Film entrepreneur opens new studio to photographers seeking on-demand shoot space


Some 2,500 square feet of fourth-story office space with window walls providing 180-degree views of Grand Rapids convinced David Eggerichs to follow up on his desire to open a downtown filmmaking studio for his company, Motivity Pictures.

After last month's relocation to the Custer Workplace Interiors building, 217 Grandville Avenue SW, Eggerichs took things even further by opening the studio space to other photographers and filmmakers who need a professional photography studio with lots of natural daylight. The space is available by the hour, day or week; lease amounts vary depending on usage needs.

"I have one photographer using the space for client meetings because she runs her business out of her home," Eggerichs says. "A downtown studio lends more credibility to any business. A lot of people do shoots outdoors, but we have winter here and they need a good indoor space to do good work."

Photographers will have access to professional lighting including strobes; black, white and green backdrop screens; and instant viewing on the studio's flat screen television. The studio, office, meeting area and TV viewing area are all one open space with casual seating and waxed concrete floors – but no dividers or cubicles to obstruct the natural daylight.

"My company is a film production company," Eggerichs says. "We locally do commercials, just finished one for RX Optical and have worked with the Rampage and the Griffins. We produce any type of visual media for TV and web. I was working out of my house and a part-time studio space. Clients would see my work and wanted to fly in and see my film studio, and now I have the space and clients come in and they love it."

Source: David Eggerichs, Motivity Pictures

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Photos Courtesy of David Eggerichs
Enjoy this story? Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.