CEBU | Bigfoot Studios - SRP [com]

[LordCarnal]

New Bigfoot Studios and Soundstages at South Road Properties (Cebu).








Cebu City signs up movie production facility
By Irene Sino Cruz
Visayas Bureau
Last updated 07:09pm (Mla time) 02/25/2007

CEBU CITY -- After a long wait, the Cebu City government finally signed up the first locator in the South Road Properties (SRP), the 300-hectare reclaimed area the city owns.

Bigfoot Entertainment (BFE) signed last week a 25-year lease agreement for a two-hectare area at the SRP, where the company plans to build a multi-million-dollar movie production facility.

The company plans to set up several sound stages, including a movie studio, in the area to attract Hollywood film companies planning location shoots outside of the United States.

A Bigfoot executive earlier explained that a bigger sound stage could accommodate large movie sets. The company said the investment in the expansion facility at the SRP could reach $10 million.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said the BFE was planning to acquire another 16 hectares for an integrated development.

"I'm more excited about what Bigfoot intends to do at SRP because Bigfoot is taking very aggressive posture pioneering new things to put us on the map," Osmeña said in an interview.

He said the company planned to transform the 16 hectares of prime waterfront area into an integrated development, including a mega yacht club.

Osmeña said Bigfoot's planned development would also include a retirement facility, residential condominium, hotels, offices and a bus terminal when fully built up.

He said the project would be implemented within three to four years.

The BFE also expressed willingness to work with real estate developers such as Filinvest Land Inc., Osmeña said.

A Brunei investor was also eyeing a hotel project as part of Bigfoot's complex, he added.

Osmeña said that upon the finalization of the purchase agreement, the city would ask Bigfoot to pay 40 percent of the total purchase price with the balance payable over four years,.

The mayor said Bigfoot decided to lease the two hectares first because it could not wait for the bidding process to be completed and it wanted to start with its film production facility immediately.

Bigfoot has two soundstages in its Mactan facility, which cost over $2.1 million (about P99.4 million). A sound stage is a large soundproof studio usually used for filming motion pictures. However, the Bigfoot sound stages in Mactan could only accommodate filming of music videos and advertisements.

Joel Mari Yu, managing director of the Cebu Investment Promotion Center, said the lease agreement on the two-hectare area would be terminated upon the approval of the purchase of the lot, along with the 16 other hectares.

Earlier, Osmeña came under fire from his critics over the huge debt the city incurred to finance the reclamation project, which cost at least P2 billion, and the capability of the city to pay off the loan.

The efforts to market the SRP to investors hit a snag when the Talisay City claimed it owned part of the reclaimed area.

The issue was settled when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Proclamation No 843, transferring the ownership of the SRP to the Cebu City government and declaring the area as alienable and disposable.

The city plans to sell parcels of the area to pay off portions of the loan, which is payable over a 30-year period. The selling price of SRP land starts at P10,000 per square meter.

[diehardbisdak]

a good project to start with at SRP..... IMO, this project is a sure "come-on" for another investments in SRP...

[sugbuanon]

Originally Posted by arnold_carl

He said the company planned to transform the 16 hectares of prime waterfront area into an integrated development, including a mega yacht club.

Osmeña said Bigfoot's planned development would also include a retirement facility, residential condominium, hotels, offices and a bus terminal when fully built up.

[cheersmate]

looks good..
i read somewhere that theyll be hiring filipino talents in film-making too..
very good news hey!

[AH-7Raja]

nice! really...

[miaka_cham]

weeee!! i'm so proud they'll put them up here in Cebu..hope other companies will follow,masyadong lonely na kc sa SRP..

[diz]

Let me get this straight, the movie studio will make Philippine Cinema better?

