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Thread: Prairie Surf Studios (formerly Cox Center)

  1. #351

    Default Re: Cox Center

    Per what Pete says this may be a long shot of actually working but I wish them luck!

  2. #352

  3. Default Re: Cox Center

    If they dont have a company lined up to make the investment needed to do this, then i say let's move on. I absolutely do not want to sink millions of dollars in to the place just to HOPE someone comes by to film. I can't support the city funding making this happen. If there's a need, then there will be a production company out there willing to do it. Otherwise, yeah I dont think that's going to happen.

    The city shouldn't be doing this stuff anyway, it's not their job to be a business no more than it's their job to be a landlord for an office building.

  4. #354
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    Default Re: Cox Center

    Let's see what they have to offer:

    Has anyone heard them say that they needed any kind of investment from the city...

    Concerns we should all have since the Cox Convention Center was funded thru bonds in 1971 construction and received MAPS funds there after.

    What kind of structural changes would be made to Cox Center (permanent or temporary). You know there's money in California (investors) to fund this project. Although it seems on the surface to good to be true, this is where the negotiations stage begins.'

    Before we all jump to conclusions, again, let's see what they have to offer... This just allows negotiations to begin--nothing is final.

    Only drawback I see is the Cox Center will not be available as a back-up venue for possible overflow of the new convention center--with Covid-19, at this point--will even that be an issue...

    How will SMG be affected by this negotiations--will they be involved...

  5. #355

    Default Re: Cox Center

    Quote Originally Posted by bombermwc View Post
    If they dont have a company lined up to make the investment needed to do this, then i say let's move on. I absolutely do not want to sink millions of dollars in to the place just to HOPE someone comes by to film. I can't support the city funding making this happen. If there's a need, then there will be a production company out there willing to do it. Otherwise, yeah I dont think that's going to happen.

    The city shouldn't be doing this stuff anyway, it's not their job to be a business no more than it's their job to be a landlord for an office building.
    Is the city planning on funding this, though? Honestly asking. I was under the impression the group behind it was putting together the financing but I could be wrong.

  6. #356

    Default Re: Cox Center

    There has been no mention of city funding but that doesn't mean it isn't coming; I have no idea where the money would come from.

  7. #357

    Default Re: Cox Center

    Christian Kanady, CEO of the dwindling Echo Energy, is the lead investor and will be sourcing additional investments. He is/has been reducing his exposure to Oil/Gas for some time now. He has commercial real estate investments around the city with a strong desire to make downtown OKC more vibrant. Obviously this is self-serving to a degree, since he has no tenants in his rather expensive building at Kerr Park.

  8. #358

    Default Re: Cox Center

    Quote Originally Posted by StrongCider View Post
    Christian Kanady, CEO of the dwindling Echo Energy, is the lead investor and will be sourcing additional investments. He is/has been reducing his exposure to Oil/Gas for some time now. He has commercial real estate investments around the city with a strong desire to make downtown OKC more vibrant. Obviously this is self-serving to a degree, since he has no tenants in his rather expensive building at Kerr Park.
    He was mentioned in the press release as an investor.

    He paid $10.7 million for the old Parkside Building and it's almost completely empty other than a handful of his own employees.

  9. #359
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    Default Re: Cox Center

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    There has been no mention of city funding but that doesn't mean it isn't coming; I have no idea where the money would come from.
    Appreciate the info you bring to all discussions; you are our major source and shield with your wide range of expertise especially since you recently relocated back to OKC from LA.

    It sounds like they want to enter into a short or long-term lease for the Cox Center; still we don't know the terms associated with an agreement--as with any lease will the city (owner) be asked to fund anything--we need to see the agreement since OKC still owns this venue.

    Don't know if you (Pete) can answer this question: Do you know or recall if the cities of Los Angeles or Hollywood were ever asked to fund any of the motion picture industry prompts, stages or venue projects...

  10. #360

    Default Re: Cox Center

    The group is using Saxum as their PR firm, so either Renzi Stone is personally involved in the soundstage development, or Kanady & Co. are shelling out some good dough.

    It also could be that the State is behind the PR, as this group has an agreement with the city and state to promote the facility.

  11. Default Re: Cox Center

    Quote Originally Posted by StrongCider View Post
    Christian Kanady, CEO of the dwindling Echo Energy, is the lead investor and will be sourcing additional investments. He is/has been reducing his exposure to Oil/Gas for some time now. He has commercial real estate investments around the city with a strong desire to make downtown OKC more vibrant. Obviously this is self-serving to a degree, since he has no tenants in his rather expensive building at Kerr Park.

