TODAY’S SCENE
STAGES OF GROWTH
by Kevin Barraco
Illustration of the final look of Millennium Film’s future studio
A
long with its competitive tax incentives, Louisiana has de“What we are creating is impressive and shows a great veloped the production infrastructure to become a true pro- level of commitment to Louisiana, where we have been very duction destination. Whereas once filmmakers were forced successful. Louisiana has allowed our company to stay in the to find warehouses and other makeshift space to build sets, today States, and our company is growing together with Louisiana.” the Pelican State has hundreds of thousands Nu Image/ Millennium Films has produced of square feet of built-for-production stages, over fourteen projects in Louisiana to date, with even more currently under construction. most recently wrapping Drive Angry 3-D The town that saved Louisiana film after starring Nicolas Cage and Amber Heard. Katrina, Shreveport has grown to be frequently Slated next is director Joel Schumacher’s ranked among the most film-friendly cities in the Trespass, also starring Nicolas Cage, who country. Vampire’s Suck, Drive Angry, Butter, Super, is joined by Nicole Kidman. A full-service Youth in Revolt and the remake of Straw Dogs are production company and distributor servicing just a few of the feature films that have recently the domestic and international markets, shot in the area. And ABC’s new vampireNu Image/Millennium Films currently centric primetime Sunday series The Gates is develops, finances, produces and distributes currently based at Stageworks of Louisiana. approximately twelve to fifteen films a year. The The most exciting development in Shreveport company was founded in 1992 with partners is the $10 million Ledbetter Heights studio Avi Lerner, Danny Dimbort and Trevor Short. being built by Nu Image/Millennium Films. “We are looking forward to continued Construction has begun on 6.7 acres, with success in Shreveport,” added Martinez. “As plans to eventually expand to a twenty acre full we continue to build our studio we expect service studio, complete with three sound stages, the skilled local workforce to increase, more production offices, a mill, a prop house and offices Diego Martinez on site of the contruction production resources to become available for Worldwide FX, their post production company. and the number of films to increase. Everyone “Our goals are to create a studio community at one location,” wins: the local economy, the people and the studios.” said Diego Martinez, president of Studio Operations, Nu In addition to physical production, Nu Image/ Image/Millenium’s Shreveport subsidiary. Martinez oversees Millennium’s Shreveport-based post-production company both local movie production and the construction of the Worldwide FX is putting the finishing touches on The company’s new studio. Originally from Louisiana, Martinez Expendables for its August release, and Martinez tells Scene says he’s living his dream job doing this in his hometown. Magazine this little rumor: there’s going to be a sequel. S 8 | July 2010