South Side Studios is easily Dallas' biggest and most historic sound stage operation, large enough to meet the needs of a full-scale film and television production. But it's been in dire need of an update. Now it's finally getting some work done, and it's much more than a shiny new coat of paint.
The 75,000-square-foot facility on Botham Jean Boulevard is undergoing renovations to make it a competitive attraction for film and TV crews looking for a place to shoot their latest productions, according to an announcement from the Dallas Film & Creative Industries Office.
The private film equity firm Talon Entertainment Finance will oversee the renovation after acquiring the property. Talon's plans are to provide "a thorough multi-million dollar update to the existing buildings with the addition of LED wall technology, making it the preeminent soundstage facility in all of North Texas," according to a statement from the film and creative industries office.
The renovation will add five "cutting-edge soundstages" of between 8,000 and 25,000 square feet and a "state of the art post-production facility" as well as offices, a mill, a prop house and camera packages. One of the most impressive additions are two new virtual production studios that will house "a massive 270-degree wall and ceiling setup with complete tracking and robotic camera equipment," according to the announcement.
Another key component of attracting major movie and film productions to the state are tax incentives, and one of those will be available when South Side Studios starts scheduling new productions. The Dallas Creative offices announced that the studio will be eligible for an additional 2.5% incentive bump from the new state incentives passed by Texas lawmakers.
"This upgrade to South Side Studios positions Dallas to be the premiere filming destination in the state of Texas.” – Tony Armer, commissioner for the Dallas Film and Creative Industries Office
tweet this
Last month, the Texas Legislature finally turned around years of dwindling incentives by passing a $200 million tax incentive package designed to bring productions back to Texas after states such as Louisiana and Georgia strengthened their incentive deals.
Plans and renovations like these aren't just designed to bring movie and TV show productions to town so locals can say, "Hey, they shot that here!" These productions also provide jobs to local crew members who work on and off camera, in post-production editing, makeup and costumes. The South Side Studios alone once served as the central filming locations for shows such as The CW's The Chozen, the TNT reboot of the classic primetime soap opera Dallas and five seasons of the reality series Queen of the South.
"Developing a large-scale soundstage is vital for any community to be truly competitive in the entertainment industry. It’s a credit to the film potential in Dallas that Talon recognized this and was willing to quickly commit to support this project," Tony Armer, commissioner for the Dallas Film and Creative Industries Office, said in a released statement. "This upgrade to South Side Studios positions Dallas to be the premiere filming destination in the state of Texas.”
