Medient Studios changes name, starts new direction
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Alyssa Hyman
Aug 27, 2014 04:38 PM
EFFINGHAM CO., GA (WTOC) - Medient Studios made big changes, starting with the name of the company.
The production company changed its name to Moon River Studios, a new name to go along with its new direction.
While it'll be another year before actual sounds stages are built, but that doesn't mean the company will wait to start making movies. In fact, the company has already built two sets at their Effingham County location for an upcoming feature film.
"So we have a film coming up that hasn't been announced yet," said Moon River Studios CEO Jake Shapiro. "So we've been doing some preproduction on it by building sets."
There isn't much to see on the 1,500 acre property, yet, but what can be seen is two sets, one for a paintball scene and another for a campfire scene. Both are in an upcoming feature film set at a summer camp.
"Lots of cameos," said Shapiro. "Really, really funny project. Great people attached to it. A lot of household A list type names, and I think we're really lucky to be partners in this project."
Medient Studios has taken a new direction in more way than one, starting with its name.
"We felt it was very important to show there's a new, clear direction of the company," said Shapiro. "We're very focus oriented. We have a team that's very success oriented."
The master plans have changed too, scaling down the ostentatious designs of the studioplex to become more focused on the elements necessary for making movies, and then recreational elements to involve the community. But it's still a major project.
"Because of the scale of that, it required a number of impact studies," Shapiro said. "That had to be done. We hope in the next few weeks we hope to have the ready to deliver to the proper government officials."
Once these studies are complete, the next step, according to the company, is to get the building permits from the county to move forward with construction.
"Even though the physical structure of the sound stages may not be completed until the end of 2015," said Shapiro. "We will start the factory production this year."
Moon river Studios said they are still leasing the property in Effingham County, they just can't start construction without proper permits from the county.
Shapiro said they are hoping to meet the Effingham county IDA's deadline by September, but all of that depends on how fast those studios get finished.
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