Tulsa Production Brief — Festivals, Permits, and Short-Term Shoot Planning
Tulsa video production crews face a brisk two-week stretch packed with screenings, permit tweaks and studio deals that can make or break a schedule.
Fast-Track Permit Essentials
- Unified application: Street shoots cost $242 plus system fees, with private-property exteriors at $80; drone use is now folded into the same form
- Air-space basics: Any UAV over 0.55 lb still needs FAA registration and TRUST completion, even when city staff approves the flight plan
- Holiday heads-up: City counters close for Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Oct 21, pushing permit pickups to Oct 22 for weekend shoots.
Crew Calls and Casting Windows
- Background gigs: OF+MO lists extras for the rebate feature Mickey Brasch shooting Oct 19 in Guthrie and co-lead roles on Time and Time Again filming through Oct 27
- Apprentice deadline: State apprenticeship résumés hit the portal by Oct 18, funneling tech talent to forthcoming productions
- Festival volunteers: Circle Cinema seeks ushers for its Oct 28 Sisters of Cinema event; stipends include free badges
Festival & Screening Calendar
Circle Cinema leads the spooky-season charge with a Dread Central found-footage marathon on Oct 18, pairing new release “.ask” with cult classic Noroi and a remote Q&A from director Chris VanderKaay. A free youth-health screening of Are You There God? follows on Oct 23, positioned for community-impact. Stormfront Studios helps present a one-night Poltergeist tribute on Oct 25, featuring production-designer James H. Spencer and an art-gallery install—ideal B-roll for Halloween packages. Noir Nights returns Oct 27 with surprise celluloid, and Sisters of Cinema wraps the month on Oct 28 with a $5 mystery film and discussion.
Stage-Space Advantage
Stormfront Studios, Tulsa’s first independent two-stage complex, unveiled Hollywood-grade lighting grids, green- and white-cyc walls, and 320 acres of back-lot prairie in August; Stage A (6,000 sq ft) and Stage B (2,600 sq ft) still have weekday slots at launch pricing this month. The studio’s sponsorship of Circle Cinema’s Poltergeist event signals an aggressive push to court local commercials before the statewide rebate resets in January.
Looking Ahead
Cherokee Film Studios in nearby Owasso finished a second 10,000-sq-ft soundstage last year, and producers expect its availability to relieve Tulsa backlog heading into winter bookings. Tax-rebate funds remain for qualifying shoots, so any Tulsa camera crew locking 2026 projects should file intent paperwork early.
