The red carpet was rolled out for the grand opening of Studio 77 Media.
Guests were given tours of the state-of-the-art space, which encompasses a green screen room, a podcast room and a broadcasting room. The studio offers a range of multimedia recording services in Marshall.
“Our mission is to empower entrepreneurs, influencers, executives and visionaries to create high-impact content effortlessly — with cutting-edge technology,” said Brian Quaranta, who co-founded Studio 77 with his sister, Michelle Quaranta.
The siblings call it a “luxury content creation studio.”
On March 31, they shared endless possibilities for the space. They’ve created it so that all the details can be taken care of and they can tailor services to what a client wants and needs. They can assist with everything from creating YouTube content to branded visuals. Clients will have access to high-end cameras, lighting rigs, green screens and backdrops.
The space can be used for commercial shoots, interviews, talk-show formats or high-impact ad campaigns, said Brian Quaranta, who began using the space to produce content for his company, Secure Money Advisors, which is funding the studio.
As a way to connect with others, Studio 77 joined the Sewickley Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber.
“We are so proud to have Studio 77 as a part of our chamber,” said Erica Parr, executive director for the Sewickley Valley Chamber of Commerce. “This is such a beautiful and incredible space.”
Parr said one of the most impressive amenities about Studio 77 is that the creators have perfected the multimedia recording process. It has fully equipped sound-treated rooms, broadcast-quality microphones and the ability for multitrack recording. It also offers editing support.
Denise Martin, president of the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber, said it is a smart move for Studio 77 to join more than one chamber because it connects them with possible new clients in several areas.
She said when she walked into the podcast studio, she was inspired to want to sit down and start her own podcast.
“The entire space is so inviting,” Martin said. “Can you imagine being a student and taking a tour and doing an internship there or someone looking to make a career change walking into this space and being able to have access to equipment to have a podcast or create content? That would be a dream.”
Martin said she also is impressed with Studio 77 wanting to help nonprofits such as the chamber with their mission.
Studio manager Jeffrey Bell said his favorite part of this project is that everything is modular, as he showed guests some of the equipment. He said they will accommodate what a client needs and wants and work with a client’s schedule.
“Nothing is bolted down,” Bell said. “So if we have a content creator with a vision, we can make that work. We want to help everybody. It’s all right there. That’s the beauty of it.”
Brian Quaranta, 49, of Hampton said he decided to open such a studio because he and his wife, Katie, have young children and he didn’t want to have travel across the country to film content for his business. He also owns Secure Money Health, which does Medicare. The plan was to build a studio in a smaller space, but that didn’t work out because of its location close to an exit — and where he could hear the people from the next office when he was trying to record. The bigger space is perfect, he said. Quaranta said he asked ChatGPT to help with some of the design and details such as sound-proofing the rooms.
He then reached out to his sister because of her experience. Michelle Quaranta, 51, lives in Los Angeles. Her work includes being a creative director and executive producer on different projects, and she is launching a beauty podcast. She is a celebrity makeup artist with more than 25 years of experience in film, television and high-level brand production, working with networks Netflix, Bravo, Apple and Amazon.
“I am just so passionate about the arts and creatives,” Michelle Quaranta said. “I want to be a part of as much as I can.”
Her plan is to come to Pittsburgh every few months or more often if needed. The siblings grew up in Northern New Jersey. Brian Quaranta attended Robert Morris University where he played football.
“I knew it was a big ask but I said, ‘If I could provide you with something consistent would you fly back?’ ” Brian Quaranta said when asking his sister to partner on the project. “Because I knew she would be amazing at figuring this out.”
Part of the studio’s mission is to help nonprofits. They are selling merchandise where a portion of proceeds will go to Animal Friends and plan to partner with other nonprofits. He said he welcomes nonprofits to come in and record a message about who they are and be able to post that on their social media pages or website.
At the grand opening, guests took photos with the PGH360 photo booth technology. Michelle Quaranta reached out to the owners of Pittsburgh-based PGH360, Jacqueline Vinski and Abdul Saud.
“PGH360 fits great with this event,” Vinski said. “This is such a cool space. Everything in this place is gorgeous. It’s beautiful. There’s so much light in this room that everyone looks nice and bright in photos.”
Brian Quaranta said he would like to offer an internship program for college and high school students to get some hands-on experience with studio work. He does a Saturday morning show with Rob Pratt as well as appearances on Mondays on Larry Richert’s show on KDKA Radio. Richert toured the space.
“It is impressive,” Richert said. “For someone like me who has been in the business for so long, it was beyond what I anticipated. It is terrific and it will open up so many possibilities for so many people. I love that he wants to help charitable organizations. He is so genuine.”
Studio 77 Media offers several options, from VIP to per hour starting at $177 an hour for use of the green screen or podcast rooms and $377 an hour for the broadcasting room.
Studio 77 is located at 100 Global View Drive, Suite 400 B, in Marshall.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays
Details: 724-450-5993 or Studio77Media.com