Tommy Washbush
Kurt Sensenbrenner in his studio.
Stranger than fiction: Originally from Ripon, Wisconsin, Sensenbrenner received a bachelor of fine arts degree from UW-Milwaukee and a master’s degree from Hofstra University. He has created work for Peacock, PBS and More Perfect Union. His 2017 feature, From Mass to the Mountain, was influential in causing legislative change in Eastern Panama.
Kurt Sensenbrenner, a local documentary filmmaker, spends a lot of his time on location, in such exotic locales as Panama, Uganda and Alaska. A graduate of UW-Milwaukee, he discovered his love of documentaries filming on-site in Chicago for docUWM, the university’s documentary media center. “I spent 14 hours on the banks of the Chicago River. It was raining, muddy, I was grinning the whole time,” he says.
Recently he started feeling the need for an in-house studio space. He considered having one built from scratch, but the costs were prohibitive. Then, in October, a friend who is a Realtor stumbled upon the ideal spot, located at the corner of South Few Street and East Wilson Street. Sensenbrenner says the former photography studio, which was then upgraded by some industrious engineers, was “super turnkey.”
The owners, he adds, “really kind of sold it to me. They wanted somebody to continue making creative work out here, who wouldn’t turn it into condos or a Starbucks.”
It offers the perfect setup for Sensenbrenner’s work, with a large open studio space built by the photographers, and industrial capabilities added by the engineers. The details have been meticulously designed and documented, and he hasn’t had to change a thing.
The studio space provides plenty of room for staging and storing cameras and lights. The 13-foot-high ceilings have conveniently built-in curtain tracks. “It’s like $1,000 worth of steel.”
A side room to the studio was built with heavy duty construction in mind. “This room has this crazy commercial grade, OSHA approved, ventilation system. It’s super handy,” he says. Sensenbrenner is able to weld, saw, route and paint in the middle of winter without a buildup of fumes or sawdust.
The building also includes a large open “living room” area, attached to a full kitchen. He allows some trusted friends to work there in an open office environment, but he’s still thinking about what to do with all that room. “It’s too much space for one person. I want to cultivate some events, some community,” he says.
Sensenbrenner’s schedule gives him the opportunity to also rent the space out to other production teams. The property provides a lot of options for shooting. “What’s unique about this studio is that there are different looks throughout the building. The commercial kitchen, exposed brick, the blank canvas of the studio space, and the landscaped exteriors,” Sensenbrenner says. The large detached garage is also equipped with commercial-grade ventilation. Last month, Sensenbrenner rented out that space to host a furniture-building workshop from Genlore Woodcraft.
Sensenbrenner is still considering what to do with the rest of the space, but acknowledges it has a lot of potential. He’s open to movie screenings, events, music performances, gallery shows, you name it. “Got any ideas?”
If you’re looking to rent out some studio space, visit Kurt Sensenbrenner’s form page at: www.sensensomething.com/contact.
Tommy Washbush
A film crew from UW-Madison at Kurt Sensenbrenner's studio space.
Behind the scenes: A film crew from UW-Madison recently rented out the studio space to film parts of an educational series called ‘Organic 201.’ The blank canvas look is ideal for shoots like these, as well as interviews. Sensenbrenner encourages renters to bring their own equipment, but has cameras and lights available to rent if needed.
Tommy Washbush
The exterior of Kurt Sensenbrenner's studio space.
Lowkey location: The frosted glass block windows keep the inner workings mostly under wraps. Sensenbrenner likes the idea of being slightly under the radar, and was surprised to find a property like this in town. ‘I didn’t think there was a place like this on the isthmus that hasn’t been turned into condos.’
Tommy Washbush
Becca Murray and the Wildflowers at Kurt Sensenbrenner's studio space.
Intimate interior: Sensenbrenner recently shot a ‘Tiny Desk’-style video for local indie pop band Becca Murray and the Wildflowers. The ‘living room’ area with its exposed brick provides a warm, intimate setting, and has lots of room to accommodate an audience.
