Walt Disney Studios plans soundstage and production facility in Santa Clarita Valley

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Disney plans new soundstage and production facility in Santa Clarita Valley

The Walt Disney Co. today filed plans to build a sprawling soundstage and production complex on the northwest corner of its Golden Oak Ranch in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The proposed Disney/ABC Studios at the Ranch would occupy 56 acres of the sprawling, 890-acre ranch just off Route 14 at Placerita Canyon Road, just south of Santa Clarita. Plans call for six pairs of soundstages, talent bungalows, administrative and production offices, storage and a commissary and other amenities.

The project would be a much-needed boost to Los Angeles' entertainment-industry economy, which has been buffeted by a production slowdown triggered by the recession and the decade-long outflow of film and TV jobs to other countries and states such as New Mexico, Lousiana and New York that offer generous tax breaks and credits. Disney-owned ABC moved its own sitcom "Ugly Betty" from Los Angeles to New York last year, which helped spur the state Legislature to implement its own film tax credit program this year to curb so-called runaway production. Still, as Disney's announcement attests, the bulk of television production remains in Los Angeles.

[OC2Epcot]

Interesting ... I wonder if this will replace the old studio complex on Prospect Ave in Hollywood or will this be just additional facilities.

[sediment]

"Ugly Betty" spurred it on?
It's better for that show to be there, as guest NY fashion peoples can do cameos without having to fly them here.

What it really should do is get states to rethink taxing any business. We know who pays for businesses' taxes, right? It's consumers of those businesses, in case anyone is still wondering.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Take the opportunity now to incorporate a seamless operation to get "nonstudio" personnel, ie "audiences" into a gift shop/snack shop/waiting area before and after a taping and this can be a great source of revenue. People don't pay money for audience tickets but they could fill those audiences fast if there was an easy way for busloads of people to come, and if there were opportunities to buy into the magic, lots of restrooms, a oak shaded waiting area, some snacks for sale, it would be superior to any of the other shows that are shooting in town, from a guests' perspective. They'd be the first to fill, even though it's out in Santa Clarita.

Unless they just want to shoot dramas up there. But that was what came to my mind.

[Retrocool]

Originally Posted by sediment

"Ugly Betty" spurred it on?
It's better for that show to be there, as guest NY fashion peoples can do cameos without having to fly them here.

What it really should do is get states to rethink taxing any business. We know who pays for businesses' taxes, right? It's consumers of those businesses, in case anyone is still wondering.

Last I checked, Santa Clarita Valley was in Southern California, not New York.

I might have stepped through a time/space warp, though, and I could be wrong.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

If the ranch has convinced you to believe you were seeing Genovia or the Caribbean, they can build Betty sets in SoCal and make you think they're in an office building in NY.

[Retrocool]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaAdventurer

If the ranch has convinced you to believe you were seeing Genovia or the Caribbean, they can build Betty sets in SoCal and make you think they're in an office building in NY.

Uh, yeah, it's Hollywood. They've been doing that sort of things for decades.

I just don't understand your post, though. Santa Clarita Valley is close to Hollywood. A lot closer than New York City is. So this "save money by not flying them out from NYC" stuff.... I don't get it.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

I think Sediment was saying it was more convenient to have real life fashion world NYers come in for guest appearances on UGLY BETTY by shooting UGLY BETTY in NY and not flying guests (fashion designers) to California.

Sediment, that's probably not a driving concern. Getting a rebate for shooting in a different state means a lot more.