Special effects artist bringing new film, TV production studio to life in Burton | Crain’s Cleveland Business

Kiyomi and Det Chansamone left their home in Los Angeles to buy a former high school in Burton, Ohio, to convert it as a production studio and venue for his own movie and TV efforts. | Stan Bullard

SOURCE: Crain’s Cleveland Business | Stan Bullard
September 11, 2023

A short walk north of the town square in Burton, which traces its history to 1798 and has managed to remain a village with just over 1,000 people, Det and Kiyomi Chansamone have bought the former Berkshire High School to remake it as a video production center.

The availability of the 96,000-square-foot high school, which was built in three phases beginning in 1930, drew Det Chansamone to Burton. He envisions one of the school’s gyms as a huge soundstage, with other sections, like the old band room, being converted and made available to rent by out-of-state film and TV crews shooting in Northeast Ohio as well as area commercial production companies.

Chansamone, a special effects producer who has worked on major film and TV projects, also sees it as a place to create his own shows.