Film Industry Sets Up Shop in Accommodating Albuquerque
arts, business, economic and community development, film, movie industry, studio space,
In Albuquerque, the sun is shining at least 70 percent of the time in any given month. (Lights)
In New Mexico, economic and community development officials have set their sights on becoming a major force in the movie industry, offering a package of financial incentives second to none, drawing major players from Hollywood. (Camera)
And with the completion in April 2007 of a $74 million studio complex boasting 132,000 square feet of studio space, Albuquerque is already becoming a go-to city for television and film production. (Action)
It’s a combination of factors that’s bringing smiles to the faces of industry titans looking for fresh playing grounds while it provide a huge economic boost to the city and local businesses.
Think 12,000-plus area hotel reservations in four months. Think $287,000 in car rentals. Think tripling your lumber business to supply crews constantly building and tearing down movie and TV sets.
“There are 401 stages in L.A.; all the major studios and production companies are there, so it will always and forever be the seat of power. That’s the mecca of film and television, but the incentives here are especially unique and very lucrative for productions,” says Nick Smerigan, chief operating officer of Albuquerque Studios.
Boasting six sound stages – four of them at 24,000 square feet and two at 18,000 square feet – Albuquerque Studios was the site of four major productions in its first year: AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” a dark TV comedy about a former chemistry teacher who starts making crystal meth; “In Plain Sight,” a USA Network series about a U.S. Marshal whose job it is to get people relocated in the federal witness protection program; Game, a futuristic thriller starring Gerard Butler about a show that pits prison convicts against one another in a militaristic contest; and The Spirit, a Frank Miller adaptation of Will Eisner’s comic book by the same name that will feature stars including Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Mendes, among others.
Smerigan is excited to see the industry take off so quickly. He says he’s thrilled with the way Albuquerque has embraced its burgeoning new business and is already envisioning the countless economic opportunities that await.
“That’s the kind of community you want to build and the kind of economic growth you want to see,” Smerigan says.
Now, when the high-pressure grind of competition in L.A. seems too big an obstacle, industry bigs are starting to turn to this New Mexico city, just an hour and 25 minutes away.
“If a production is thinking of leaving L.A., we get a call,” Smerigan says. “I’ve done this my whole life. This totally took me by surprise; I did not expect it to explode like it did.”
Story by Ellen Margulies
Photo by Ian Curcio
