Fraser

Fraser company is designing the future of Michigan's film industry

By Heidi Roman
C & G Staff Writer

Photo by Deb Jacques Dan Bondar of Westland, a set designer and builder for Scenic Design Group, airbrushes a 16-foot bowling pin that will be used on an ABC reality show.

FRASER — Michigan now has the nation’s  most aggressive incentives to lure Hollywood to the state, and a Fraser company is making sure the area is ready when producers come knocking.

Scenic Design Group, which already has an impressive résumé, is teaching out-of-work residents how to use the skills they already have to be relevant in the film industry.

The company, located on Commerce in the city’s industrial subdivision south of 15 Mile Road, is working with Macomb Community College and the Center for Film Studies to do it. Students can learn how to engineer and design elaborate and lifelike sets and props for TV, film and other entertainment industries.

Jonathon Krueger, president and creative consultant for Scenic Design Group (SDG), says it’s the only way the state can truly make the most of its big-screen potential.

“Hollywood is not going to come here and hire a bunch of people who don’t know what they’re doing,” he said.

SDG’s latest contract is with TV network ABC, which is currently filming a reality show on Belle Isle called “Crash Course.” SDG was commissioned to make 25, 16-foot tall bowling pins out of Styrofoam. Each weighs about 200 pounds.

“What they’re using them for, we don’t know,” Krueger said.

Other projects to their name include set designs for Black Sabbath and REO Speedwagon tours, artificial habitats for zoos, theme park sets, two episodes of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” high-profile exhibits at the North American International Auto Show and work for the 2010 Super Bowl.

Krueger and Vice President Dave Deradoorian started their business in the 15,000-square-foot Fraser building about a year and a half ago. Kruger actually went to school for biology, but started working on high-end aquariums for office buildings. He taught himself to create faux coral and other items for the aquariums, and that business grew. Eventually, he was hired to make themed environments for Sea World.

“I saw a niche market on a bigger scale,” he said.

They use all sorts of material — and even use recycled items when possible — to make props and sets that are cheaper, better looking, and easier to handle and move than the actual material. They make brick walls and faux barn walls that can be easily lifted and rearranged by only two people.

“It’s extremely lightweight and ships easily,” Krueger said.

Their projects take a lot of creativity and reverse problem solving, he said. A producer pitches an idea to SDG, and it’s up to them to figure out how to make it. In most cases, it’s something that has never been done before, so there are no instructions or models to follow.

“It’s a lot of trial and error,” Krueger said. “We’re the 96 box of crayons while everyone else is using eight.”

They have to do it quickly, too. Clients who contact them usually want their products quickly.

“Every job is different,” Deradoorian said. “The time frame is never as much as you want it.”

Krueger says he’s confident their business can help stimulate the economy by putting people to work and teaching them new ways to use their talents. He believes SDG will help southeastern Michigan evolve away from the automotive industry.

“Keep your eye on this company,” said Fraser Mayor Pro Tem Bill Morelli, who recently toured the company’s facility. “It could be a stepping stone. It’s a very unique company with a foothold here in Fraser, and they’re getting quite a reputation.”

SDG’s clientele is global, but they’re keeping their headquarters at the Fraser facility. Krueger and Deradoorian have built a reputation in the entertainment industry, and their contracts are keeping them busy.

Students who sign up for classes at the Center for Film Studies and Macomb Community College can help with the contracts they get while learning the trade themselves. The colleges are utilizing funding from Michigan Works! Association to offer an apprenticeship and in-shop classes focusing on set design and set painting.

“These classes are booming,” said Valerie Corbett, program coordinator with the Macomb Community College Center for Continuing Education. “They meet the skill sets of many of the laid-off auto workers.”

Corbett met the Scenic Design Group team in January, right as the college was kicking off its new film programming.

“We knew there would be a need in the industry for that type of prototyping,” she said. “We have a good handle on what will be needed down the road in the future of the film industry in the state.”

Even beyond the entertainment industry, Krueger said the creative thinking skills can be used in any number of jobs and fields, and in the future, other companies could even partner with SDG for the apprenticeship programs and contracts.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Heidi Roman at hroman@candgnews.com or at (586)218-5006.