We’ve been waiting patiently for months, and now, the time is almost here; Chapman Studios West is almost done!

Located just across the railroad tracks from Marion Knott Studios, Chapman Studios West is scheduled to open Spring 2017. While it will be the home of the Dhont Documentary Center, to help support our documentary filmmaking program, it will also have plenty of other things for Dodge College students to take advantage of.

“Chapman Studios West is a full-service, end-to-end production and post-production facility incorporating the latest in 4K presentation technology, editorial finishing, physical production support and set construction,” said Kareem Marashi, Technical Services Manager for Dodge College. “The entire building and the technology employed throughout CSW was designed not only to expand the documentary production program, but also to augment Dodge College’s tradition of providing state-of-the-art tools and infrastructure to all our students in preparation for promising careers in the global entertainment and media industries.”

And to get started with that, there is a gorgeous new screening room, with seating for 50 people.

There is also a 7,000 square foot sound stage for student productions to take place on, along with a 2,000 square foot cinematography stage.

It will also be home of our new scene shop. Though the original located in Marion Knott Studios has served as well over the years, this new one is 6,000 square feet, and includes some new equipment such as the Computer Numerical Control. The CNC machine cuts material through computer input, and will be a great addition when it comes to building sets. In addition, there is also a 7,000 square foot props and set warehouse that includes 18,000 individual props inherited from Laguna Playhouse available for check-out for student productions.

“The addition of Chapman Studios West will allow us to build sets inside the scene shop,” says Associate Dean and Chief Technology Officer Dan Leonard, “which will provide a great leap forward in supporting production. Previously we had to build on stage and students couldn’t begin construction until the previous show had wrapped.  Now this can happen concurrently which will allow students to build more intricate sets and utilize the stage more efficiently. The result will be a smoother, more relaxed building and shooting schedule for everyone.”

Also, there will be 2 editing suites, a Sound Mixing/Color Correction Finishing suite, 7 faculty offices, a conference room, and a student lounge!

All of us here at Dodge College are excited for Chapman Studios West to be completed, and will share news of its opening soon! In the mean time, here are some photos of how it’s coming along!