Lights Up on Fall: Oklahoma City Video Production Surges With New Shoots, Screens & Studio Spaces
Oklahoma City video production is entering a frenetic two-week sprint as a network-TV-size feature films downtown, a new film-culture hub throws its grand opening, and arthouse screens pack in specialty premieres.
Major Location Shoot: Project Galaxy in Final Week
Cameras will keep rolling downtown through September 19 on Project Galaxy, a $9 million drama chronicling survivors of the 1995 bombing. Approved for a full 10 % city rebate, the production is employing 100+ local crew across One Set Studio and Filmmakers Ranch while staging exterior scenes around the Memorial and Bricktown. Producers plan to wrap principal photography the same week state lawmakers reconvene, giving lawmakers a live case study of the incentive’s economic punch.
Bullet takeaways
- Street impact: expect intermittent lane closures around Reno Ave. and Robinson Ave. (producers must coordinate with the Office of Special Events).
- Rebate math: 75 % of filming days occur inside city limits, unlocking the maximum 10 % local top-up on Oklahoma’s 20–30 % state rebate.
- Vendor lift: rentals have booked out four RED V-Raptor packages and three lighting trucks for the final week.
New Cultural Infrastructure: Oklahoma Film Exchange Debut
The not-for-profit Oklahoma Film Exchange (OFX) launches Sept 11 with a Community Night + Mystery Movie. Housed in the Paramount building on historic Film Row, OFX combines a 60-seat micro-cinema, editing bays and a flexible co-work loft that will host script tables and mixer events every weekend through fall. Early programming includes Leos Carax’s Holy Motors (Sept 12) and a live screenplay read of Krankmaster in Paradise (Sept 13).
Local producers say the venue plugs an ecosystem gap left when deadCenter wraps in June, giving indie teams a year-round place to test-screen and network without heading to Tulsa. Expect crossover between OFX panels and Prairie Surf’s post division as crews look for finishing resources.
Exhibition Buzz: Rodeo Cinema’s September Slate
Over in Stockyards City, nonprofit Rodeo Cinema revs up fall programming with two Oklahoma premieres: Echoes & Origins: Lost Highway (Sep 11) explores the mythic Route 66 legacy, while Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light (Sep 13) delivers a painter-poet hybrid doc timed to the artist’s Taos retrospective. A 35 mm print of South Korean cult thriller Oldboy follows on Sept 20, still inside the two-week horizon.
These bookings pull score composers, DPs and art-department alumni back into town for Q&As, driving side-hustle masterclasses at APEX Post and One Set Studio.
Permitting & Incentive Notes
The Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) reminds incoming shoots that all state incentive applicants must submit a Project Information Form and coordinate location permits through either the city’s Special Events office or county authorities. Early engagement is critical; OF+MO now triages requests to shorten turnaround on location scouting and police-detail scheduling.
Pro tip: productions that shoot at certified sound stages such as One Set Studio or Filmmakers Ranch receive an additional 5 % uplift on the state rebate, potentially nudging total returns to 35 %.
Quick-Look Calendar (Sep 10 – Sep 24)
|
Date |
Event |
Why it Matters |
|
Sep 11 |
OFX Opening Night + Mystery Movie |
New hub for year-round screenings & networking |
|
Sep 11 |
Echoes & Origins: Lost Highway |
Local premiere at Rodeo Cinema |
|
Sep 13 |
Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light |
Art-doc draws doc crews & museum partners |
|
Sep 11–19 |
Project Galaxy on location |
Traffic control & last-minute crew calls |
|
Sep 20 |
Oldboy 35 mm screening |
Classic thriller lures genre fans, still in window |
What It Means for Producers
- Crew Demand Spike: With Project Galaxy consuming gaffer and swing positions, lock in departments early or tap OFX boards for last-minute hires.
- Test-Screen Opportunities: OFX’s 60-seat room is calibrated for DCP playback—perfect for focus groups before festival submissions.
- Incentive Strategy: Combine an OF+MO state rebate (20–30 %) with the city’s 10 % kicker and the 5 % certified-stage bonus to maximize ROI.
Final Take
From downtown’s dramatic re-creation of a pivotal Oklahoma story to the grassroots energy of a brand-new film exchange, the next fortnight proves that Oklahoma City video production is more than a boom—it’s laying durable tracks for a sustainable industry. Whether you’re scouting a street corner, polishing a rough cut or simply catching an art-house premiere, the coming weeks offer concrete ways to plug into the momentum.
