Aurora Production Brief — Festivals, Permits, and Local Studio Options
Aurora video production teams have plenty to monitor between now and Halloween: a spellbinding movie night, overlapping stage runs, evolving permits and fresh casting windows. The roundup below helps every Aurora camera crew keep paperwork tight and call sheets sharper than a Colorado sunrise.
Key Permit Updates
- Unified form: Aurora’s Television & Cable Services office now processes street, park and commercial filming on one application; payment of any park filming fee is due five business days before cameras roll.
- Drone add-on: Operators must attach a flight map plus FAA Part 107 certificate for commercial work, while hobby fliers need the TRUST test and registration for drones over 0.55 lb.
- Contact window: Staff ask for 48–72 hours to review routine shoots, longer if police, fire or lane closures are requested.
Upcoming Shoots & Events
- Oct 30 – Hogwarts Movie Night, Stanley Beer Hall: A patio screening with wizard-themed food, sunset golden hour and crowd cosplay—perfect lifestyle B-roll.
- Oct 16–18 – Schoolhouse Rock Live! final weekend, Aurora Fox Mainstage: Matinee loads out at 2 p.m., freeing the space for evening commercial rentals.
- Oct 10–Nov 2 – LIZZIE rock musical, Aurora Fox Studio Theatre: Night shoots nearby should be mindful of 10 p.m. exit crowds and amplified guitars.
- Casting pulse: Visit Aurora’s open-ended campaign seeks diverse models for 2025/26, and KidsCasting lists a $125/day child role filming Oct 18 for The Vampire’s Vacation.
Behind the Scenes
Stage managers at the Fox report that crossover crews are already booking rehearsal blocks between Schoolhouse Rock load-outs and LIZZIE sound checks to capture empty-theatre shots, trimming location fees by piggybacking on existing tech days.
Colorado’s drone rules—Part 107 for pros and TRUST for hobbyists—continue to govern Aurora skies, but the city echoes state guidance by banning take-offs or landings in most parks without a permit, so scouts should confirm launch points early.
Looking Forward
With Sundance’s 2027 move to Boulder grabbing headlines statewide, producers expect ancillary Denver-Aurora programming pop-ups to appear in the coming years; early birds are already eyeing Aurora’s hotel stock and light-rail links as overflow hubs.
