Fade In at Chapman University

Set a few blocks from the antique stores and historic storefronts of downtown Orange, Chapman University seems the antithesis of Hollywood glitz.

The small university southeast of Los Angeles lies just outside the entertainment industry’s 30-mile zone -- radiating from Beverly and La Cienega boulevards -- where most production takes place for economic reasons.

And it’s miles from the beaches, upscale malls and nouveau-riche mansions celebrated on television’s “The OC,” “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County” and “The Real Housewives of Orange County.”

But officials at the liberal-arts university believe it’s ready for its close-up.

On Monday, film classes will begin in the Marion Knott Studios, a new $41-million, 76,000-square-foot building. School officials say it is one of the nation’s most advanced film school facilities.

The facility features two soundstages, a 500-seat stadium-style movie theater with a digital projector, a three-camera high-definition television stage and a motion-capture stage. Two floors of pre- and post-production facilities include a production design lab, a foley stage for creating sound effects, and a hefty digital cinema server.

But can a county that has gained worldwide recognition for glamour and wealth emerge as competition for traditional Hollywood -- and for the legendary USC and UCLA film schools that produced George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard and Rob Reiner?

Some say it will take more than money and high technology to move the needle.

Simply having all the right equipment isn’t necessarily going to ensure a film student’s success, said Ron Kutak, executive director of the Motion Pictures Editors Guild. “Equipment is just tools,” he said. “There are large numbers of people going to school and looking to get into the industry. Some do and some don’t. It’s generally based on a lot of things -- ability in the craft they choose, contacts, the ability to get along with people.”

Others, albeit those with a stake in the business, find the new facility intoxicating.

“This is the most coherent, state-of-the-art facility anywhere in the country,” said Dean Bob Bassett. “The students will have the tools they need when they go into the business.”

Marty Capune, Newport Beach’s film liaison, agreed: “It will put Orange County on the map as far as future filmmakers are concerned.”

The success of “The OC” and others, he said, has ramped up interest among filmmakers who want to shoot in Orange County. And the addition of Chapman’s new facilities should further boost the county’s reputation, said Janice Arrington, Orange County film commissioner.

That allure may grow with the addition of a back lot on an adjacent 7.5 acres, a project university officials hope to complete within a few years.

Bassett said it’s too early to describe a specific plan, but university officials have discussed building New York City and Parisian street sets, a filmmakers village to house students and visiting scholars, retail outlets and restaurants. Any plans would be subject to approval by the city.

In the meantime, the university is trying to raise about $900,000 to finish paying for the $41-million facility.

Emulex CEO and Orange County philanthropist Paul Folino has led the campaign, which received a huge boost in February 2004 when Dana Point’s Lawrence and Kristina Dodge, for whom the college is named, donated $20 million. Marion Knott, a university trustee whose family founded Knott’s Berry Farm, donated $8 million.

The university has not only invested a substantial sum of money in equipment to prepare its students for Hollywood, but also strategized to stay current.

The building’s air ducts and wiring are exposed so technicians can more easily connect new equipment. Bassett said the film school has negotiated agreements with software and equipment providers to purchase materials and upgrades as they arrive. “We’ve future-proofed this building as much as possible,” he said.

Bassett said he was confident that a state-of-the-art facility, a program focusing on mainstream narrative filmmaking and a faculty whose combined filmography includes more than 100 feature films would help land Chapman students in Hollywood.

Three years ago, Bassett told The Times that “Chapman is the place people go to when they can’t get into USC or UCLA.”

But now, he said, that attitude has changed. “Now students are getting into all places, and they’re coming to Chapman,” he said.

Just the same, application numbers did not dramatically increase after the school announced it would build the facility. But Bassett said he expected a bump in applications next year, especially after prospective students tour the building.

Doug Willits, an active Chapman 1972 alumnus, couldn’t believe his eyes when he toured Marion Knott Studios.

“It’s more spectacular than I could have imagined it to be,” Willits said. “My son graduated from this department four years ago. He’s going to say, ‘Why wasn’t I born later to be part of this?’ ”

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Lights, camera, action

Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts opens for classes next week in the $41-million Marion Knott Studios. The 76,000-square-foot facility includes:

- 2 large soundstages

- A 500-seat theater

- Broadcast stages

- Classrooms and offices

Future additions may include:

- A 7.5-acre backlot

- Student housing built above retail venues, which will also be used as a backdrop for filming.

Source: Chapman University