GMA bares plans for ‘Hollywood-style’ studio at Clark

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga — President Arroyo said that the "long time dream of the movie industry" is about to unfold at the Clark special economic zone.

During a media interaction here recently, Cyber City Teleservices (CCT), a pioneer in the call center industry here, bared that it is expanding its operations to develop a "full Hollywood-style studios" on a 40-hectare site.

"It’s a joint benture between Cyber City and Shogee Studios, which is based in California and has offices in China, Singapore, and Canada," the President said.

She described the project as "very important not just for Clark but for the whole movie industry." The studios will be equipped with facilities for state-of-the-art special effects.

CCT officials said Shogee will invest as much as $10 million for the studios which will create jobs for as many as 4,000 local folk once fully operational.

They said Shogee "is a leader in providing film services effects utilizing technologies previously used in such movies as "King Kong," "Lord of the Ring," and "Harry Potter."

"Three to five years from now, the studios could be a tourism spot similar to California’s Universal Studio and by then many computer generated imaging (CGI) films would have been done at the 40-hectare Shogee studios," the officials said.

CCT said that Shogee will set up a "world-class full production studio facility comprising visual effects, computer generated imaging (CGI), prop and facade manufacturing for export and animation capabilities."

"The studios will provide its clients with full pre- and post-production capabilities. The use of sound stages, props and set design will result in a first class outsourced support services for television and film production industry worldwide," it noted.

CCT officials also said that their joint project with Shogee will include full scholarship grants, including allowances and board and lodging for local artists and film industry personnel who would like to know more about CGI which, they noted, Filipinos have yet to be familiar with.

The scholars will be trained under Shogee’s non-profit CCIS Educational Foundation center also to be established at the 40-hectare site.

"The technology and knowledge will originate from Hollywood, Chinese, and Canadian professionals who will share their expertise with Filipino artists through intensive training," CCT officials added. — Ding Cervantes