Meet Quinn, Owner of Stone Dog Studios, Carpenter, Designer, Jill of all Trades.
Quinn is the go-to person for just about anything! She fabricates, welds, designs, and because it’s our world, she’s used to the intense turnarounds. “I stay up all night to come through and make it happened and I used to be the last minute call gal.”
For a commercial, Tuesday they got the go-ahead — Thursday they loaded in. She had one scenic and a carpenter in the shop for 2 days and then 3 scenics on set. They finished the cave and seamed the flats finished up as they were shooting, and she shrugged off this feat with, “you know how it is.” As production people we know how to turn on a dime and go with the flow and make something out of a “run and gun” situation — there’s always a solution and we’ll figure it out.
Film is such play, especially in the art department. A piece they made for an event they got back was this beautiful stain glass greenhouse, inspired by the water towers in Brooklyn.
“You never know until you’re up to the challenge.” She made a bulk candy display with Willy Wonka-style pipes feeding the candy through the store and giant Pez dispensers. “The crazier the better — please challenge me! Dreamers with money — welcome because I like making things. Making dreams happen, that’s what it is all about and we made it happen.”
As a natural busy body, when she was in her last three months of her pregnancy she couldn’t paint or mold. “I wasn’t going to travel to the city, but I didn’t want to stop doing what I do.” With her partner, they built Stone Dog Studios in Asbury Park just over the Hudson River.
“I had a 4 month and a business. — and like in the Art Department I learned on the job.”
She said they’re still renegotiating how to expand their business 12 — “11 years later, I don’t count the first year” since she was actively learning and building the business while parenting. She started out in 1800 ft space and now she has a 7500 sq ft space.
“I’m trying to keep it and grow it.”
Throughout this year after everything shut down, “not having a need, a purpose hit me hard,” but it gave her time to reinvest in her family and her studio. Two years ago, they expanded into the space next door and they’ve been renovating. Her husband and she met renovating a house, so with her carpenter skills and his skills as a contractor, it’s the perfect project for them.
They’re making a photo studio space that’s 3500 sq ft with 20 ft ceilings. Within the next couple of months, they’re going to be polishing the finishing touches. The idea is to offer it as a space that has a full set. You can bring in the small crew and not worry about building or breaking down — you pop in and out! They’re within an hour of the city (New York) and there’s a lot of artists in the area.
Quinn Katherine Stone
StoneDog Studios is a design and fabrication scene shop providing creative solutions for film, television, theater, photography, exhibits, events, and out of the box retail and service industries since 2008.
We are one of the few woman-owned and operated scene shops in the tri-state, providing premiere production design and set/prop fabrication. We work closely with our clients and their creatives to bring your visions to reality.
We are a collection of creatives who have worked in the industry for 30+ years. We are also moms. Hardworking, creative moms with a no-nonsense approach to business. We multitask like no other and we make sure our clients’ needs are met. We take care of what is keeping you up at night so you don’t have to. We seriously love a challenge, the more ludicrous the better.
This is the kind of bats in the belfry that we thrive on. When things get crazy we don’t have grimaces, we have smiles.
