New movie studio to open in McKees Rocks

A transition from Steeltown to an eastern Tinseltown may be on Pittsburgh’s horizon with the construction of a new film studio that began last week.

Island Studios EXP broke ground for the project on Oct. 23 at the P&LE Railroad brownfield redevelopment site in McKees Rocks, three miles from Downtown. 

The construction of the “brand new, state-of-the-art, 75,000-square-foot, sound-proof multi-stage and a 20,000 square foot office and entertainment complex … will further solidify western Pennsylvania as one of the foremost production hubs for commercial, television and feature films,” the Island Studios EXP release said.

In recent years, several high-profile films, including “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Jack Reacher” and “Foxcatcher,” which was partially filmed in the Peterson Events Center on Pitt’s campus, have offered Pitt students acting opportunities without having to leave the city. Island Studios EXP will provide aspiring actors, like Pitt theatre arts students, another avenue to secure roles. 

Mike Dolan, president of Island Studios EXP, could not be reached for comment because he was traveling. He said in the release that he feels the new studio will “continue to attract and retain the major studios and production companies who have frequented western Pennsylvania.”

Jenna Simmons said has capitalized on acting opportunities in Pittsburgh in the past. Simmons, a senior majoring in theatre arts, said she had a speaking role in Shane Dawson’s “Not Cool” as part of “The Chair,” a television series filmed in Pittsburgh that debuted on Starz in September.

One possible factor for Pittsburgh’s popularity as a filming and production location is the Film Tax Credit Program that was signed into Pennsylvania law under Gov. Ed Rendell in 2007.

Projects, including feature films, television films, television game and talk shows, among others, can apply for tax credit worth 25 percent of their total production budget, provided that at least 60 percent of their production costs were spent on “Qualified Pennsylvania Production Expenses,” according to the Pennsylvania State Film Tax Credit Guidelines for October 2014.

Those expenses include things like the cost of travel to, from and around the state, as well as costs for construction, lighting and visual effects.

Simmons said Pittsburgh’s size can also be an advantage to production companies and actors when compared to larger cities like New York and Los Angeles.

“Pittsburgh is large enough to support a movie but small enough that you really have a chance to stand out [as an actor],” she said.

Claire Sabatine said she thinks it’s “wonderful” that there’s a new studio coming to the city.

“[It] will attract more producers,” Sabatine, a junior marketing major and theatre arts minor, said. “Pittsburgh is already full of opportunities, but, since the industry is very tough to break into — that’s an understatement — gaining as much audition experience as possible is important.”

Caitlin Young, a Duquesne University senior who was an extra in both “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” agrees with Sabatine.

“I’m hoping to get an internship with Disney after I graduate,” Young, an integrated marketing and communication and theatre arts major, said. “But, if that doesn’t work out, I’m definitely going to try to stay here and build my resumé. It seems like the opportunities are endless.”

Young said she is thrilled about what the new studio could do for the city.

“I think it’s helping the incredible creative side of Pittsburgh to shine,” Young said. “It’s shattering the image of us as the foggy, industrial city and showing off how glamorous we really are.”