"Please help keep our vision alive and be part in making movies happen"

- Harald Galinski | Studio Founder

"You really can't underestimate how important a space like this is to making major motion pictures"

-Marty Bowen, Producer | Dear John & the Twilight Saga

SUMMARY 

In May of 2011, I fulfilled a dream and opened Studio Charleston, South Carolina’s first permanent Film/TV production facility with a vision to help bringing back Film/TV productions, creating new jobs and to help stimulate our regions economy!

WHAT HAPPENED

Last summer, South Carolina lost its competitive Film Incentives. Film incentives are rebates provided by the state to the movie makers and are one of the main reasons why productions select a specific state. Without them, the chances of large productions coming back to our state are slim, and Studio Charleston and our S.C. film industry will not be able to survive.

The 70,000 SF studio needs big productions to make it. The facility has been the production hub and stages for major studio productions like "Dear John". It quickly attracted a variety of great clients; a History Channel TV Show Pilot, an Atlantic Records Music-Video productions and independent feature films, like "Little Red Wagon" and the locally produced "Warrior Road" - all of which employed local crew & talent, using local vendors and services.

OUR STRATEGY

We are fighting for a couple of things:

• Passing New S.C. Film Incentives, which were successfully introduced first thing this year and have already passed the challenging S.C. State Finance Committee.
• Keeping Studio Charleston alive until the new incentives are passed

YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN

We Need Your Help to raise the money needed to pay the basic operating expenses. More than ever, we are committed to stay focused on recruiting new Film/TV projects to our beautiful state and pushing to swiftly pass the new incentives.

We have great perks for your contributions; for only $10 you are honored with a permanent "Thank You Recognition" on our website, just $25 will put your name permanently on a plaque at our stage-walk, Exclusive Studio T-Shirt for $50 and perks as unique as NAMING A STAGE. Please remember that even the smallest contribution will make a BIG DIFFERENCE. 

Right now, WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TODAY by clicking on one of the perks below or select from the full list to the right:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION ! ! !

THE FULL STORY....

Having competitive state film incentives in combination with a production facility is key to recruiting new productions to South Carolina. The studio complex now offers a total of 70,000 SF of Creative Production Space - it instantly made South Carolina competitive with our neighboring states.

The facility really is amazing, offering Studio & Stages ranging from 780 SF to 19,500 SF with 40' high ceilings, Equipment Rental, 14,000 SF of Production Offices, Copy Center, plus technical and production management solutions for every scale of production; from one hour Photo Shoots at our turn-key STUDIO A, to month's long Film/TV productions.

"Having these massive stage settings in the same space as production offices, conference rooms, construction department and everything else you need to run a project smoothly is perfect", said Marty Bowen, producer of the successful Twilight Saga, about our facility, which he used as production hub and for soundstages on the production of Nicola’s Sparks “DEAR JOHN”, which employed over 250 crew members in South Carolina.

Studio Charleston and its many wonderful supporters have given me the dignity of being uncompromisingly loyal to something I believe in...and to hold on to it. And, above all else, believe, without question, that it will carry on!

With the encouraging support of my wonderful family, friends and business partners, I have stayed strong and loyal to what I believe in. We have focused our energy on what is most important, getting new film incentives passed - the key to our success. We are very close, but it will still take some time and we need your help to stay alive! Together, with your involvement and contributions, we will be able to keep the studio doors open until the new incentives pass, which are currently with our State's legislators, pending votes of approval to pass. 

Please be a part of this once in a life time opportunity to bring this unique and rewarding industry back to South Carolina. With your contribution, you will become an important part in the foundation of South Carolina's very first production facility!

Your contribution will help keep the studio alive while directly influencing our local economy.  Film and TV creates hundreds of everyday jobs for South Carolinians while bringing millions in income to local businesses – and irreplaceable promotional value to our state. Even independent productions, such as the locally produced "Warrior Road" feature film, produced by visionary, Charleston based Charliewood Pictures, hire many full-time local Crew Members, Cast & Extras.

By contributing today, you can be the reason why Films & TV shows are made in your neighborhood, our historic streets and throughout this beautiful state! 

