The conventional wisdom on Madison Avenue, and on the Hollywood soundstages that increasingly serve as its backdrop, is that this is not the moment to pour concrete.
Vacancy rates are climbing. Studios are trimming. The production business in Los Angeles County has been, to use the technical term, volatile. And yet a group of marketing executives with roots in branded content have decided to build a three-soundstage campus in Burbank anyway, on the theory that uncertainty is precisely when opportunities appear.
The company, SuperCinema, is being set up by Michael Burke, Rachel Williams, Justin Younesi and Michael Younesi on a 30,000-square-foot lot on Glenwood Avenue, in an area of the Burbank Media District known as Audio Alley. The property, which was previously an industrial lot and was once envisioned as a music studio that never materialized, is being designed by NG+P Architects and financed by City National Bank and private investors. Construction is underway, with completion expected by early 2027.
The founders have a background in social media content and marketing. They helped build Concrete, a branded content studio whose clients have included Netflix, Disney, Paramount and NBCUniversal. (The company describes itself as a "cinematic content studio," a phrase that would have required several explanatory paragraphs not so long ago.)
Mr. Younesi told The Hollywood Reporter that the current moment reminded him of the early 2010s, when traditional agencies were pulling back just before the creator economy began its improbable rise. "It takes some risk and some creativity to operate outside that system to a degree," he said.
The plan is to house both Concrete and SuperCinema on the same lot — the former focused on brand work, the latter on independent films. SuperCinema is launching with two projects: "Loose Ends," from LB Entertainment and Zero Gravity Management, and "The Backlot," a supernatural tale set on an abandoned movie lot, from Range Media and Artists for Artists.
The city of Burbank has been supportive, the founders said. Mayor Tamala Takahashi praised the development in a statement, noting that it "brings new energy and opportunity to our community."
Whether the bet pays off will depend on forces well beyond Glenwood Avenue. But the founders seem unbothered by the timing. In their experience, the best moment to build is often when everyone else has stopped.
Original story published in The Hollywood Reporter: "New Indie Banner Sets Up Shop In Burbank With Studio Campus Plan"