Oklahoma Film & Photography Production Services & Camera Crews
Are you a media company, brand, ad agency or production company looking for film / photography production support or shooting crew in Oklahoma? Contact us for trusted fixers, producers, directors, DoPs, videographers, photographers, and full shooting crews tailored for the specific needs of your project.
Filming in Oklahoma
For an introduction to shooting in Oklahoma see below notes on film locations, permits, when to shoot, unique local stories, costs, tax incentives, crews, talent, equipment, communications, art department, studios, post facilities, visas and work permits for filming, transport, film-friendly accommodation, and safety advice.
Oklahoma Film Locations
Oklahoma is a south central state known for its cowboy culture, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and landscapes of great plains, prairies, high mesas, rolling tallgrass prairies, rocky bluffs, hardwood and pine forests, sand dunes, salt flats, lakes, and cypress swamps. Oklahoma is home to the longest drivable stretch of Route 66.
Much of the state’s land is used for agriculture including wheat, cotton, corn, and sunflower fields, as well as hog farms and cattle ranches. The state has oil and gas extraction facilities. Energy locations include hydroelectric dams, and wind farms.
Oklahoma has hosted productions including Twisters (2024), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), Reservation Dogs (2021-2023), Stillwater (2021), Killers of the Flower Moon (2021), Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness (2020), Minari (2020), Logan (2017), August: Osage County (2013), Transformers (2007), Twister (1996), The Frighteners (1996), Rain Main (1988), and The Outsiders (1983).
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city. Film locations of interest include the modern city skyline, Stockyard City, Skydance Bridge, State Capitol building, Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Centennial Land Run Monument, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, American Banjo Museum, Oklahoma Railway Museum, 45th Infantry Division Museum, Oklahoma History Center, Science Museum Oklahoma, Museum of Osteology, Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum, American Pigeon Museum & Library, Gold Dome, Overholser Mansion, Myriad Botanical Gardens, Scissortail Park, Campbell Art Park, National Weather Museum and Science Center, Will Rogers International Airport, OKC Fairgrounds, Factory Obscura, Rodeo Animal Cemetery, Arcadia Round Barn, Wheeler Ferris Wheel, and Frontier City which is a western-themed amusement park.
Tulsa is the second largest city. Film locations of interest include Philbrook Mansion, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium, Golden Driller statue, Tulsa Botanic Garden, Woodward Park, Abundant Life Building, Boston Avenue Methodist Church, and Westhope designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Curtis brothers house in The Outsiders (1983) has been resorted and serves as a museum. Oral Roberts University campus buildings of note include CityPlex Towers, Prayer Tower, and Howard Auditorium.
The historic town of Guthrie known for its Victorian architecture, Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, and Oklahoma Territorial Museum.
Pops in Arcadia is a 66-foot tall neon pop bottle, and a Route 66 icon.
Minari (2020) filmed in Rose.
Transformers (2007) filmed in Tinker Air Force Base.
The E.W. Marland Mansion is located in Ponca City.
University of Oklahoma campus is located in Norman.
Will Rogers Memorial Museum is located in Claremore.
Picher is an abandoned town.
Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve is located in Bartlesville.
The Chickasaw Cultural Center is located in Sulphur.
Museum of the Great Plains is located in Lawton.
The Stafford Air & Space Museum is located in Weatherford.
The Chisholm Trail Heritage Center is located in Duncan.
Hugo’s Mount Olivet Cemetery has a section dedicated to travelling circus folk.
Coleman Theatre is located in Miami.
Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, as featured in Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness (2020), is no longer in operation.
Rain Main (1988) filmed in Guthrie, Cogar, El Rino, Hinton, and Oklahoma City.
Cowboy churches offer a unique cultural experience.
Nature parks of note include Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Beavers Bend State Park, Turner Falls Park, Natural Falls State Park, Robbers Cave State Park, Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Alabaster Caverns State Park, Little Sahara State Park, Salt Plains State Park, Lake Thunderbird State Park, Boiling Springs State Park, Quartz Mountain State Park, Talimena State Park, Glass Mountains State Park, Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie, Lake Murray State Park, Keystone State Park, Osage Hills State Park, Sequoyah State Park, and Black Mesa State Park & Nature Preserve.
Oklahoma Film Location Permits
Most public property is available for filming. Fees and proof of insurance are required. Allow at least a week for permitting. Filming roads and public through-ways requires notification of local agencies and law enforcement. Please contact us for location specific information.
When To Shoot?
Summers are hot, dry, and sunny. Winters are cold and snowy. Forests see fall colours. Weather extremes are known to change quickly even between relatively short distances. Oklahoma is prone to tornadoes.
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in the United States.
Unique Local Stories
Brands are looking for local stories that match their brand narrative. Our local teams are a great lead for sourcing those unique stories and characters.
If you are looking for stories for your next shoot, send us your brief and we will pitch you ideas.
If you have a unique story you would like to pitch to a brand anywhere in the world, pitch us your idea. We have well-established processes to ensure that your ideas are properly seen and protected.
Oklahoma Tax Incentives For Filming
Oklahoma offers a 35% cash rebate with a 2% uplift if locally sourced music is used.
Oklahoma Film Crew & Talent
Crew. Oklahoma has a small pool of local crew. Best to bring in most key crew with you.
Contact us if you are looking for a Oklahoma City or Tulsa based director, DP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, or any other film crew in Oklahoma.
Talent. Oklahoma has a predominately Caucasian population. The state also a large population of Native Americans with the Cherokee Nation, Choctaw Nation, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and Chickasaw Nation being the largest groups. Other talent looks one might associate with the state include cowboy pastors, cattle ranchers, and storm chasers.
Oklahoma Film Equipment
Equipment. Oklahoma has some standard grip, lighting and camera gear for hire locally. More specialised gear needs to be brought in.
Communications. Communication is key. Our agility and global experience allows us to customise the right communications systems for every shoot.
Web posted casting, scouting, and videoconferencing.
For clients that are unable to attend set we offer a virtual video village solution. This dedicated and secure high-resolution video streaming platform allows clients from one or multiple timezones to view setups without compromise and to participate in real-time with the team on set. Separate systems can be set up for the discrete conversations that are required to make a job run right. Working remotely with our local teams reduces your content production costs, turnaround times, carbon footprint, and risks associated with unpredictable global events.
Oklahoma Film-Friendly Accommodation
Please contact us for recommended film friendly hotels in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and other areas of Oklahoma. Hotels of note include:
Country Inn & Suites, Quail Springs
Final Notes
Safety. Oklahoma is a very safe and reliable place for foreign productions to shoot. See here for up to date travel advice.
Down Time. Check out the Oklahoma City Stockyards cattle auctions, held twice a week, year-round. Attend a cowboy church service.
Projects. For an example of TV commercials, stills campaigns, online content, corporate videos, virtual reality 360 content, feature films, TV series and documentaries shot in Oklahoma, please see below:
Hire Oklahoma Production Support & Shooting Crew
If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer for your shoot in Oklahoma, please contact us.
If you are looking for a shooting crew for your shoot in Oklahoma, such as a director, DoP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, please contact us.
We are able to provide you with answers, references and bids quickly.
