Chris Jacobs is in the process of securing 741 Main Street/742 Washington as an addition to his set of Avalon properties on the 700-block. That's not the only good news though. The developer has secured a new tenant for the building. Full Circle Studios (FCS) will be leasing 7000 sq.' and turning the majority of the building into one of the largest production studios in Buffalo. That's great for the local film and video industry, and it's another positive move for Main Street.
The Full Circle team, led by Jim Phillips, Terry Fisher and Kevin Crosby will be picking up their (current) 2,500 sq.' operation in the Ansonia Building (virtually across the street), and re-opening in their new diggs, thus allowing the business to 'spread its wings'. The Avalon building will feature high ceilings, open space for a 4000 sq.' studio, vehicular access from Washington, soundproof qualities, ...basically everything Full Circle needed to accommodate their 29 current project-oriented clients. The additional room will give the partners, producers, salespeople, assistants and interns the ability to produce bigger projects and attract more demanding clients.
Full Circle Studios, a company that was founded in 1999, specializes in marketing and training videos for companies ranging from banks to health care. They have taken their niche services and expanded upon them by harnessing the power of visual imagery as it pertains (or should pertain) to a viewer's ability to relate to the subject matter at hand. By producing informational videos, companies are able to provide their employees with the learning and teaching tools through i-Pod downloads or cell phone transmissions. In other words, FCS is always in-tune with the latest industry standards... and their new diggs will allow them to keep it that way.
Don't think that it's all grueling work at FCS. When the team is not producing for clients like Barnes & Noble, Perry's Ice Cream and Moog, Inc, they like to experiment with movie features that have ranged from working with Buffalo's ghost hunter Mason Winfield, the Darwin Martin House, Studio Arena, and The Elmwood Village Association. The company is also every keen on supporting local artists and makes it a point to tap into the services of Buffalo composers for their original sound scores and tracks. "We also want to work with other people in the local industry," Jim told me. "We're open to collaboration and will now have affordable studio space for other production companies that might need something bigger than what they normally have access to. Of course we will continue to shoot at locations in the community as well."
FYI - FCS has worked with interns from Ithaca, UB, Canisius, and Buffalo State. And three of their last four hires were interns. Pretty cool, huh?