How Reframe Studios Is Rethinking The Future Of Production Space In LA

Los Angeles, known as the entertainment capital of the world, has undergone a significant shift in the last few years, driven by the pandemic-induced downturn of film production and the 2023 writer and actor strikes.

Big blockbuster films that once dominated the entertainment industry are now competing with content on streaming services and TikTok, Instagram, Twitch and other social media platforms. This change has also impacted LA’s famed studio spaces, which need to be ready for everything from a big-budget production to a 30-second reel. 

California-based Swift Real Estate Partners is one firm that is helping the city adapt to this new reality. The company purchased a 7.3-acre industrial site in LA’s Atwater Village in 2022 and has converted it into Reframe Studios. 

The project, originally occupied by Phillips Electronics for industrial use, has undergone a multimillion-dollar transformation into a fully equipped studio campus featuring two 23K SF soundstages and 100K SF of accompanying support/office and additional shoot space with abundant power and parking.

Swift Real Estate Partners Investment Manager Jack Cullen detailed the extensive renovation and the goals behind it.

“We completely removed the 22-foot ceilings from the original warehouse space and essentially built a steel box within a box, using the existing envelope,” he said. “Now the ceilings are over 40 feet high with 33 feet clear to the bottom of the steel trusses.” 

While Reframe isn’t the first industrial site to be converted into a film studio, Cullen said what makes this adaptive reuse project stand out is the marriage between the existing midcentury modern architecture and the purpose-built nature of the stages.

In addition to the vast ceiling heights, Swift removed all interior columns for unencumbered stage use and completed a power upgrade at the project, taking it from 2,000 to 10,000 amps. 

Matthew Treinish, co-founder of LA-based Blueground Studios, said part of Reframe’s appeal is that while it is a modern studio, it maintains a midcentury aesthetic. Its ample parking and central yet secluded location between Burbank and Hollywood also make it appealing to nearby talent. 

“This immediate layer of privacy and security is attractive to the types of users that we're bringing in,” he said. “It also enables us to do other types of content creation and performances and experiences that you couldn't do in a typical studio location.”

Swift and Blueground began collaborating in 2023. Cullen said Swift was looking to unlock other avenues of revenue for the studio beyond securing longer-term tenants who would lease the space. Blueground helps the company tap into other revenue sources it may have left on the table, such as short-term content creators for brands, photo shoots, music events or even “someone that's looking to create an experiential event for multiple months,” he said. 

Swift saw the value in Blueground’s multifaceted experience in not only TV and films but also other media such as print, commercial and photography work.

“We’re not strictly focused on TV and film,” Treinish said. “When there are downturns in the market or just available space, it should be filled and not just sit there waiting for a long-term tenant. There's really nothing that people can't do at the facility, and we pride ourselves on being able to interact with any tenant and help them in any way that they need.”

Blueground also thinks from an owner’s perspective, finding creative ways to approach the final construction elements of the project and to make it a more versatile campus, Cullen said. 

This outside-the-box thinking has already paid off at Reframe, as Blueground was able to introduce the project to Framework, an event production company that focuses on dance music talent. Reframe utilized the vast parking lot and the venue’s secluded location to host a 9,000-person outdoor event in November, headlined by world-renowned DJ Solomun. This was the first of the re:frame LA event series, which will shift to indoor experiences in the first quarter, Treinish said. Such events demonstrate how Reframe can monetize space in ways traditional studios often overlook, without sacrificing long-term lease potential. 

Reframe and Blueground are utilizing their strengths to not only curate different content types but also use the space for in-person experiential events. This includes launching food and beverage events, hosting stunt coordination seminars and even more traditional media like high-end commercials.

Treinish said it is supporting younger generations by targeting and giving a platform to high-level content creators on Instagram and TikTok, which is something many other studios may neglect. 

“While we have the facilities that can house high-end TV and film for top-tier streaming, we have a lot of ancillary space that caters to different types of creators in the marketplace,” he said. “This helps differentiate us from other studios.”

Swift believes the buzz and excitement through this differentiation will also appeal to tenants looking for a more permanent home at Reframe. On these efforts, Swift continues to work closely with the CBRE team of Doug Marlow, Juliana Sampson and Nicole Mihalka to find long-term tenants. Collaborating with Blueground is nothing new to Mihalka, who has worked with the studio on previous assignments.

“If the past is any indicator, we can't wait to see what the collaboration between CBRE, Blueground and Swift has in store for Reframe,” Mihalka said.

The Reframe team is excited about its pipeline and feels that this is just the beginning of what’s to come. 

“While we don’t know what the future has in store, what we do know is that the product that we’ve delivered and the dedicated team that we have in place put us in the best position to adapt and capture any and all opportunities as the industry continues to evolve,” Cullen said. 

This article was produced in collaboration between Studio B and Swift Real Estate Partners. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.