Unity Studios Sets Aug. 27 Groundbreaking
Allen Park Buys Land, October Opening Planned
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — It’s official: construction of Unity Studios will begin this month on 104 acres at Southfield Road and I-94 in Allen Park, city and studio officials announced today.
All project details are complete, including land purchase and financing, and an Aug. 27 groundbreaking event has been scheduled on site. The all-encompassing film, TV and media production facility will open in October. Earlier that month, the Lifton Institute for Media Skills (LIMS) will open on site for its first class of 250 students who will be trained for jobs in the film industry.
More exciting news: Unity Studios’ first project is scheduled to begin filming in November. Details about the project will be announced at a later date.
Lifton’s vision of a movie and television production factory represents a significant bricks and mortar investment in Michigan’s emerging and growing film industry. Perhaps most important, productions at Unity Studios will jump-start the creation of a highly trained work force.
“After several years of planning and several months of negotiations with banks, land owners, and state, county and local government agencies, economic development officials, attorneys and others, we are finally ready to start construction at Unity Studios and to create jobs in a region in desperate economic need,” said Allen Park Mayor Gary Burtka.
Unity Studios President Jimmy Lifton said the project signals the start of a new industry in Michigan.
“Unity Studios will establish a new frontier in Michigan,” said Lifton, the veteran Hollywood film executive who has led efforts for the past three years to develop Unity Studios. “It is a coming together of creative talent from all facets as well as a significant investment in the foundation of a new industry that will help put Michigan back to work.”
Burtka added: “The groundbreaking event will be a celebration of jobs, economic development and a new industry putting down roots in Michigan.”
Unity Studios will be majority owned and operated by a group of investors from Los Angeles and Michigan, including Lifton. Originally from Southfield, Michigan, Lifton has been in the business of entertainment for 30 years. He has owned an internationally distributed record label, produced 13 feature films, and is Principal of one of the largest independent post-production audio studios in Los Angeles, Oracle Post. Some of the most famous and familiar TV and film industry giants use Oracle Post including Fox, HBO, NBC, ABC, Disney, Nickelodeon, Paramount, Lionsgate, Universal, Dreamworks, Warner Brothers, VH1 and MTV.
Located on the grounds of Unity Studios, the Lifton Institute for Media Skills (LIMS) will implement one of the largest retraining programs ever in Michigan. Out-of-work skilled and unskilled workers will receive on-the-set training and production experience, giving students production credits.
All aspects of production will occur at Unity Studios: workforce training for LIMS, production, post-production, distribution and marketing.
For more information about Unity Studios, please visit our blog at http://unitystudios.wordpress.com.
