project came from TEDCO's equity, city loans and a CA$12.5 million contribution from the city contributed via Waterfront Toronto.

The film industry in Georgia is the largest among the states of the United States for production of feature films by number of films produced, as of 2016. Atlanta is the center of the film industry in Georgia with Turner, Tyler Perry, and EUE/Screen Gems studios located there.

Hony Capital is a Chinese private equity firm, owned by Legend Holdings. Legend Holdings provided Hony, a pioneer in China's private equity industry, with its start-up capital. Hony has about US$10 billion under management. Hony also invests in overseas consumer brands in order to create value by expanding their presence in China.

Michael Scott Jr. is an American politician, business executive, and member of the Chicago Board of Education. From 2015 to 2022, he served as an alderman in the Chicago City Council representing the 24th ward, which includes portions of North Lawndale, South Austin and West Garfield Park. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was a member of the Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus while in City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Films and television shows produced in Wilmington, North Carolina</span>

Film and television shot/produced in Wilmington, North Carolina are usually independent and/or low-budget films, mainly due to Wilmington being relatively more affordable than other cities to film in. Other reasons for Wilmington's appeal include its local university (UNCW), its location on the coast, the presence of many historic buildings/sites, and vast swamps and waterways outside of Wilmington. It has remained the largest film and television production area in North Carolina since the 1980s, when the first major productions started to be made in the region.

References

  1. 1 2 Susan Caminiti (2018-01-03). "How a Greek immigrant family built a booming Hollywood film studio in downtown Chicago". CNBC . Retrieved 2018-01-03. Nearly 20 years earlier, Mirkopoulos had started Cinespace Film Studios in Toronto, now a major studio with four locations in the city.
  2. "Cinespace Buys EUE/Screen Gems' Atlanta and North Carolina Campuses". www.deadline.com.
  3. "TPG Real Estate completes acquisition of Studio Babelsberg AG" . Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  4. "Toronto's Cinespace Film Studios Announces New Film Studio Development". Cinespace Studios . Toronto, Ontario. 2009-12-15. Retrieved 2018-01-03. Cinespace Film Studios ("Cinespace"), Toronto's 21-year film studio veteran, has announced the acquisition of a 30-plus acre property for the development of their next and most ambitious film studio complex.
  5. Cynthia Reason (2010-01-15). "Fire ignites at new Cinespace location". Etobicoke Guardian . Retrieved 2018-01-03. There were no injuries reported at the three-alarm fire, and although there are no damage estimates in yet, Mirkopoulos said only a small area of the roof was primarily affected.
  6. 1 2 Taylor Simmons, Ramna Shahzad (2017-09-07). "2 new film studios to be built in Etobicoke as TIFF kicks off, mayor announces". CBC News . Retrieved 2018-01-03. Cineplace Film Studios used be a glass factory until the Mirkopoulos family bought the building in 2009, hoping to start a new film node in the city.
  7. Bruce Demara (2013-03-22). "Toronto's film and television industry soars to new heights". Toronto Star . Retrieved 2018-01-03. Pinewood and Cinespace are two big reasons why Toronto's and Ontario's film and television production industry is on a roll, with two successive years of record spending, $1.28 billion in 2012, preceded by $1.26 billion in 2011 — helped by massive Hollywood productions Pacific Rim and Total Recall, respectively. It's the second year that the city and province have reclaimed the title of Hollywood North from Vancouver and B.C., which led the industry in Canada for more than a decade.
  8. 1 2 Guy Dixon (2009-12-18). "Etobicoke plant to become film studio". The Globe and Mail . Archived from the original on 2020-12-28. Retrieved 2018-01-03. Cinespace Film Studios, which provides studio and office space for films shooting in Toronto, has bought the old Consumers Glass factory in the west end. The plant was more recently owned by glass bottle and container maker Owens-Illinois and closed last year, eliminating 400 jobs.
  9. 1 2 David Rider (2017-09-07). "Cinespace to build 2 new film studios in Etobicoke". Toronto Star . Retrieved 2018-01-03. Cinespace, home to the Hulu hit "The Handmaid's Tale", recently wrapped period drama "Reign" and many other productions, says the addition will allow concurrent filming at its Kipling Studio Campus of seven big productions, up from six. The expansion will also include a large, permanent underwater filming tank.
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2021-12-28. Retrieved 2020-11-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. Jones, J.R. (December 2019). "The Accidental Movie Mogul - The Cinespace Saga". Chicago magazine. Archived from the original on 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  12. Petrella, Dan. "State extends film tax credits to keep 'Chicago Fire' and other productions in Illinois; Gov. J.B. Pritzker says it could also give a boost to South Works movie studio plan". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  13. Swartz, Tracy. "Chicago's film industry saw some growth last year, thanks to indie movies". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-07-17.

43°37′51″N79°31′43″W / 43.63095°N 79.52856°W / 43.63095; -79.52856