The Film Factory

Educating, Training, & Employing Louisiana Residents

The Film Factory is a 300,000 square foot world class motion picture production studio, film vocational school, and distribution house located on 18 acres of land in the downtown New Orleans area. The Film Factory will be the first facility in the United States to house a state-of-the-art training institute on an active motion picture studio lot. The Film Factory will be owned and operated by LIFT Productions, a Louisiana-based company that has produced and financed more than 30 motion pictures and television movies, totaling more than $200 million in production, since it opened its doors in 2002. LIFT has corporate offices located in New Orleans, Harahan, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport Louisiana.

The Film Factory will educate, train, and employ Louisiana residents, while also serving as a tool to help revitalize the Lafitte Corridor and stimulate economic development in the area. According to a recent study conducted by Professor Emeritus William H. Oakland of Tulane University, in association with Metro Source, the project will create 2,253 direct jobs generating $131 million in earnings, and 1,517 indirect jobs creating an estimated $116 million in earnings. The $185 million facility will be located just west of the French Quarter between St. Louis and Lafitte Streets, and between North Claiborne Avenue and North Galvez Street. The project was initiated in August of 2004 and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2008.

The Film Factory is the result of the continued explosive growth of the Louisiana film industry, spearheaded by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and the Department of Economic Development. The project is also a result of the innovative incentive programs passed by the Louisiana Legislature, as well as GO Zone bonds authorized by the Louisiana State Bond Commission and the Industrial Development Board of New Orleans. New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin has played a key role, before and after Hurricane Katrina, in the overall success of the film industry in the City, and has supported The Film Factory project since its inception. The Film Factory consists of three entities that together, will help Louisiana continue to develop a self-sustaining film industry that relies on its own infrastructure.

The Film Factory Training Institute:
The Film Factory Training Institute is a comprehensive, interactive, and hands-on facility that will train residents to become qualified crew members in all craft areas of the film and television industries. Because the school will be located on an active studio lot, students will have the unique opportunity to complete their training with internships on movie productions at The Film Factory. Some of the courses offered are in the fields of Production Management, Assistant Directing, Grip and Electric, Sound Recording, Set Decorating, Set Construction, and Hair & Makeup. The courses are designed for beginners, those already in the industry seeking to advance their skills, and for those looking to “cross over” into the higher paying film industry. Experienced carpenters can become skilled at set construction. Architects and designers can learn the craft of set design. Hairdressers can become celebrity stylists. The Film Factory Training Institute is open to students in Louisiana and from around the world.

The Film Factory Production Compound:
The Film Factory Production Compound consists of four world class sound stages, including a 30,000 square foot stage, a 10,000 square foot stage, and two 20,000 square foot stages. The Production Compound will house 15,000 square feet of post production suites, screening rooms, recording studios, digital technology suites for digital interactive media, production support offices, and custom designed facilities for movie industry vendors.

The Film Factory Distribution House:
The Film Factory will create the first Louisiana motion picture distribution company through its joint venture with Element Distribution, LLC. This is a bold step forward for Louisiana’s film industry because it will be the State’s first distribution company, and one of only a few that exist outside of Los Angeles and New York. The development of distribution capacity within the State is one of the three key elements of The Film Factory needed to develop a long-term, self-sustaining film industry within Louisiana.