[Mootown]

i hope it'll help philippine movies boost its stardards of artistic level and be able to captivate a wider audience as far as globaly. The Filipino film insdustry only meet local entertainment quality type of films its genaral audiences are only filpinos very few filipno films able to suceed and reach international recognition. The last decade has witnessed the dramatic decline of the Filipino film industry. From an annual output of 140 films a year, the number of productions dropped over the last five years to less then 50 in 2005. Excessive taxation, competition from Hollywood, higher production costs and uncontrolled video piracy, among others, have been blamed for the critical condition of the industry today.But for the last three years, independent producers have been infusing new life into local filmmaking, whether in the mainstream or in the alternative scene. With funding from “enlightened” producers or support from competitions that believe in the concept of film as art, film artists have come up with works that are characterized by innovation and artistic integrity. In addition, the arrival of low-cost digital video technology has liberated filmmakers from the clutches of profit-obsessed producers and made possible the democratization of filmmaking itself.Dr. Nicanor G. Tiongson, film critic and scholar, lectures on the present state of the Filipino cinema, emphasizing the phenomenon of the Independent Film movement which in the last three years has produced some of the most exciting films since the days of Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal, and now promises to launch the resurgence of the Filipino Cinema. "Magnifico" (2003), a feature film directed by Maryo J de los Reyes and produced by Violett Films, is the story of a young boy whose purity of heart touches and transforms the lives of both his family and neighbors in a town by Laguna de Bay. In 2004, the film won the prestigious Crystal Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival, the International Grand Jury Award at the Madrid Children and Youth Festival, the Audience award at the Sheffield Film Festival, the Grand Prix for Best Picture at the Rome International Children’s Film Festival and major trophies in all the Philippine award-giving bodies."Mansyon" (2005), directed by newcomer Joel Ruiz and produced by Cinemalaya and Arkeomedia, is a short film about Dolores, a housemaid, and her husband Ambo, a gardener, who are asked to look after a mansion while the owners are on vacation. The weeks of boredom turn into days of excitement as the couple allow hidden desires to surface and discover another dimension in their subjected lives. This film won the Best Film award in the first Cinemalaya Film Festival and Competition in 2005.How should flipino films reach out to a global audience?Like chinese cinema or the Beijeng films... china has produce international films many times since the 1930 reaching its first western global audience though chinese motion picture started in mid 1890's they have evolved much. The filmmaking industry in the philippines is no different although its still in its young age filipino filmmakers has a lot to learn, as we all know we are susceptable of Hollywood films. Still though modern filipino films lack the quality and artistic level that of Hollywood. Storyline far below internatonal ratings. I have seen filipino movies bfor if you will ask me... Actors and actres suck but not all of them. Most of them are extremely cheesy. The movies are predictable they pretty much follow the same pattern or formula and they lack any kind of substance. Its something that you would expect to a filipino movie. Very few that i actually liked.But remember this its not the golden age of Philippine cinema yet it will take time before it will develop and evolve in and become an international fenom.

[Mootown]

this is an oppurnity for Cebu City to shine and showcase itself to world of entertainment. Mayb someday hollywood will go to cebu and shoot their films there.

[demented_pigeon]

