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Event Host

FOX Studio Lot - Zanuck Theater

FOX Studio Lot - Zanuck Theater

Nestled in the heart of Century City, on Los Angeles' Westside, the Fox Studio Lot is a storied filming destination responsible for some of the world’s most unforgettable entertainment. Home to 15 different sound stages and scenic on-lot locations, the 50+ acre lot contains iconic sights, art murals, and various forms of architecture that exemplify the studio's roots and history.

Nearly 100 years since filming began on the Fox Studio Lot, the new Fox Corporation, which was established in 2019, is seeking to create the studio of the future amidst the continued evolution of Century City with its Fox Future project. Given the stunning growth in global entertainment production over the last decade and the company’s long-term strategy, FOX has thoughtfully planned and prepared for the future, ensuring that LA remains the capital of the global entertainment industry.

Speakers and Panels

From Soundstage to Skyline: Building LA's Studio Real Estate

Explore What, Where, and How Today's Leading Industry Executives Are Building and Shaping LA's Studio CRE Scene

Zach Sokoloff

Zach Sokoloff

SVP

Hackman Capital

Matthew Michel

Matthew Michel

VP, Real Estate

Fox Corporation

Michelle Gelshteyn

Michelle Gelshteyn

Managing Director

Blackstone

Jonathon Yormak

Jonathon Yormak

Founder and Managing Principal

East End Studios

Lena Dremonas
Moderator

Lena Dremonas

Systems Executive

Clark Construction

Zach Sokoloff

SVP

Hackman Capital

Zach joined Hackman Capital Partners in 2018 and serves as Asset Manager of the firm’s Television City Studios and Radford Studio Center assets. In his role, Zach leads the effort to entitle and redevelop these properties, including selecting and managing project consultants, design and site planning, developing project budgets, as well as securing future tenancy and navigating capital markets transactions. Zach has also been integral to launching and growing the firm’s Changing Lenses initiative, which seeks to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the entertainment industry, by providing historically underrepresented communities with job training opportunities in below-the-line production roles.

Prior to joining the Firm, Zach worked for Tishman Speyer in New York. Zach earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Yale University and his JD/MBA from Harvard University.

Matthew Michel

VP, Real Estate

Fox Corporation

Experienced real estate professional specializing in the acquisition, disposition, management, and development of various commercial real estate assets.

Michelle Gelshteyn

Managing Director

Blackstone

Michelle Gelshteyn is a Managing Director in the Real Estate group based in Los Angeles. Ms. Gelshteyn is involved with new investment opportunities across the hospitality and studio sectors.

Ms. Gelshteyn received a BA in Economics from Cornell University, where she graduated magna cum laude.

Jonathon Yormak

Founder and Managing Principal

East End Studios

Jonathon manages all activities at East End, along with co-founder David Peretz. For Jonathon, each day represents an opportunity to further establish East End as an institutionally governed best-in-class real estate investment firm.

Prior to founding East End, Jonathon was a Managing Principal at both Ruben Companies and Broadway Partners. On a combined basis, he acquired, repositioned, and managed an office portfolio exceeding 15 million square feet located throughout the U.S., as well as 1,000 residential units within New York City and Boston. Jonathon has extensive capital market knowledge, having sourced and structured billions of dollars of equity and debt. He also has broad platform-building experience, having started and grown various real estate related businesses.

Earlier in his career, he was a real estate attorney at Fried Frank and Pryor Cashman, handling acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, financings, and REIT mergers. A graduate of Colby College and Fordham Law School, Jonathon sits on the Board of Directors for the Wynwood Business Improvement District and was a long-time board member of both the UJA-Federation of New York and The Children’s Hearing Institute.

Lena Dremonas

Moderator

Clark Construction

Lena Dremonas, a systems executive with Clark Construction, oversees the mechanical,

electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems on projects in Southern California from project

development through project delivery.

Since joining Clark in 2013, Lena has ensured that MEP systems comply with company and

client requirements by interpreting design and applying complex construction methods. She has

experience in market sectors ranging from healthcare and education to museums and

government. Her portfolio includes projects such as the A. James Clark Bioengineering Building,

the Orange County Museum of Art, Century City Center, and Menifee Justice Center.

Lena earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics from the

University of Pennsylvania. She is a LEED-accredited professional and is a Certified

Commissioning Professional (CCP) through the Building Commissioning Certification Board

(BCCB).

Future-Proofing Studio Spaces: Advancements in Operation, Design, and Construction

Discussing Technological Advancements, Innovative Design Trends, Impact of Generative AI, the Growing Importance of Sustainability, and the Evolving Needs of Content Creators

Wendy Takahashi

Wendy Takahashi

Director, Design & Architecture

Sony Pictures Entertainment

John Eddey

John Eddey

Sr. Mgr. WW Production Real Estate

Amazon Studios

Ben Kracke

Ben Kracke

Managing Director

Rapt Studio

June Bardwil
Moderator

June Bardwil

Director & Partner

PLANNET

Wendy Takahashi

Director, Design & Architecture

Sony Pictures Entertainment

Wendy Takahashi is a Director of Project Management for Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE). She is

responsible for leading a team focused on the management of capital improvement projects, design and

furniture strategies and resource support, and team development to align with company goals.