>> WHY KEEP STUDIO CHARLESTON OPEN?

Films need big production space: Getting the film industry to come to a state without a production facility like Studio Charleston, offering thousands of square feet of stages, offices and construction area, is like trying to get the New York Yankees to come play baseball in your city when you don’t have a stadium and the cities next door do. They are simply more likely to go there and not your city. Make sense?

Famous film producers,like Marty Bowen, would love to come back with new projects and all it will take is your help.  

>> THE IMPACT

Just one medium size budget film produced in our facility created:

• 258 High Paying Jobs
• 4,780 Local Hotel Night Bookings for Cast & Crew alone
• $13 Million Spent with South Carolina Businesses

The jobs that the film industry brings are not exclusive to producers, cast and camera crew, but can create work for people like your neighbors, friends or family members in an array of professions, such as:

• Electricians
• Carpenters
• Framers
• Landscapers
• Caterers
• Seamstresses
• Policemen
• Hair stylists
• Truckers
• Mechanics… just to name a few! 

On top of creating more jobs, it also increases the income of local business, such as:

• Clothing stores
• Hair salons
• Car rental companies
• Equipment rentals
• Supply stores
• Furniture stores
• Restaurants and bars
• Food stores
• Coffee shops
• Taxi companies
• Dry cleaners
• Hotels
• Tourist attractions and many more! 

What about our students studying at one of the many film schools in South Carolina? Right now, most of them must leave there home state to work in the industry they have gone to school for – let’s keep them here at home!

>> THE HISTORY OF STUDIO CHARLESTON

In 2008, Studio Charleston founder Harald Galinski came to Charleston as part of the team that produced the multi-million dollar feature film “Dear John” starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried.  If you have seen it, you know it’s a beautiful story set in Charleston, and the film does an amazing job showcasing the beauty of this state.  While Channing and Amanda’s characters fell in love on screen, Harald fell in love with South Carolina, and the dream of “Studio Charleston” was born.  With a vision to help bring jobs and opportunities to his new home state of South Carolina, he took on the challenge, dedicated his life to fulfill his dream and turned his vision into reality by opening the Studio in May 2011 - he never looked back!

>> WE NEED YOUR HELP!

The clock is ticking!! Studio Charleston needs your help to raise $35,000 to pay the bills and keep the studio alive while the incentives undergo the legislative process. Just the utilities alone cost $1,300 a month when the studio is not in use!

We are reaching out to our supporters like you to ask for contributions. In exchange, we offer many different perks, such as your name on a permanent plaque at our Stage Walk, T-Shirts, Set-Visits to future Film/TV productions and three(3) "Corporate" opportunities to name one of our stages.

Regardless of how big or small your contribution – every little bit will help and everyone is going to be recognized as permanent supporter of Studio Charleston.

Give yourself the opportunity to spot your favorite celebrity walking down your streets, to see your local coffee shop on the big screen, to be an extra in a film, to proudly show your friends and relatives were different scenes were filmed when they visit… to put South Carolina on the map like never before!

Thank You for Your Contribution ! ! !

>> Other ways to show your support and be a star in the film world!

In addition to contributing to our cause, you can also help by contacting your Senator and House Representative and asking them to support our bills as they go through the legislative process.

Spread the word and allow South Carolina to outshine the rest and be a part of history and the future of South Carolina today!

Thank you for your support and contribution. If you have any question or if you would like more details on how you can help, please feel free to eMail us to support@studiocharleston.com.

>> Our FACEBOOK Page: https://www.facebook.com/studiocharleston

>> Studio Website: www.StudioCharleston.com

The proposed bills waiting to pass:

• S.C. Senate Film Incentive Bill: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=163&session=120&summary=B
• S.C. State House Film Incentive Bill (both are identical): http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess120_2013-2014/bills/3357.htm

Non-Endorsement Disclaimer: Unless clearly stated, this campaign has not been endorsed by any specific commercial Film/TV production, products, process, or service, referenced herein by trade name, trademark, producer, studio or otherwise and any such reference in this campaign does not constitute or imply the endorsement of this campaign.