    Perhaps the Parkside Building is where Prarie Surf Media Corp. will have office space, along with Echo Energy and perhaps Kanady's holding company. That's a huge win to me
    Oklahoma City, the RENAISSANCE CITY!

  12. #362

    Default Re: Cox Center

    Anecdotally, I have a good friend who is a writer / producer who recently relocated to OKC. She has been an assistant producer on several film projects in OKC over the last 9 months, in addition to an indie that is about to start filming here in a week.

    First, I don't think people realize how much is in the works with Hollywood here. One reason is that most states are still highly restrictive when it comes to these projects. Another is that there is incredible demand right now for new content.

    She told me the other day that an agent for a major film production insurance company told her he has written more policies for Oklahoma projects than any other state in the union this year.

    Notwithstanding the questions about the leasing arrangement, this industry is red-hot in OKC right now with the potential to go to the next level (ala Atlanta).

  13. #363

    Default Re: Cox Center

    Back in April I was watching Good Morning America (ABC) one morning. I do not remember the actress's name but during the interview, she stated she was on day 5 of filming in OKC when the pandemic shut them down. More going on here than we think.

  14. #364

    Default Re: Cox Center

    Were are the OKC Blue basketball team going to play their home games?

  15. #365

    Default Re: Cox Center

    Keep in mind, there is a *huge* difference between filming on location (which is always just part of a production, and there are usually several locations being short-term) versus the base of a production in a soundstage.

    For the latter, everyone has to live near the soundstage for an extended period and you need to have tons of jobs done locally. Grips, electricians, set-builders, costumers, makeup and hair, etc. Those people travel with the cast and crew to a location shoot but stay generally in place at soundstages.

    So, with this facility, what we will be seeking are entire productions to come here and do all their soundstage work.

    To my knowledge, we have next to zero of that happening of any substance and will then have to persuade producers to come to OKC and set up shop for months or years at a time, and bring most of their preferred crew with them.

    When people are investing in a big production, they want to include all the best people they know, from directors and cinematographers all the way down the line. And those people want to bring on experienced people with proven talent and with whom they've worked before.


    I hate sounding negative, I'm just trying to 1) provide perspective and 2) work through how this would ever make sense.

  16. #366
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    Default Re: Cox Center

    Quote Originally Posted by Miracle121 View Post
    Were are the OKC Blue basketball team going to play their home games?
    The OKC Blue on any given night attracts 50 to 500 fans. The G-League did not operate this past season due to the pandemic. There are a number of gyms and field houses like Abe Lemons Arena (3,360 capacity), OCU;

    Abe Lemons Arena, N. W. 23rd Street & Blackwelder


    Capitol Hill High School Dome:

    The Capitol Hill High School Dome Fieldhouse--bleacher seating for 2,200, 500 SW 36th Street,

    The Original Classen High School & gymnasium 1901 Ellison (currently vacant) has bleacher style permanent seating for 1,200.

    The OKC Blue shouldn't have any issues relocating inside OKC proper.

  17. #367
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    Default Re: Cox Center

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    Keep in mind, there is a *huge* difference between filming on location (which is always just part of a production, and there are usually several locations being short-term) versus the base of a production in a soundstage.

    For the latter, everyone has to live near the soundstage for an extended period and you need to have tons of jobs done locally. Grips, electricians, set-builders, costumers, makeup and hair, etc. Those people travel with the cast and crew to a location shoot but stay generally in place at soundstages.

    So, with this facility, what we will be seeking are entire productions to come here and do all their soundstage work.

    To my knowledge, we have next to zero of that happening of any substance and will then have to persuade producers to come to OKC and set up shop for months or years at a time, and bring most of their preferred crew with them.

    When people are investing in a big production, they want to include all the best people they know, from directors and cinematographers all the way down the line. And those people want to bring on experienced people with proven talent and with whom they've worked before.


    I hate sounding negative, I'm just trying to 1) provide perspective and 2) work through how this would ever make sense.
    I understand your pragmatic analysis, but maybe we should be asking what we need to do to make this happen for a new industry to come to OKC instead of just conceding that there is no way because it has not happened before. We need diversification and new industries. Bringing any new one here has its challenges. We don’t need to just throw up our hands and say “no way”.

