A visionary with fearless imagination, Jeff Rotwitt has set himself to make Philadelphia synonymous with movie magic .

After having had a successful career as a lawyer and leading major construction projects in the area, a few years ago he decided to open a production company 30 minutes outside the 'City of Brotherly Love.'

"I started thinking about this project while teaching at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). Not sure what light bulb went off to consider this other than I knew there was nothing of this sort in the East Coast, and so I spent a couple of years investigating the industry," said Rotwitt, CEO of SunCenter Studios.

The entrepreneur welcomed the AL DÍA team at the studios of the newest production company on the East Coast. SunCenter Studios encompasses 33 acres; 60,000 square feet of state-of-the-art sound stages; 39,000 square feet of newly constructed office space for production support, plus eight acres of woods with a running stream for location shots. Once you set a foot in the enormous establishment you can feel the unlimited possibilities for the location.

"Why did I choose this as opposed to opening a taco stand or becoming a shoemaker?  Well, with our population density and with Philadelphia being on I- 95, I believed there was a need for this project. You try to think of something new and outside the box, and with the latest developments in the world of digital media I believed this would be a success," Rotwitt said.

In less than two years the $39 million operation has become one of the fastest growing service providers in the entertainment industry, in part because of its accessibility. 

Pennsylvania has been home to more than 300 film shoots and seen $1.2 billion of film production expenditures since 2008. With $248 million of direct film-related wages annually, it ranks fifth in the nation for its share of film employment and spending.

'Paranoia' (2013,) the American thriller directed by Robert Luketic, was the second mayor production at SunCenter Studios.

 

"We are developing a domestic industry that did not exist here to create a permanent anchor for film productions," Rotwitt said. "I think one of our accomplishments is that we were able to develop something so novel on the eve of a severe economic crisis back in 2008. Then to have some of the biggest stars in Hollywood like famed producer Frank Marshall or filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, who directed Will Smith in 'After Earth', well, that was pretty good and we were not even open for business yet."

But Rotwitt's vision for the Philadelphia area does not stop with great productions or star appeal. He has set his sights on the expansion of SunCenter Studios to create an indoor theme park that would attract 6 million people in the area, and many more from other parts of the country.

"The goal is to be highly visible and get visitors who will enjoy a lot of the exciting elements that you see at mayor theme parks next to a facility where the biggest names in Hollywood work," he said.

So why has it taken so long for the East Coast to have its own movie production studios?

After having had a successful career as a lawyer and leading major construction projects in the area, Jeff Rotwitt decided to open a production company 30 minutes outside the 'City of Brotherly Love.'

"I am not surprised no one had thought about it. It is a very challenging task to assemble the capital for such a mayor undertaking in the best of times. In the worst of times, it's not impossible. No one has thought to bring together in one site the making of movies, the tourist attraction and an event venue," Rotwitt said. "I believe that in just two years we have made a name for ourselves and we have come a long way in that short time."

SunCenter Studios is expected to welcome a new production this fall. As for what  preferences the company has for projects, Rotwitt said they like to stay open to a wide and diverse market.

"Philadelphia already had a long history of famous movies filmed in the city. I think the future will be much more exciting because we are entering a unique moment in the industry" he said.