Our proposal is an idea that has the potential to not only impact Washington state’s creative economy, but the entire creative industry. Our vision is to create a large scale Eco-studio to serve the needs of local artists as well as the larger creative market. We seek to create not just a sound stage, but a full studio lot, one that could rival Tyler Perry’s studio. This would be the first of its kind Eco-studio that will host a fully self-sustainable lot that has a state of the art LED wall studio as well as the renewable infrastructure to support a full scale production. We envision our lot operating in a similar manner to other major studio lots like Tyler Perry studios, yet this studio will host a solar farm and energy storage, vertical farm and air-to-water generator allowing living resources to be developed sustainably to support long term stays on the land. This full ecosystem of production will allow for sustainable production as well as other revenue generation opportunities created from the land use. LED wall productions like the production done for the Mandalorian are already happening. Production done utilizing LED walls allows for dramatic reduction within production cost. There are already businesses renting similar studios or developing YouTube studios in their states. There is no reason that a production facility could not be built here in Washington that could compete with those in other states. But it is not enough to create the same, we seek to revolutionize the creative production process. Our proposal is to add technology not just to the production of content, but utilize the latest technologies within the development of the studio and land itself to create a one of a kind Eco-studio that will put Washington's creative industry on the map. 

This Eco studio will be a fully self sustainable lot that will host a state of the art Virtual led wall studio as well as the renewable infrastructure to support a full scale production. The land will host a solar farm and energy storage, Vertical Farm and air to water generator allowing living resources to be developed sustainably to support long term stays on the land. In addition the land will host an eco village made up of self sustainable tiny houses that can host crew and talent while in production. The solar farm and storage will be used to power the studio, farmland, houses and the air to water generator that creates the drinking and all the land's water needs. (Yes, an air to water generator, that creates water from the air, it is real and it exists, check out AWG construction). The land will also host a biogas digester that will be used to create heat and electricity as back up to the solar farm. The indoor Vertical Farming will be able to generate the equivalent of 750 acres of food per month. Enough food to sell the excess as another revenue source for the eco studio. In fact the excess water, electricity and heat can also be sold as another revenue stream other than the rental of the virtual studio. In addition eco - tourism will be a huge alternative revenue stream. AirBnbing our tiny houses, land tour, even hosting eco festivals are all viable options of revenue during down season for Film productions. However with the production demand from large and small studios, netflix, Amazon, etc our expectation is for the eco studio to stay booked. Finally a studio needs a lot of people to manage all these moving parts. The existing partnerships with dedicated businesses is crucial, but also by hosting a trade school on that land there will be a dedicated number of skilled workers living and working to maintain the eco studio. These liveWork individuals will not only be gaining skills within the most on demand industries (electrical, plumbing, agriculture, construction) but these individuals will also be part of the production and creative teams. The onland team and in house resources will be perfect for this current Covid world. All productions could maintain a closed ecosystem during production, limiting production delays and stalls. With all of the above parts creating the perfect ecosystem for a full scale production.

The film industry can no longer ignore its role in the climate crisis. This year, the Sustainable Production Alliance published a report that examined the CO2 emissions associated with the sector. The research showed that the average Tentpole film produced a whopping 3,370 metric tons of CO2, which is comparable to a car driving 3.4 million miles.

Most carbon emissions were related to transport, while the rest was due to energy consumption derived from electricity, gas, and diesel generators. Tons of garbage were also generated at every scale of production, from construction debris, food waste, plastic water bottles, prop sets and costumes.

Despite the staggering numbers, there’s a budding movement of Hollywood producers who see the need for an eco-friendly film industry and are adopting sustainable measures into their business models.  “The Mandalorian,” Disney Plus’ biggest hit is a great example of this trend. The team shot half of the series on one stagecraft with more than 60 backdrops, which minimized the need for relocation, saving on transportation costs, and cutting back 30 metric tons of CO2- the equivalent of 39 acres of trees for a year. They also used LED-powered lights that use 75% less energy than incandescent lighting.

Such radical initiatives represent a new wave of ecological transformation in the film industry, however, they remain the exception. Most of the work is carried out by short-term production companies which make it challenging to apply sustainable practices all across the industry. But what if there was a fully sustainable, large-scale eco-studio that could revolutionize virtually every aspect of the film making process, boost the local economy and support the creative landscape? Yes, it’s possible and we’ve developed a comprehensive plan to actualize it.

Washington State has a rich tradition of innovation which makes it the perfect place to create a one-of-a-kind film studio using the latest green technologies and sustainable infrastructure to make it self-sufficient.

The studio will have multiple revenue streams to sustain itself all year round, including:

• Renting the Eco-Studio to large film production companies

• Hosting eco-Festivals and concerts on the land

• Renting out Eco-Villages to tourists through an Airbnb model

• Sales of the excess renewable resources developed on the land (Food, Water, Electricity etc.)

• Open air schooling where live/work staff can gain skills on trade, solar energy, water & plumbing, carpentry and more.

We are a coalition made up of a diverse group of BIPOC (Black indigenous people of color) with extensive experience in the construction & development, film, music, renewable energy, agricultures and other industries of resources and content development.  The full proposal is one to effect not just the production of content within Washington state, but to create an economic and ecological powerhouse within our state. One that will attract large scale film production as well as create a multitude of local businesses that will help stimulate the economy. The creative market is ready for disruptive innovation and YouTube and others are already leading the way within innovation of how films and creative content is made and distributed. This Eco-studio has the potential of upending the film market as we know it and reigning in the brand new golden age of film studios. One where production of films is done in a way that focuses on not just creating great content, but on people, planet and profit. We have already gathered the contractors and business partners to make this into a feasible plan. We have experts within the film, construction, solar energy, agricultural, business and other industries that have the experience and knowledge to bring this idea into fruition. We believe the development of an Eco-studio is exactly what is needed to revitalize Washington’s creative economy. 

