{SA} 500 Acre Film Studio Planned for South San Antonio; Already Has Hollywood Tenant

sirkingwilliam · #1 Posted **Apr 25, 2008, 9:00 AM**

The video better explains everything.

KEY POINTS

A local studio/developer is building a large studio complex.
They have nabbed their first tenant, Matthew Kutcher and his company. He will be relocating from Hollywood to San Antonio.
There will be a completely separate sound stage that will be used solely by film and production students.
It will be located on the south side.
Specific location is undisclosed.

Quote:

SAN ANTONIO -- It's a story with huge explosions, romantic interludes, exciting car chase scenes and plot twists galore.

If it sounds like the makings of a feature film, that's because it is -- and the production of those films is coming to San Antonio.

SAF Studios is already working on a movie studio on 500 acres in south San Antonio, including places where a tour of shows, lakes, hills and a river could be used, according to Al Frakes, president and CEO of the studio company.

"Because it's a tourist attraction, we'll be hiring a lot of young people," he said. "Construction wise, it's a massive project, so we'll be hiring a lot of construction people."

The studio also is planning on constructing a sound stage for use by film and production students, Frakes said.

With the studio coming to the Alamo City, other related businesses are expected to follow, including one special effects company.

"Our industry is definitely not in Hollywood anymore," said Matthew Kutcher with Spectrum FX. "Hollywood has left Hollywood.

"In LA, everywhere I go to build and blow up something, the path to get there is huge," he said. "The phone calls and all the legislation involved, here it will be much simpler to get things done."

The first movie production is scheduled to begin in August, with groundbreaking of the site slated for June.

Mopacs · #2 Posted **Apr 25, 2008, 4:44 PM**

Good news! Lets keep this going in Texas.

texboy · #3 Posted **Apr 25, 2008, 5:05 PM**

Holy Crap! Thats awesome for San Antonio!

ATXboom · #4 Posted **Apr 25, 2008, 5:07 PM**

Very Cool!

sirkingwilliam · #5 Posted **Apr 25, 2008, 6:38 PM**

I'm quite anxious to learn the area this is being built. Sometimes with the local news, the "South Side" is anything that has the word south prefixed to it. A news story could be taking place on the southeast side and they'll put a map indicating the area of the southeast side said story is happening at and on the screen and out of the anchors mouth will be "On the south side..." Anyways, back on point, I'm anxious to know how close it is to other developments on the south side.

chancla · #6 Posted **Apr 25, 2008, 6:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

I'm quite anxious to learn the area this is being built. Sometimes with the local news, the "South Side" is anything that has the word south prefixed to it. A news story could be taking place on the southeast side and they'll put a map indicating the area of the southeast side said story is happening at and on the screen and out of the anchors mouth will be "On the south side..." Anyways, back on point, I'm anxious to know how close it is to other developments on the south side.

I hear ya. It could be anywhere. If you listened to Ursula, I think she says "south of San Antonio" a couple of times. That could mean Bexar Co or some other county.

It sure looked purty out there, though. Wish I had a few acres out there, wherever that is.

verbl · #7 Posted **Apr 25, 2008, 6:56 PM**

That is AMAZING NEWS!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to come home

oldmanshirt · #8 Posted **Apr 25, 2008, 11:29 PM**

Wow, is this seriously for real??

For those who have been keeping a closer eye on it, how does this compare to Villa Muse?

And I did get the impression that the location is outside the city limits. Probably still within Bexar County though. They better start figuring out how to expand 1604 south post haste!

verbl · #9 Posted **Apr 26, 2008, 12:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldmanshirt

Wow, is this seriously for real??

For those who have been keeping a closer eye on it, how does this compare to Villa Muse?

And I did get the impression that the location is outside the city limits. Probably still within Bexar County though. They better start figuring out how to expand 1604 south post haste!

For sure, but more road construction AHHHH!!! will it ever end.... lol

ps great avatar.

Texas Tuff · #10 Posted **Apr 26, 2008, 12:42 AM**

Awesome news. Congratulations San Antonio!!!!!!!!!

oldmanshirt · #11 Posted **Apr 26, 2008, 5:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by verbl

For sure, but more road construction AHHHH!!! will it ever end.... lol

ps great avatar.

lol, thanks. I really hope we can sweep the Kleenex Suns on sunday

As for road construction, might as well do it now while (relatively) few people live out there. If you wait, its gonna be like TXDot's widening of Culebra outside 1604, where tons of people are inconvenienced for weeks (months? years?) on end.

verbl · #12 Posted **Apr 26, 2008, 8:47 PM**

Cool I always thought that culebra needed to be wider

and GO SPURS GO

sakyle04 · #13 Posted **Apr 26, 2008, 10:33 PM**

looks like a good deal for SA, even if the timetable is a bit pie-in-the-sky...

groundbreaking in june...first filming starts in august. how is that possible for what the ceo called a "massive construction project"?

maybe "groundbreaking" just means they'll start blowing stuff up in june.

oldmanshirt · #14 Posted **Apr 26, 2008, 11:32 PM**

My wife asked that same question about the June/August thing. Maybe the whole thing doesn't have to be completed before shooting can begin? Kind of how guests stayed in the GH before it was officially finished (is it even officially finished yet??)

KevinFromTexas · #15 Posted **Apr 26, 2008, 11:45 PM**

This is great news. With this project going on, and where ever Villa Muse ends up, Texas will have a new shot in the arm for moving making.

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldmanshirt

lol, thanks. I really hope we can sweep the Kleenex Suns on sunday

When I read this the other day I was like, what the heck is he talking about? lol Good one.