Officials share high hopes with 50 Cent involved in Shreveport film industry

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — The film and entertainment scene in Shreveport-Bossier City is starting to heat up again.

Now that the lease between Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s G-Unit Film & Television and the City of Shreveport has been signed for the use of StageWorks, people in the area are excited to see new projects coming to the city.

Cedric Glover, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), believes 50 Cent will help northwest Louisiana become a significant place where film, media and television are produced. Right after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, he said, Shreveport’s film scene started to take off. That’s when StageWorks was being heavily used and other facilities in the city were converted or repurposed into soundstages.

Glover said the city was able to make use of 6.7 acres of land in the Ledbetter Heights area that previously had been acquired for the purposes of building a recreation center. That project was no longer feasible because of people leaving the area, but the city still owned the land. He said city officials saw an opportunity to build a media studio, and, in 2011, the ribbon was cut on Louisiana’s first comprehensive studio complex.

Glover went on to say he hopes 50 Cent will be for Shreveport what Tyler Perry is to Atlanta.

Wade Marshall, the film and entertainment commissioner for Visit Shreveport-Bossier, said this week’s step in leasing StageWorks to 50 Cent is another step in the evolution of the area’s growth. He’s excited to see new jobs become available as new production opportunities pop up.

Specifically, Visit Shreveport-Bossier soon will be starting monthly film industry meetups. The next one will be held April 12 at Robinson Film Center in downtown Shreveport. Anyone who is interested in getting involved in the film industry is invited to join. Marshall said it will be a great networking opportunity.

Marshall went on to say that there have been people scouting the area recently to bring their productions to Shreveport-Bossier City. A lot of activity is expected this summer and fall, with seven or eight productions looking to shoot in the area, he added.

“We are on the cusp of something really special,” Marshall said.

Marshall hopes Visit Shreveport-Bossier can help rebuild the city’s entertainment districts and create new experiences such as music museums, tours and more. Specifically, Marshall said, they’re looking into how to breathe new life into the Red River District, Festival Plaza and Shreveport Common. The goal is to create a walkable entertainment district, he said.

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