This sounds like a great idea, but how would this Eco-studio work? Well ... a non profit community land trust (CLT) would own and manage land that they lease to the film cooperative and the other cooperative businesses on the land. The businesses on the land will generate the living resources to support those on the land and the full studio’s operational needs. I.e the energy cooperative will manage the solar farm and energy distributed through the land. The Indoor farming cooperative will grow and distribute the greens to those utilizing the studio. These businesses will be ran and operated by local business experts from the community. So we are not just building a Eco friendly studio but we are developing a piece of land into an economic powerhouse for the state of Washington. A multitude of businesses will need to be maintained and operated to sustain the economic ecosystem of this eco studio. Therefore we are creating jobs within Washington state directly associated with the development of the arts. These productions would not only be bringing funds to the state and our local economy, but we are producing content with little to no environmental impact on the world. In addition, contracting with BIPOC developers and business owners to be part of the development of the studio allows for a fully equitable and inclusive model. As we seek a new way forward for film production within Washington state, we must do so in a way that takes into account people, planet and profit. We can create a studio that can help solve economic and environmental issues while still producing high quality content. As was stated in the creative economy contest post “now more than ever, we need new approaches and innovative ideas from and for our creative communities. This is Washington's opportunity to become a real player within the creative production industry and to do so in a way that will not only change the creative industry, but will change the world. 

A CLT owns and manages the land and leases the land to cooperative businesses such as 

• Film Cooperative 

• Energy Cooperative 

• Indoor Farm Cooperative 

• Green Construction Cooperative

• Water Generation Cooperative  

• BioGas Cooperative 

Main revenue sources for the Eco-Studio 

• Rental of the Eco-Studio to large film production company 

• Eco-Festivals and concerts held on the land

• Eco-Village rental through an AirBnb model  

• Sales of the excess renewable resources developed on the land (Food,Water, Electricity etc)

Eco-Studio Benefits

• This location will attract large film production to Washington state

• We will be creating an economic film ecosystem on the land 

• Local BIPOC developers will be contracted to build out the land, creating an equitable development process.

• The presence of this type of studio allows for local artists to create quality content with lower budgets, making creative production more accessible to a more diverse group of artists. 

Open Air Schooling

• Open Air schooling is a mixture of remote online classes and on-campus visits. These Remote classes will work very similar to LinkedIn Learning and be a mixture of blended learning, which is the live classroom as well as self-paced learning through video audio and text base content that the user iterates through at their own pace. The specific schooling will be around traditional academics a.k.a. Core curriculums but will also focus on trade skills, solar energy, water & plumbing, carpentry and new age construction and agriculture to name a few. Following the footsteps of Booker T. Washington and his methodology to support the growth of black America into Self-determination after the civil war, the goal of the school would be to teach our community to be valuable no matter what path they choose or where they find themselves. In addition to the academic in trade learning, they will be an emotional, social focus within their studies. But the overall goal is to give them practical knowledge that provides a foundation for their lives and our communities' ability to build, maintain, and upgrade themselves.

The eco-studio will generate social and economic benefits that are significant and far reaching.

• Decrease film production costs as a result of solar powered LED lighting and virtual sets

• Attract big film production companies from in and out of state

• Boost the local economy by creating jobs and supporting local businesses

• Encourage equitable development process by partnering with local BIPOC developers to build out the land 

• Empower local artists to create quality content and make production more accessible to a more diverse group of artists.

10 Acre plot in Renton Behind the Renton Hyatt might just become the site for the 1st micro Eco studio

We are developing an old building located on prime real estate located in Renton WA. This location is an old power station that is currently being decommissioned by PG & E. There is already a suitable building on site that we are planning to renovate and use as a production studio. We are currently in the process of performing a site assessment to determine if this site is capable of becoming an eco studio. The used land surrounding the studio and power station can be used as festival grounds and or for an array of other events. For example, a site to host Drive in Movie, Pop up Farmer Market, and Inflatable Theme Park and there is enough space to host all of the above mentioned at the same time. There is even ample parking on the land and there is a parking garage connected to the land. Below are a site map of the land, an image showcasing the front of the building that will become the studio, Blueprints of the building, and concept art of what the LED wall virtual studio might look like within the warehouse area space.  

Project Location:

Site Address: 1095 Lake Washington Blvd N, Renton, WA 98056

(Behind the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington At Seattle's Southport Towers)

The plan is for filming to begin soon on Stranger Things 4 in Albuquerque as Netflix brings a bulk of its signature series there after previously shooting in Atlanta. The plan is for filming to begin soon on Stranger Things 4 in Albuquerque as Netflix brings a bulk of its signature series there after previously shooting in Atlanta. 

Other Netflix productions filmed in New Mexico include Army of the Dead, El Camino, Godless, Daybreak, Chambers and Messiah.

“When we brought Netflix to Albuquerque,” Keller said, “we put the spotlight on our City’s strong film economy and joined our brand to one of the top companies in the new global economy. Now, with this expansion we’re looking forward to doubling the impact to 2,000 jobs for folks from all walks of life and a $2 billion investment into Albuquerque’s economy over the next decade.” 

Part of the proposed investment brings a focus on growing the crew base and talent pool, and Netflix has committed to provide training programs for below-the-line positions in partnership with the New Mexico Film Office, local universities, labor and industry organizations. Netflix has also committed to support New Mexico’s Native American, Latino, Black and other underrepresented groups’ content creators and filmmakers. 

We’re not only building a massive eco-studio, we want to reshape the entire film industry and bring both positive environmental impacts and financial success to the local community and the Washington state.

The future of production is green and the eco-studio will be at the forefront leading the way.