Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Studio South Holdings in Talks with Puerto Rican Officials

GREENVILLE, SC - Bert Hesse, CEO of Studio South Holdings, announced last week that the company is evaluating several other locations for purpose-built studios. As an entertainment asset management company, Studio South is exploring an additional production campus in Puerto Rico.

“Our business model to combine the resources of a broad network of studios has attracted the attention of developers, film industry executives and government officials in Puerto Rico. Adding film, TV and computer game production there presents an opportunity to introduce an innovative and high-growth industry to the country as it rebuilds,” says Studio South CEO Bert Hesse.

Global Studios in Greenville, South Carolina, is the latest in the worldwide network. The advantages of being part of a network of full-service studio complexes allows for service quality consistency and the sharing of: resources, marketing and contacts.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Guest Speaker at Winthrop University

Studio South Holdings CEO Bert Hesse was Guest Speaker at

Winthrop University's Film Class


Representing Studio South Holdings and its newest location, Global Studios, in Greenville, SC, Bert Hesse discussed national and local film industry trends with film students at Winthrop University on February 12, 2018.

Hesse included the latest South Carolina Film reel and Global Studio's promotional video in his presentation that was followed by questions." I was impressed with the quality and thoughtfulness of the students’ questions,” said Hesse.

One of the main goals for Hesse's appearance on the campus was to start a dialog with the University about developing a film program in conjunction with Global Studios.

Located 20 minutes from Charlotte, NC, Winthrop University is a public, comprehensive university committed to providing an educational experience that blends liberal arts, professional programs, global awareness and civic engagement. It is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's, and specialist degrees. The Princeton Review rated Winthrop among the Best in the Southeast in its 2018 Best Colleges: Region by Region rankings.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

The Sky is Blue Like an Orange


Studio South Holdings Partners with

 Richard Linklater to Executive Produce

 The Sky Is Blue Like an Orange 

            Adding to Studio South Holdings’ 2017-2018 film production line-up is The Sky Is Blue Like an Orange from acclaimed writer-director Caveh Zahedi whose filmography includes: I Don’t Hate Las Vegas Anymore (1995 winner of the Critics’ Award at the Rotterdam Film Festival), In the Bathtub of the World (2001 - aired on the Independent Film Channel) and The Sheik & I (2012 - named by Film Comment the best film at SXSW).

            Film maker, screenwriter and actor Richard Linklater, best known for Boyhood (2014) that took over 12 years to finish and won the Golden GlobeCritics' Choice Movie Awards and BAFTAs for Best Director and Best Picture and also Linklater’s first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director, will be executive producer. Linklater and Zahedi first met at Sundance in 1991 and Linklater has been a fan and supporter of Zahedi's work ever since.

            The Sky Is Blue Like an Orange is about celebrated 1960s collage artist Joseph Cornell. As described by Zahedi, it is an attempt to make a film aesthetically commensurate with Cornell’s own work. “The goal is for the film to look and feel like a Cornell box – dreamy, enigmatic, haunted, playful, sad, and menacing. My hope is to translate Cornell’s collage aesthetic into cinematic terms that push the envelope of cinema.”


            Studio South Holdings manages entertainment assets, both sound studios and buildings and content.  It coordinates the various aspects of the entertainment industry or, as Hesse puts it, “everything you need to create content in one place.” Studio South’s flagship studio will be in Greenville with plans to also re-purpose and build facilities in Austin TX.


Sunday, September 3, 2017

Bo Bice Signs on as Producer of The Ventures Documentary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 
August 17, 2017 
Contact: Bert Hesse, CEO Studio South Holdings
704.502.7712 
BertHesse1@gmail.com 
Ann Waters PR, 
801.288.9724 
annwaters.studiosouth@gmail.com
www.studiosouth.us 




Bo Bice Signs on as
Producer of The Ventures Documentary


CHARLOTTE, NC – Musician Bo Bice has agreed to become producer of the long-awaited documentary about The Ventures, the instrumental rock band that influenced Elton John to Blondie and Peter Frampton to George Harrison.

