Minneapolis-raised record producer and director Don Powell made the transition to theater and television production and relocated from Los Angeles to the Twin Cities. He bought a studio space in Eden Prairie in 2019, planning to use it to film a kids show. On the day of the first casting call, the country went into lockdown. Powell had to rethink his model.
He began talking with former colleague Ryan Lance about how they could use his space. After months of research, Lance suggested they partner on virtual production; an early adopter, Lance had to piece together a path using online message boards. Burbank Entertainment was born. The company specializes in music videos, commercials, television, corporate productions, and live broadcast events.
“It’s kind of been the Wild West because there is no standard way of doing this yet,” Lance says. “I’m trying to stay fresh with it as it grows, because it’s only expanding from here.”
