When I was first starting out pursuing an acting career in Hollywood many moons ago, I often ended up at Raleigh Studios (a fledgling outfit at the time with just a half-a-dozen or so flimsy sound stages on the lot) to shoot the spot (usually for a TV sitcom or commercial).
But, as I drifted into other career pursuits, Raleigh slowly faded into the background, a fond memory.
In my exalted role (!) as film critic, I've found myself strolling through the front gate once again in recent days.
Over the years, we've both transformed and grown with the industry, though.
Last week I was totally dazzled by the state-of-the-art screening rooms, for instance, installed by management to facilitate sneak previews of upcoming films slated for theatrical release.
The Chaplin 3D screening room is the centerpiece!
Theatre capabilities include 2K digital cinema, 3D and 35 mm film projection onto a wide 25-foot screen.
The Theatre boasts Dolby Digital audio and seating for up to 160 guests.
Services include video and audio cutting rooms, a sound mixing stage, and an ADR stage that can accomodate large loop groups.
In addition to the Chaplin facility, there are two other screening rooms with more intimate seating capacities (36 to 38 plush seats).
Raleigh studios is the longest continuously operating movie studio in the country with 12 fully-operating sound stages on 11 acres.
Raleigh is best known for being the filming site of a handful of classic silent films starring Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford (who hailed from my home town Toronto).
Highly-touted award-winning films such as “In the Heat of the Night” and “The Best Years of Our Lives" were also shot here.
Raleigh is where the TNT hit - "The Closer" - founds its legs, too.
You've come a long way, baby!
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