Napa duo uncork vintage sound stage plans
Barbour and Sanza are currently finalizing an agreement for an 18,000 -square-foot warehouse in Napa, which they plan to convert into a sound stage facility with adjacent offices. It shouldn't be too tough a task since the warehouse is tailor made for production, Barbour said.
Formerly used by a computer testing company, the warehouse facility sports 30 -foot-high ceilings, a wood roof and wall outlets capable of handing 600 amperes of power. Pending completion of the lease agreement, Barbour and Sanza expect to have the facility soundproofed and ready by Dec. 1.
The warehouse is the first step in the formation of Barbour and Sanza's Napa Valley Studios. The second phase of the project is the planned construction of two 24,000-square-foot sound stage facilities on roughly 100 acres in the nearby city of American Canyon on the southern edge of Napa County. Joint venture partner in the project is local developer Harry T. Price with construction set to begin early in 1993.
"We're ready to start digging ground and I'd like to be up and running by the end of next year," said Sanza, who was born and raised in the Napa Valley and has spent eight years developing the studio project. A former unit and location manager on the long-running Lorimar TV series "Falcon Crest," Sanza is known in the industry as "Napa Nick."
Barbour and Sanza have recently been making the rounds in Hollywood to drum up business for the studio lot.
The duo credited Disney veepee of videotape production Ted Kaye, Spelling Entertainment veepee of production Gale Patterson and "Doogie Howser" coordinating producer and unit production manager Ron Mitchell for their assistance and advise on the creation of Napa Valley Studios.
Another key to Napa Valley Studios' plan is a completed agreement for a 5,000 -acre backlot facility in the foothills of Napa County. For more information on the Napa Valley Studios, call Sanza at (707) 226-3306 or (707) 973-1969.
YEE-HAH! Hollywood has plunged deep into the heart of Texas--in a big way. The Texas Film Commission announced that combined production budgets of movies and television projects shot in the state has reached $ 135 million this year to date, topping last year's record of $ 118 million. Texas film commission director Marlene Saritzky estimated that roughly 50% of total budgeted dollars were spent in Texas.
The disclosure follows Governor Ann Richards' effort last year to bring the Film Commission under the aegis of the governor's office. Richards said "cooperation from state and regional film commissions, state agencies and private businesses" have been significant factors in Texas' recent success.
Among the movies shot in Texas this year are Paramount's Steve Martin/Debra Winger-starrer "Leap of Faith," the Warner Bros.' George Straight-starrer "Pure Country" and Callie Prods. "Flesh and Bone."
Two other pix are heading into production in Texas on Monday--"Gilbert Grape, " which stars Johnny Depp and Juliette Lewis; and producer Sean Cunningham's "Johnny Zombie."
Over the next year, the Texas Film Commission plans to flex its muscles on the activism front. Among the initiatives expected to come to the fore are efforts to increase local hires on productions, a combined marketing campaign with the Texas Music Office to sell local music to Hollywood producers and joint advertising efforts between such major cities as Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio and smaller Texas burgs.
SAN DIEGO NATIVE and former Del Mar Fair "Fairest of Fair" beauty queen Rachel Welch has returned to the area for the production of the USA Cable Network movie "Tainted Blood."
The Fast Track Films shoot is Welch's first production in the area since she hit Hollywood's big time, according to San Diego Film Commission director Wally Schlotter.
In other news, the SDFC has become the latest organization to adopt Warner Bros. "Code of Conduct" for location shooting in the area. The 18-point document spells out rules for notification of residents and merchants impacted by location shooting and proper behavior for crew members during production.
Schlotter said visiting production companies have so not ruffled any local feathers, but adoption of the code "will help guarantee that the 'red carpet' treatment will continue to be extended" to those filming in what is known as "America's finest city." For more information on San Diego production, telephone (619) 234-FILM.
