Studios

Commercial photographers often strive to create beauty on film. Only a few, however, strive to make their studios as striking as their photo images. One such photographer is Vic Huber, who recently converted an Irvine industrial building into a combined studio and office that he says is intended to be as elegant as his photographic work. Designed by the firm Carlile/Coatsworth/Shankweiler Architects Inc. of Irvine, the studio matches Huber's aesthetic: simple, direct and highly finished.

In the tradition of Morgan Fairchild, Don Johnson and Mark Harmon comes the next big television superstar ready to burst into national fame--Burbank. Although it is little more than a notion at this point, Burbank is being considered as the subject of a two-hour network TV special focusing on the city's 75th anniversary this year. "I guess they would show all the movie studios we have here, and how most of the movies are made here, not Hollywood," said Mayor Mary Kelsey.

The City Council has imposed a limit on how late into the night aspiring singers can carry on at a karaoke studio. Yeon Sook Seo had requested permission to stay open until 2 a.m. at a studio that she wants to develop in a commercial building at 9738 Garden Grove Blvd. A karaoke studio operates until 2 a.m. in neighboring Stanton, and she needs to stay open that late to remain competitive, she said.

Famous for fabulous galleries and an active cultural scene, Santa Fe has a new arts trail that buyers or browsers may follow into the studios of working artists. Visitors can arrange individualized itineraries of studio-hopping around town through Studio Entrada (P.O. Box 4934, Santa Fe, N.M. 87502, (505) 983-8786), a local tour operator and artists' representative. Linda Morton, founder and owner of Studio Entrada, conducts the tours.

Ray-Art Studios, an emerging entertainment production facility in the West Valley, just wrapped up its first feature film project. The studio, which opened two years ago in Canoga Park, had been specializing in renting sound stage space to TV productions, such as "The Love Boat" and "Nothing Sacred." But with the completion this month of "The Storytellers," a comedy about screenwriting, Ray-Art is venturing into new territory.

Customers renting private booths at the city's two karaoke studios can sing the night away--and into the early morning. The owners of both of the karaoke studios received the approval of the Planning Commission last week to extend their hours of operation beyond 2 a.m. Elvis!? Karaoke Studios, 18914 Brookhurst St., was told it could stay open until 4 a.m. Only You, 18120 Brookhurst St., was granted permission to remain open until 3 a.m.

The home of George Jetson and Scooby-Doo will not be named a Los Angeles city landmark despite pleas from cartoon fans who wanted the Hanna-Barbera Productions studio protected as an irreplaceable part of entertainment and California history. The city Cultural Heritage Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously and, members said, "reluctantly" to deny cultural-historic monument status to the Cahuenga Boulevard studio of three green and yellow buildings next to the Hollywood Freeway.

An annual student art show that was scheduled to begin at Redondo Union High School on Thursday was canceled after a fire in a large pottery oven gutted two classrooms--housing art and English classes--and destroyed more than 30 years of student artwork. Ten firetrucks arrived at the school about 5 a.m. Wednesday and were able to contain the blaze before it spread throughout the building.

CBS will ask the city for permission to embark on a major expansion of its studio facilities at a zoning hearing today. Specifically, the television network wants permission to build seven sound stages on residentially zoned land and to build above height limits on Radford Avenue in Studio City. The 245,000-square-foot project includes dressing rooms, storage areas, production support areas and 1,202 parking spaces.