Winnipeg-based producer and studio owner Juliette Hagopian is setting up a full-service, state-of-the-art film and television studio village in Niverville, Man.

The $30 million Jette Studios, owned and operated by Hagopian’s prodco Julijette Inc. and L.A.-based virtual production company Volume Global, will cater to smaller- and bigger-budget movies, TV series, corporate presentations, commercials, animation and gaming, according to a news release.

Volume Global will provide phase one of the studio structure, a 20,000-square-foot, pop-up production soundstage that will begin construction this coming June and is expected to be operational by fall. Construction of a permanent soundstage structure will begin shortly thereafter and be operational by summer 2024.

Additional buildings are also planned for the studio to house production offices for all department heads. Other plans include a carpenter mill; an online post-production facility, including VFX, picture and sound editing bays; and a state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos 50-seat finishing theatre.

Volume Global, which specializes in portable pop-up soundstages and state-of-the-art LED volumes, will also provide training, consultation and virtual production supervision for the studio’s LED walls.

The facility south of Winnipeg is expected to attract a diverse range of productions, including those from major studios needing long-term studio rentals, such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney.

In a statement, Hagopian said Manitoba “offers several benefits,” including its competitive tax credit and direct flights between Los Angeles and Winnipeg. Niverville is also “the fifth-fastest-growing community in Canada, and with the community fully supporting the project, we will create opportunities for all filmmakers and crews as we grow the infrastructure for our film industry in the province,” added Hagopian, founder of Julijette.

Michael Hamilton-Wright, co-CEO of Volume Global, said the company’s pop-up soundstage technology will allow the studio and community to start producing content “quickly and efficiently.”

Image courtesy of Volume Global