A certified interior designer by trade, and with over 30 years of experience in interior design, Wendy has

worked with such notable clients as Yahoo, GE Capital, Union Bank, KMPG, and Earthlink before joining

SPE almost 19 years ago.

In addition to the many strategic projects throughout the Culver City portfolio, Wendy has played a

major role in supporting the design efforts of four ground up and one adaptive reuse project on the

studio lot.

Wendy’s ongoing objectives are to create world class space that reflects and supports the unique culture

and brand of each of SPE’s businesses through the use of industry, technology, sustainability, and

wellness trends.

Ben Kracke

Managing Director

Rapt Studio

Ben Kracke, AIA, IIDA, recently joined Rapt Studio’s Leadership team as Managing Director of the Los Angeles

studio, overseeing a team of architects, designers, and strategic thinkers.

A seasoned architect, Kracke brings 18 years of experience in architecture, adaptive reuse, and branded

interior design for commercial, hospitality, retail, and educational clients to Rapt Studio. Most recently,

Kracke led STUDIOS’s Los Angeles office, leading projects for household names such as Nickelodeon,

Paramount, Eataly, Riot Games, Sony X-Box, Orrick, and Ziffren Brittenham.

A natural team builder and strategic thinker, Kracke’s strong technical background compliments his passion

for design. He is also a passionate advocate for sustainability and healthy community building having installed

the first certified water reclamation system in the City of LA for Eataly and continuing to look for ways to

green our business practices.

June Bardwil

Moderator

PLANNET

June Bardwil started her career with PLANNET in 2002 as a Consultant and Project Manager.

Today, as an Owner, she plays a pivotal role in cultivating client relationships, a responsibility

she passionately embraces.

She is actively engaged in most of PLANNET’s projects, including PLANNET's vast

entertainment and media portfolio, which includes industry giants such as Sony Pictures,

Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, and Riot Games.

With a career spanning more than four decades in the technology sector, June has witnessed

the remarkable evolution from the early days of IBM mainframes to the advent of Artificial

Intelligence.

June is known for her vibrant presence within the architectural, engineering, and real estate

communities, and is enjoying the best part of her career – just ask her!

What You'll Learn:

What You'll Learn From This Commercial Real Estate Event:

  • Explore current development and investment activities in LA's studio spaces, and understand the main challenges and current trends shaping the studio CRE scene.

  • Examine how leading streaming services, studio owners, and developers strategically position their development plans to achieve long-term growth.

  • Analyze how studio owners, developers, and leading streaming platforms find the right combination of affordability, a desirable location, and property scalability.

  • Identify design and amenity trends necessary to satisfy tenants' needs for content creation and production.

  • Understand how generative AI and advanced technologies contribute to the creation of sustainable studio spaces.

  • Evaluate strategies to address and alleviate the shortage of sound stages in LA.

  • Examine the types of leases filmmakers prefer as they navigate budget considerations for their productions.
     

How You'll Do More Business From Attending This Discussion: Los Angeles stands unwavering as the worldwide nucleus of the streaming universe. With streaming platforms investing billions in content creation, the trajectory of growth appears boundless. Join us for an in-depth exploration as we delve into the intricate strategies employed by studio owners and developers in shaping Los Angeles' entertainment real estate. Hear from leading streaming services, owners, and developers about major developments, cutting-edge advancements, innovations, and the future of studio CRE in Los Angeles.

Who You'll Network With At This Summit: Owners, developers, investors, brokers, city and government officials, business consultants, architects, engineers, lawyers, accountants and bankers.

Why You Should Attend This Session: Bisnow events bring together the biggest power players in the industry to help you identify opportunities, build your network and expand your business. With the largest audience of commercial real estate professionals in the world, no one knows how to help your business more than we do.

For questions, recommendations, comments or press inquiries please email our event producer, Bora Altunay, at bora.altunay@bisnow.com. To request disability-related accommodations, please contact thea.parkert@bisnow.com no later than seven business days prior to the event.

Venue

FOX Studio Lot - Zanuck Theater
10201 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90067


10200 West Galaxy Way
Los Angeles, CA 90064

Arrive early with your ID in hand. You will need to show your ID at the security booth before entering the parking garage.

Bring a jacket! Morning networking will be held outside (8AM), before heading into Zanuck Theater for panel discussions (9AM).

Get Directions

Agenda

Time Activity
4:00 PM
5:00 PM
Breakfast & Networking
5:00 PM
5:45 PM
From Soundstage to Skyline: Building LA's Studio Real Estate

Explore What, Where, and How Today's Leading Industry Executives Are Building and Shaping LA's Studio CRE Scene

5:45 PM
6:00 PM
Networking Break
6:00 PM
6:45 PM
Future-Proofing Studio Spaces: Advancements in Operation, Design, and Construction

Discussing Technological Advancements, Innovative Design Trends, Impact of Generative AI, the Growing Importance of Sustainability, and the Evolving Needs of Content Creators

6:45 PM
7:15 PM
Closing Networking

WANT THE ATTENDEE LIST FOR FREE?

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