Picturesque Muskegon on the shores of Lake Michigan and known as a popular summer sports and recreational destination, is about to become the Hollywood of southeastern Michigan.
By spring, 2009, this small historic city (population 40,150) will be the home of multimillion dollar WaterMark Studios, currently being developed in a former furniture factory in the heart of downtown Muskegon.
WaterMark developers say it will be the Midwest’s biggest, most complete film, video and digital media facility, and one of the country’s biggest outside of California and New York.
Ground will be broken later this summer.
Designed by Muskegon architect Gary Breen of Concept Design Studio, 17,000-sq. ft. WaterMark and will have three sound stages and features that include:
* A fleet of fully-equipped lighting and grip trucks;
* Complete HD post faculties, for processing, transfer, editing, transfer and color correction;
* Sound services of dialog replacement, Foley, sound design and sound mixing on THX and Dolby certified stages.
* Luxury screening rooms and theatres, also available for viewing dailies.
* Rental production and executive offices;
As a full-service complex, WaterMark will provide casting and scouting services; financial consulting, bridge loans and distribution services.
Muskegon is equidistant to both Chicago and Detroit (183 miles) and 100 miles from the state capitol in Lansing.
The studio will be part of the Watermark Center & Lofts, a one million-square foot mixed-used residential center, being developed by ANM Group of Brooklyn, N. Y.
For the WaterMark Studio component, AMN Group is partnering with New York’s ModernCine, an independent production company owned by Andrew van der Houten. ModernCine will run the facility and van den Houten is expected to be its president.
