VENTURA COUNTY, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/15/08 -- The United States' largest independent movie studio, a $125 million facility, intends to break ground in April 2009, with a projected 18 months construction period, it was announced today. When completed, Commonwealth Studios will have 14 state-of-the-art soundstages and an exterior backlot that will feature city and residential streets, plumbed for rain and fire effects, and all on a 37-acre lot that will ease the acute soundstage shortage in Southern California.

The facility will be located 30 minutes from Hollywood in the City of Moorpark on California Highway 118.

Two entertainment industry veterans are the driving force behind the project. Commonwealth Studios chairman and CEO Bernard Weitzman has held senior executive positions at several major studios. Mr. Weitzman was executive vice president at Desilu and Lorimar Pictures, vice president and general manager at Universal Studios and held senior positions at MGM. He currently has his own management company, Sussex Ltd., Inc. located in Encino, California. President and COO John Marshall is an independent producer with 32 years experience in the industry.

Commonwealth Studios will be the largest entirely new studio to be built in California since the 1930s. It will be about the same size as CBS Studio Center in Studio City. The studio will be able to handle film and digital movies, television shows and commercials. It will be bounded to the north by the Southern Pacific Railroad, by an SCE power station to the east and by Los Angeles Avenue to the south.

The soundstages will range in size from 9,600 square feet to 20,000 square feet. Stages will be grouped in sets of 2 with a 60-foot-wide area between them. At ground level this area will have two rows of built-in deluxe dressing rooms, wardrobe/makeup areas, and direct stage access. Above the dressing rooms and adjoining tunnel area, spanning the entire 60 feet between the stages and the length of the stages, will be convenient, available production office space.

The studio will be "green" wherever possible. All gas or diesel powered vehicles will be confined to the lot's perimeter, where there will be ample parking. Electric powered trucks and carts will handle equipment and passenger hauling.

Office buildings, commissary, health club, conference center, pool and spa, and a screening theatre are also planned.

Commonwealth is currently in discussion with major studios and independent producers regarding advance commitments.

Commonwealth Studios will be developed by award-winning Triliad Development Inc. of Thousand Oaks, CA, led by President Valerie Draeger. Poliquin Kellogg Design Group of Woodland Hills, CA is the project architect, and the general contractor is Oltmans Construction Company. Robert Flink, a principal of Lee & Associates, exclusively represents the real estate interests of Commonwealth Studios.

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