About Hollyworkz Support Structures, LLC

 

Biography:

 

In addition to working behind and in front of the camera in the Hollywood film industry, Weldon Sipe, our founder, developed and managed the Movie Locations Department for a 38,000 acre ranch 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles. Activity exceeded 300 shoots per year and as many as 9 companies a day. 

Sad to say, the ranch is not in existence anymore. The area experienced a boom in development during the 80's, and all movie activity was discontinued by 1990. The movie sets were all torn down. Mr. Sipe wound up in North Carolina teaching film production and technology systems for 10 years. Hollyworkz is independent of North Carolina except for the address where he hangs his hat. North Carolina, by the way, is third in the nation in film production. Our understanding is that the only state that comes close to our level of production is New Mexico where coincidentally Mr. Sipe got his start as an actor, a producer’s assistant, and a location scout and manager.  He worked at least once for each major studio except Disney prior to moving to LA. 

 

 

The Idea for Hollyworkz Support Structures:

 

Most often, when Mr. Sipe scouted the ranch with groups that desired to build a set, usually including a producer, a director, and an art director, the conversation repeated so often he could have sworn they were following a written script that went something like this:

The director dreams of multiple buildings along a street with a corner, the art director salivates at the projects increased scope, and the producer starts pacing around with a sour look on his face, finally interrupting the conversation with a reminder that there isn't money for it, and there isn't enough time. Asking for more time isn't an option and in the case of television, the airtime is already etched in stone. Going back to the investors for money is out of the question because the deal has been made. The director rebuts with a remark that anything less would sacrifice the desired look, so in the end, they were resigned to dressing some buildings somewhere and to try and make it work. While this conversation happened, Mr. Sipe would count cows or butterflies because he got so tired of the repeated experience. But one day he asked myself the question, couldn't something be invented that would increase the size of sets, for an existing budget, that could be assembled within a realistic time frame that was all removable to save the vista? Thus the idea for Hollyworkz was born. 

 

 

Other Things You May Want to Know:

 

It is also important to understand that we did not start Hollyworkz to reduce the workforce, or beat out the industries unions.  Industry peers that know Mr. Sipe will tell you that these were the farthermost things from his mind.

 

In the first place, we don't build anything, nor do we provide movie sets. We contract with manufacturers to build our structural support panels which we rent or lease to production companies or studios. We do not provide the sheathing or fascia, nor do we dress the set. Who in their right mind would want to compete with the talent that exists throughout the industry?

 

Labor to build the frames is built into the price and is paid to our manufacturers. The savings is because prefabricated anything that can be used over and over again, and assembled in far less time than building from scratch on site saves. We prefer to look at the use of Hollyworkz structures as promoting the use of the same crew numbers to build bigger and better sets. After all, the camera doesn't see the support structure, only the fascia. So why not put the most money and the talent where it counts—where the camera sees.

 

In recent decades, the value of set construction has been superseded by the over use of computer generated images (CGI) resulting in a dysfunctional relationship between the actor and his surroundings. In the opinion of many, the overuse of CGI, realistic as it may be, requires the audience to make too many unrealistic leaps of faith to accept a storyline that is clouded by the effects often leaving the audience overwhelmed and unsatisfied. CGI has its place and purpose of course, but our new technology brings the art of set building back in line economically and supports a more correct balance between the use of practical sets and computer effects.

 

Hollyworkz Support Structures has been recognized by the Producers Guild and other organizations as totally green supplier to the entertainment industry. All or our panels and connecting parts are recyclable.