31st Street Studios brings Hollywood to Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — In recent years, some of Hollywood's biggest productions have packed up and moved east, using the city of Pittsburgh as a backdrop for filming.

I had the opportunity to visit 31st Street Studios, the production complex that has brought some of the biggest movies and celebrities to Pittsburgh.

The former steel mill has more than 300,000 square feet of studio space and 10 different stages. It's also in close proximity to downtown Pittsburgh, making it an ideal location for production.

"More and more people in Los Angeles in the last couple of years are getting to know that Pittsburgh is serious about the movie and TV business," said Chris Breakwell, owner and president of 31st Street Studios.

Breakwell, took some time to give me an exclusive look at the massive facility, recalling the many movies and TV shows that have called each stage home.

"Pittsburgh is unique because you can make it look like New York, Chicago or Los Angeles all within an hour radius. The tax credits are also a big part as well," said Breakwell.

The studio is taking advantage of the Pennsylvania film tax credit incentives to create jobs in the area.

"The tax incentives are not about paying Tom Cruise, they are about creating jobs. Sometimes up to 100 to 200 people just building sets or doing picture cars for Batman, so it's important," said Breakwell.

One of my favorite moments during my visit was when we entered Studio 2B, the empty set of the 21st Century Fox and Steven Spielberg production "Locke & Key."

I was impressed with the incredible attention to detail the set builders used to bring the sets to life. From strategically placed cobwebs to the artificial mortar that lined each brick made of wood, it felt as if we were truly in a drafty cellar, rather than a sound stage.

Movies such as "Unstoppable," starring Denzel Washington, "Abduction," starring Taylor Lautner , "One Shot," starring Tom Cruise and the highly anticipated Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" have all used the 31st Street Studios complex.

"The biggest thrill for me is doing this for Pittsburgh. There are a lot of people counting on me and counting on us to do this for the city. It's exciting. It makes you get up every day, excited to go to work," said Breakwell.

Breakwell couldn't reveal much about the newest project coming to the studio, but he did confirm it is a television show that will be filmed and produced right here in Pittsburgh. The show is set to film 26 episodes starting in June and scheduled to shoot through the end of the year. There's no word on what celebrities we can expect to make the trip, but Breakwell said the project is very exciting for the city of Pittsburgh.

WPXI