Smashbox Studios

Smashbox Studios rents photo and video studios, a qualified soundstage and event space on Higuera Street in Culver City, on the Westside of Los Angeles. It was founded in 1991 by Dean and Davis Factor, great-grandsons of Hollywood makeup artist Max Factor, and reopened in 2015 after a full renovation in partnership with Industrial Color Brands. The renovation added interiors by the architecture firm Gensler, 9,000 amps of three-phase power, seismic upgrades and STC-rated soundstages across the 25,000-square-foot facility. According to Smashbox Studios, shoots here include ELLE’s Billie Eilish story by Yvan Fabing, Glamour’s Kacey Musgraves story by Eric Ray Davidson and Vogue Mexico’s Kourtney Kardashian story by An Le.

Culver City studios

• Studio 1 Lightbox: 4,250 square feet with a 3,600-square-foot stage, a 28-by-30-foot cyc, 22-foot ceilings and four skylights with south, west and east light, plus a 300-square-foot VIP mezzanine and a 750-square-foot private patio.
• Studio 2 Softbox: 2,775 square feet with a 31-by-35-foot cyc, soft western light, an overhead lighting grid, a VIP lounge and a patio.
• Studio 3 Blackbox: 2,460 square feet with a large corner cyc, 22-foot ceilings and an overhead lighting grid.
• Studio 4 Bigbox: a 5,100-square-foot qualified soundstage with a 4,000-square-foot stage, a 62-by-36-foot corner cyc, a lighting grid, a VIP lounge and a 10-by-10-foot barn door.

Every studio has private hair, makeup and wardrobe space, a kitchenette, a private restroom, three-phase power and gigabit internet.

Equipment and services

Smashbox Studios owns and maintains camera, digital, lighting and grip equipment for in-studio shoots, rents location equipment with 24/7 pick-up and delivery, and offers digital capture, production supplies and the globaledit online review platform.

Cafe, events and parking

The 2,150-square-foot reception has a cafe and bar, a Creative Library of photo, design and fashion books and a commercial kitchen. The studios also host private events and galas, with VIP lounges, outdoor spaces and valet parking. Smashbox runs a second Los Angeles location in the Arts District and a studio in Brooklyn.