Originally Posted by Mootown

i hope it'll help philippine movies boost its stardards of artistic level and be able to captivate a wider audience as far as globaly. The Filipino film insdustry only meet local entertainment quality type of films its genaral audiences are only filpinos very few filipno films able to suceed and reach international recognition. The last decade has witnessed the dramatic decline of the Filipino film industry. From an annual output of 140 films a year, the number of productions dropped over the last five years to less then 50 in 2005. Excessive taxation, competition from Hollywood, higher production costs and uncontrolled video piracy, among others, have been blamed for the critical condition of the industry today.But for the last three years, independent producers have been infusing new life into local filmmaking, whether in the mainstream or in the alternative scene. With funding from “enlightened” producers or support from competitions that believe in the concept of film as art, film artists have come up with works that are characterized by innovation and artistic integrity. In addition, the arrival of low-cost digital video technology has liberated filmmakers from the clutches of profit-obsessed producers and made possible the democratization of filmmaking itself.Dr. Nicanor G. Tiongson, film critic and scholar, lectures on the present state of the Filipino cinema, emphasizing the phenomenon of the Independent Film movement which in the last three years has produced some of the most exciting films since the days of Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal, and now promises to launch the resurgence of the Filipino Cinema. "Magnifico" (2003), a feature film directed by Maryo J de los Reyes and produced by Violett Films, is the story of a young boy whose purity of heart touches and transforms the lives of both his family and neighbors in a town by Laguna de Bay. In 2004, the film won the prestigious Crystal Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival, the International Grand Jury Award at the Madrid Children and Youth Festival, the Audience award at the Sheffield Film Festival, the Grand Prix for Best Picture at the Rome International Children’s Film Festival and major trophies in all the Philippine award-giving bodies."Mansyon" (2005), directed by newcomer Joel Ruiz and produced by Cinemalaya and Arkeomedia, is a short film about Dolores, a housemaid, and her husband Ambo, a gardener, who are asked to look after a mansion while the owners are on vacation. The weeks of boredom turn into days of excitement as the couple allow hidden desires to surface and discover another dimension in their subjected lives. This film won the Best Film award in the first Cinemalaya Film Festival and Competition in 2005.How should flipino films reach out to a global audience?Like chinese cinema or the Beijeng films... china has produce international films many times since the 1930 reaching its first western global audience though chinese motion picture started in mid 1890's they have evolved much. The filmmaking industry in the philippines is no different although its still in its young age filipino filmmakers has a lot to learn, as we all know we are susceptable of Hollywood films. Still though modern filipino films lack the quality and artistic level that of Hollywood. Storyline far below internatonal ratings. I have seen filipino movies bfor if you will ask me... Actors and actres suck but not all of them. Most of them are extremely cheesy. The movies are predictable they pretty much follow the same pattern or formula and they lack any kind of substance. Its something that you would expect to a filipino movie. Very few that i actually liked.But remember this its not the golden age of Philippine cinema yet it will take time before it will develop and evolve in and become an international fenom.

we desperately need another Lino Brocka to pull off another "Maynila, sa kuko ng liwanag"

[slimer]

wow! i hope they will really put up all these plans in srp. it's world class.

[flymordecai]

Very nice post, Mootown! Like you, I'm looking forward to seeing Filipino cinema reach out to the international audience. This studio will definitely boost the quality somewhat, but even more so if other studios pop up all over the country and the production companies take advantage of them.

It's true that Filipino films are lacking in substance, particularly in acting (of most actors, there are several standouts that are "natural") and technical expertise, although that has probably to do with the budget constraint and not the lack of technical talent of Filipino film makers. The film industry right now is not a huge market in that the film studios do not feel the need to have a huge budget to release movies. However, there are some amazing independent Filipino directors that create critically acclaimed films with smaller budgets than the "big" studios. Take for example, the Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros and the films listed by Mootown. These films are rated highly, even by film buffs outside of the Philippines, because they are genuine and have substance, unlike most of the general release.

I really hope this will give the Filipino film industry a push that it needs.

[wakeuptoreality]

[D'Transporter]

I hope someday Cebu will become the Capital of the Entertainment and Movie industry in the Philippines.

[wakeuptoreality]

yeah.. Capital of Entertainment and Movie Industry in the Philippines plus the Fashion, Jewelry, Tourism, ICT capital also...

[flymordecai]

Thanks for the pictures of the Bigfoot Studios in Mactan. We can expect that quality again for the new studios in SRP.

Who uses these studios, BTW? TV companies like ABS-CBN/GMA or movie studios?

[Mootown]

@flymordecai thank you

[Mootown]

@ flymordecaiI seen your pix on flickr are you from around the norcal area?

[flymordecai]

Yup, I live in Hayward and in San Jose in the East Bay.

[southernbelle]

I am so excited with this news! In the future, we will be seeing these structures in SRP!

GOD bless our beloved SUGBU!