Chloe Hutchison opens Havana Haus in Coolum Beach

A Sunshine Coast businesswoman who works with the likes of Billabong and Roxy has given a sneak peek inside her “all-in-one” production studio for local content creators.

A Sunshine Coast videographer and photographer working with big name brands has taken her business to the next level with the opening of a “creative hub” for other artists to hire.

Havana Productions owner and mum-of-two Chloe Hutchison opened an “all-in-one” photography and production studio Havana Haus at the Coolum Beach industrial estate late last month.

The facilities include a podcast production room as well as flash and natural photography studios, private offices and co-working spaces on top of production and post-production services.

She said the influx of people moving to the Sunshine Coast has increased demand for facilities that cater to the creative fields.

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“I want to bring us all together and create a space that builds community for us,” Ms Hutchison said.

The two-storey warehouse is intended to cater for flash and natural light photography as well as events and office spaces. Photo: Rikki Lancaster

Havana Haus is located in Coolum Beach. Photo: Rikki Lancaster

Ms Hutchison said her vision is for Havana Haus to be a creative hub which welcomes everyone, not just big brands, she said.

“It is a big passion of mine to actually build up the Sunshine Coast in that way,” she said.

“I feel like the creative industry is a little bit undervalued.

“I’m really wanting to bridge that gap and to help those (new to the industry) get a leg up.”

The two-storey warehouse with a premium fit-out has welcomed a range of brands, models and content creators already, while Ms Hutchison works with global brands such as Roxy, Billabong and Wrangler.

Chloe Hutchison is the owner of Havana Productions and Havana Haus. Photo: Rikki Lancaster

Podcaster and best-selling author Melissa Ambrosini also frequented the podcast studio, Ms Hutchison said.

Ms Hutchison first toyed with the idea before Covid-19, because she found there were a lack of studios on the Sunshine Coast.

Her goal was to help other content creators save money on buying expensive equipment of their own, and avoid having to wait to use different studios.

Havana Haus has a controlled audio room to record podcasts. Photo: Rikki Lancaster

With four years’ podcasting experience, Ms Hutchison said she knew there was a gap – as Covid drove creators to producing podcasts at home, issues such as background noise and other obstructions arose.

Havana Haus’ podcast studio is unique to the Sunshine Coast featuring high-end gear and a mixer with complete control over all sound, she said.

Every part of the studio was intended to be functional as photo shoot locations. Photo: Rikki Lancaster

Ms Hutchison said she wanted a highly-functional space, where every corner could be a photo shoot location or working space.

“Nothing goes to waste in the studio,” she said.

The studio was a “premium” development worth “anything above $150,000,” she said

She plans to open workshops and run an online art gallery in the future, Ms Hutchison said.