  18. #368

    Default Re: Cox Center

    Quote Originally Posted by Rover View Post
    I understand your pragmatic analysis, but maybe we should be asking what we need to do to make this happen for a new industry to come to OKC instead of just conceding that there is no way because it has not happened before. We need diversification and new industries. Bringing any new one here has its challenges. We don’t need to just throw up our hands and say “no way”.
    Absolutely no one is saying that.

    Just adding some background and hoping things work out.

  19. #369

    Default Re: Cox Center

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    Keep in mind, there is a *huge* difference between filming on location (which is always just part of a production, and there are usually several locations being short-term) versus the base of a production in a soundstage.
    Pete - you know a whole lot more than the majority of us obviously - but is there a possibility that we're on the front end of both an increased market demand and technological advance that really makes this less of a stretch than it would have been even 5 years ago?

    For the latter, everyone has to live near the soundstage for an extended period and you need to have tons of jobs done locally. Grips, electricians, set-builders, costumers, makeup and hair, etc. Those people travel with the cast and crew to a location shoot but stay generally in place at soundstages.

    So, with this facility, what we will be seeking are entire productions to come here and do all their soundstage work.

    To my knowledge, we have next to zero of that happening of any substance and will then have to persuade producers to come to OKC and set up shop for months or years at a time, and bring most of their preferred crew with them.

    When people are investing in a big production, they want to include all the best people they know, from directors and cinematographers all the way down the line.
    And those people want to bring on experienced people with proven talent and with whom they've worked before.


    I hate sounding negative, I'm just trying to 1) provide perspective and 2) work through how this would ever make sense.
    What's the median wage range (let's say 30th to 70th percentile) of those individuals in CA? This is definitely the kind of thing that deserves incentives if that's the final piece to make this viable in OKC - unlike incentivizing even a company like Paycom, they would clearly not consider OKC otherwise. So then there's several potential advantages in that productions could save capital while due to the cost of living, the majority of these crew members, I'd imagine, can potentially live a higher quality of life here vs. CA, depending on their interests (obviously no wage discrepancy can replace the beach for someone whose identity revolves around the beach).

    A few things that can also be done to advance this possibility:

    -Ensure there is a partnership with well funded scholarships with several universities to expand/improve film programs to be able to fill these kinds of jobs.

    -Work with airlines to ensure there is better connectivity between LA/OKC.

    it will be fun to see if this turns into anything - I would definitely be okay with this for a 10 year trial period. If it clearly starts to become something special, then a more specialized facility can be built in/around downtown to replace what's been done in the Cox Center to be completed 15-20 years from now so that a Cox redevelopment would be live around 2040.

    Honestly, I don't think in the next 10-15 years OKC as a community (public or private) will have the expendable capital to do the Cox Center right - so a temporary use that is better than what we're doing now sounds ideal.

  20. #370

    Default Re: Cox Center

    Quote Originally Posted by Laramie View Post
    The OKC Blue on any given night attracts 50 to 500 fans. The G-League did not operate this past season due to the pandemic. There are a number of gyms and field houses like Abe Lemons Arena (3,360 capacity), OCU;.
    the OKC Blue has a long term plan not involving the Cox

  21. #371
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    Default Re: Cox Center

    Downtown OKC studios could provide big boost to local film biz
    https://oklahoman.com/article/567447...local-film-biz

    “After our announcement last month, we received inbound calls from around the world about pent up demand for sound stages,” Cannon said. “We are in deep conversations with some of those promising prospects … the collaboration of state and city stakeholders to support our growing film industry is very encouraging.”
    Pinnell confirmed Cannon and Payne are drawing interest from significant film producers.

    “They’re very intrigued by the downtown Oklahoma City sound stage concept,” Pinnell said. “They love the idea of being able to film an entire movie in a mile and half area. They’re enthralled by it. You don’t get that in Atlanta where you have to drive an hour outside of town to go to Pinewood studio. And there is no infrastructure around it.”

  22. #372

    Default Re: Cox Center

    ABQ getting a huge Netflix expansion.

    https://deadline.com/2020/11/netflix...gs-1234620435/

  23. #373
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    Default Re: Cox Center

    Hopefully not a bummer for us and this project. You'd think the other main streaming services (Hulu/Disney/Peacock/CBS) would all have the studio capacity they needed.

  24. #374

    Default Re: Cox Center

    Per Twitter, city council approved a 5-year lease with Prairie Surf.

  25. #375

    Default Re: Cox Center

    Quote Originally Posted by Southsider2 View Post
    Per Twitter, city council approved a 5-year lease with Prairie Surf.
    Does anyone know the basic terms of this lease? What is the city doing for them, what are they paying in rent?

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