Source: DigitalBlueMedia.com
By: Skye Blue
(LOS ANGELES, CA) — After nearly 5 years of providing a full service studio to the Adult Industry and Independent Production companies throughout Los Angeles, Digital Blue is liquidating its studio assets and relocating to a new residential rental location. Skye Blue, Owner and CEO of Digital Blue Media, Inc. and President of Trashmouth Productions, will continue to provide Grip truck rental, Lighting equipment rental and a Camera package rental from it’s new modified 30 acre ranch/residential shooting location to select production companies and directors.
Says Blue: “The closing of adult studios reflect more of where our industry is headed now. With gonzo shoots requiring less and less elaborate sets, and opting for the easy solution of residential rentals with natural light, as well as the increasing popularity of exterior shots in films, Digital Blue’s full service studio, where we provided set construction, a prop shop, costumes and other production assets, was simply becoming less and less cost effective.”
Former performer turned prolific producer/director Skye Blue never really intended to be in the studio business. “Five years ago I owned an internet live chat studio and was providing live XXX content to websites as well as special events with Vivid contract performers and Video Secrets from a 3000 square foot building. A serious neck injury disabled me for almost a year and during that time I chose to shut down operations on that business. My dear friend and award winning art director/talent Anthony Crane suggested that since I still held the lease, I open up the space in which he as an art director could bring in shoots from Wicked, Vivid and hopeful others. After six months the space was too small to accommodate all the rentals that were coming in, so we moved to a bigger building in Canoga Park. With the dream of a bigger blossoming studio and a lot of up front costs that I encountered, I was relying on Anthony to construct the sets and bring in the business, while I took care of financial backing and admin.
We opened Digital Blue Studios at its present location in Oct 2001. Three months after I inked my lease, Anthony inked a jail sentence in state prison for five years. I had to scramble to learn how to manage, build, run, plus solicit business for this 6000 square foot studio that me and most of my money was locked into for 3 years. The first two years were great, but with the Adult industry’s decreasing budgets, the rise of gonzo, more acceptance by and the popularity of residential locations, our generous policies of providing not only studio space, but all the sets, an art crew and growing multitude of props (modeled on Jay Shanahan’s “The Stage”-which shut down for similar reasons) became way to costly. Hence came time to restructure the business. Plus with me producing my own new video line, Gothic – fetish/rubber/erotica Distributed by Bizarre Video, as well as a new Hardcore line in the works, my increasing director’s workload and the growing success of comedy shows I produce, running a full blown sound stage was becoming more and more difficult. “
With more than a tinge of sentiment in her voice, Blue continues, “I would like to thank everybody who has allowed me the opportunity to not only provide them with a production facility, but also to work directly with them on some of their most special projects. When Anthony gets out in May 2006, upon which time I will be kicking his ass (ha ha), I will be thanking him for showing me another intricate part of the adult industry that is so integral to the art of filmmaking. This opportunity has enhanced my ability and knowledge to be a better producer, director and artist. I will miss working day to day with my entire staff, notably John Terry who worked tirelessly with incredible creativity to make everything from high school locker rooms to a cyber sex chamber of horrors. Plus he put up with all my picky perfectionist shit, and his loyalty will never go unremembered. And besides stealing my fuckin makeup trailer, a small fire and breaking a $1500 camera lens, Julian Miller valiantly stepped in when Anthony stepped out, and really taught me about construction, set building and took good care of the studio.”
Digital Blue Studios has hosted a variety of notable productions – 13 episodes for the Sci-Fi channel of William Shatner’s Fright Night, Telemundo kids’ shows, as well as many of Jim Holliday’s pre-desert extravaganzas, and the work of industry heavyweights like Paul Thomas, Fred Lincoln, Jonathan Morgan, Brad Armstrong, Jerry T, Jay Shanahan, Toni English, Jenna Jameson, as well as most of the major production companies: Digital Playground, New Sensations, Bizarre Video, Jill Kelly Productions, Sin City, Madness Pictures, Cherry Box, Metro Video, Playgirl TV, sex Z Pictures, VCA Pictures, Scott Justice/Sin City, Wicked Pictures, Vivid Entertainment, Cinemax, Showtime, ABC’s Learning channel, HBO and many others. Again, I personally wish to thank all of you for your business.
For the month of February there are still several shoots scheduled. If anyone would like to book a farewell shoot and take final advantage of the props/sets/ etc that exist before the studio moves to its residential format, please call Skye Blue or John Terry at 818-992-5144.
Digital Blue will be selling most of its props and some of its equipment throughout this month, so if any interested parties or other smaller studios would like to purchase any of our inventory call for information or to schedule a time to come in and red tag items before the open house sale at the end of the month.
As of March 1st Digital Blue will be housed in a gorgeous residential ranch location available (at cheaper rates! adds Blue) for rentals with lush exteriors, a pool, horses, ranch settings etc. Contact Skye Blue for pictures and information on this new location.