Bice, who has his own record label Sugar Money and is lead singer of the legendary Blood Sweat & Tears, was an American Idol runner up in the fourth season. About The Ventures, he says: “They are single handedly responsible for so many bands who came after them. Without The Ventures there'd be no Aerosmith, Super Tramp, The Who, Boston, Steely Dan, The Beach Boys, etc. The creative guitar sounds and totally original compositions have inspired musicians from every genre for generations. People are still using the tools that The Ventures gave us in sound productions, engineering, recording to this day. The popularity of the band is a cult status in the music business and if you're in the industry you've used techniques, stole sounds and copied production templates from The Ventures both purposefully and subliminally at some point and time in your career.” 

Bice will produce the film along with director Staci Layne Wilson, daughter of The Ventures co- founder Don Wilson, and producers Tim Wilson, Evan Hesse and Tony Fenton.

Studio South Holdings, with offices in Charlotte and Los Angeles, is a film and entertainment management company and will coordinate production and financing of the documentary. CEO of Studio South, Bert Hesse says “adding Bice to the team will add critical musical expertise. To have such a great musical talent like Bo will enhance the overall viewer & listening experience for our audience.”


##### 

Friday, September 1, 2017

Greenville's Global Media Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 28, 2017 
Contact: Bert Hesse, CEO Studio South Holdings
704.502.7712
BertHesse1@gmail.com
or
Ann Waters, 
801.288.9724 
annwaters.studiosouth@gmail.com

www.studiosouth.us





Greenville’s Global Media Park
Poised to Benefit from
Film, Video and Virtual Reality
Growth

GREENVILLE, SC – Production of today’s streaming video, original TV movies and virtual reality experiences calls for studios equipped with technologically advanced cameras and interactive software. With an eye on this fast-changing industry and a desire to bring a positive cultural influence to Greenville, veteran movie producer Bert Hesse and entrepreneur Vivian A. Wong are transforming the 73-acre Global Trade Center into a state-of-the-art facility with purpose- built stages and high-performance structures for film, television, video game and virtual reality (VR) production. Seasoned and first-time filmmakers, video game creators and VR producers will benefit from the envisioned cinematic one-stop shop.

“Ever since Bert told me about this project, I have been excited about the Global Media Park project and the prospect of bringing high-tech, creative jobs and industries to Greenville,” says Wong, who has built numerous successful businesses from restaurants to real estate developments. When Bert Hesse, who has to his credit films and a documentary including the award-winning Cold Storage, proposed the Global Media Park idea to her last fall, she agreed that the property could be a hub and destination for both local and national film makers.

Plans for the first of four phases in the existing building, located at 28 Global Drive, include adding six tenants from the target industries. Tenants in the second phase, in a newly constructed building, will Global Studios and Pacific Ventures.  One Stop Production Supply, a partnership with Lowe’s Home Improvement Centers that provides specialty set materials at a discount, will also be involved on the development.  Hesse is currently searching for Phase 3 and 4 tenants.  Later stages will include retail, a hotel, an entertainment themed restaurant and additional parking.

South Carolina is known for being one of the country's leading incentive states for films and
television series production, and the South Carolina Film Commission looks forward to the
“The creation of high paying, knowledge-based jobs within an industry that is one of America’s leading exports produces a positive effect in local communities where filmed activity takes place. The chance for Greenville to become a beneficiary of this process is something the South Carolina Film Commission hopes for.”

Hesse and Wong are confident Greenville can play a significant role in the film industry that is already expanding rapidly into VR, games and television production. These industry segments are all part of the “Creative Class” said Hesse, and will capitalize on fast growth areas of film and movie production.

Studio South manages entertainment assets, both sound studios and buildings and content. It coordinates the various aspects of the entertainment industry or, as Hesse puts it, “everything you need to create content in one place.” Studio South’s flagship studio will be in Greenville with plans to also re-purpose and build facilities in Austin and Park City.
#####