If
everything goes as planned, this Summer Mid-coast
Maine is set to gain a new industry…action, cut and
print…it’s the movies.
Under
the innovative guidance of
Cinematographer/entrepreneur Rob Draper (see IMAGINE
Cover Story May/June 2002), Hollywood will come to the
Coast of Maine with the establishment of a state of
the art film and television production facility.
The
facility will feature a fully equipped production
studio based on state of the art Hi Definition systems
from Panasonic. Post Production will again be the best
in the industry with a fully networked Apple Editing
systems built around an innovative workstation
model…and it doesn’t stop there. A team of web
designers will place the center on the global cyber
map with online interactive video versions of the
shows and yet another team of graphic artists will
design books based on the shows.
Fully
funded to the tune of $25 million by a local
investment group, “this center will be unlike
anything ever seen in Maine, or in the entire Country
for that matter,” Draper says.
There
may even be an ultra modern Euro bistro style
restaurant attached. The restaurant will cater to
workers in the facility but will also be open to the
public so locals and tourists can mingle with the
artists and stars whilst enjoying meals created by the
Country’s leading chefs. Featuring food seen on the
studio’s programs and more, all food will be locally
produced from Maine’s Organic farmers.
They
will also offer a series of weekend seminars where
“foodies” can have instruction from, and dine
with, guest chefs from the nations leading
restaurants.
This
will not be an empty shell with nothing
happening…the Center has a list of TV and Feature
Film Projects ready to go into Production as soon as
funding is in place.
Draper,
a top player in Hollywood for more than 20 years, has
been putting this idea together for several years and
now, with the Governor John Baldacci’s “creative economy” initiative and the drive toward more
creative and technical jobs….the time is right.
Draper
explains, ”the
industry is changing rapidly and is becoming largely
technology driven which isn’t necessarily a good
thing but that’s the way it is going. Story is still
most important but technology plays an enormous role
in media storytelling these days and film schools are
having a hard time keeping pace; we will be able to
offer not only the latest technology but the latest
technology in a working environment.”
But
it goes even further.
“I
want to provide a conduit for the many talented
people, especially young people, in this area to have
access to the top levels of the film industry,”
Draper says. “The Film Industry is very insular and
inaccessible if you don’t live in LA and I want to
change that.”
With
his two partners Executive Producers Bob Altman, a
veteran of some of the most innovative television ever
seen in the US and Gerald Sabatino who brings years of
global experience in Food Services, it looks
like they may have the formula.
Draper
adds “The facility is going to be based initially
around TV production which generates revenues fairly
quickly, once the TV productions are licensed and
under way we will then move some of our many feature
films into production. Our restaurant will be
operational as soon as we open our doors”
“We
are really going to embrace new media and technology
and we want to employ and train a highly talented pool
of industry professionals capable of matching product
with the best from NY or Hollywood and capable of
staffing some of the many TV Commercial and Feature
productions we hope to attract from outside
Companies….and we can do it” Draper added.
TV
product will be aimed at everything from ESPN to the
Food Channel with some innovative Food Programming
ideas that will see mid-coast production teams
traveling to China, Morocco, India, Italy, France,
Germany and Scotland. World renowned Food expert and
writer Nancy Jenkins will join the Food Program team
as a Senior Consultant along with many of the nations
leading chefs.
“One
of our primary goals is to provide a means of young
people from Maine gaining entrance and top level
training in the industry” Draper states. “With
young people flowing out of the State at an alarming
rate we need creative industry to keep them here and
many are leaving to move into media of one kind or
another so why not train them and employ them in their
own backyard”
“We
will be offering an apprenticeship program where High
School graduates can come and immediately work on
state of the art productions using the latest
equipment…enabling them to stay at Home and learn a
craft whilst working on real Productions”.
“This
will be a first and we expect the studio will become a
model which others across the country will follow.”
Further
Information Contact: draperacs@northernlightfilms.com
