About the Shop
Fifty-Two Years of
Rolling Film
We started in a converted furniture warehouse with one Bolex and a borrowed van. We still have the van.
Our Story
A Production House That Never Stopped Being a Film Crew
Awesome Powers Productions was founded in 1974 by Rita Powers, a camera assistant who got tired of watching good ideas die in committee. She rented a warehouse on Velvet Lane, hung a light grid from the rafters and started making spots for local dealerships.
Half a century later the client list has changed and the gear has been replaced four times over, but the operating principle is identical. Small crews, big preparation, and a stubborn belief that a good picture is worth more than a big one.
Today we run three stages, an in-house post suite and a color bay with a projector, because sometimes you need to see it big before you sign off on it.
The Long Version
How We Got Here
1974
Rita Powers opens the doors
One Bolex, one Nagra, and a warehouse with a leaky roof on Velvet Lane. First client: a carpet showroom that paid in shag samples.
1982
Stage A goes up
We build our first proper sound stage and start taking national commercial work. The van gets a second engine.
1996
Post comes in-house
Two edit bays, a telecine and an audio booth. Clients stop leaving the building between shoot and delivery.
2009
The documentary years
A pivot into long-form storytelling brings three festival premieres and a very different kind of client conversation.
2026
Three stages, one philosophy
Digital acquisition, film emulation, virtual production when it earns its keep. Same crew culture as day one.
How We Work
Four Things We Do Not Negotiate
01
Prep beats panic
Every day on set is bought with a week at the table. Shot lists, lookbooks, and a schedule that survives contact with reality.
02
Small crew, real craft
We staff for the picture, not for the invoice. Everyone on the call sheet has a reason to be there.
03
In camera when possible
Practical light, practical effects, real locations. Post should finish a picture, not rescue it.
04
One number, no surprises
You get a line-item budget before we shoot and the same number when we deliver. That is the whole trick.
Come See the Place
Three Stages, One Very Old Espresso Machine
Book a tour, meet the crew, and argue with our colorist about film grain. We like visitors.