Cherokee Nation welcomes new film studio in Oklahoma

Cherokee Nation has opened its new film studio at the Owasso Campus - marking the tribe’s first facility of its kind in Oklahoma and Indian Country.

Cherokee Film Studios is a 27,000 sq. ft facility located on more than four acres within the Cherokee Nation Reservation. It includes 14,000 sq. ft of dedicated studio space with accompanying edit suites, a control room, a pro-grade audio booth, crew and client lounges, as well as hair & makeup facilities to meet the growing demands of production in Oklahoma.

Cherokee Nation leadership and executives from the tribe’s business arm, Cherokee Nation Businesses, joined state officials, local community leaders and industry professionals in commemorating the area’s new filmmaking destination during a rib-cutting ceremony.

The facility features cutting-edge technology — including an extended reality (xR) virtual production LED volume studio. 

The film office will also double the size of its motion capture volume and provide 12 additional cameras to increase the possibilities for creativity as Cherokee Film Studios enter the metaverse. 

“The Cherokee Nation Film Office is leading the way in helping grow and diversify Oklahoma’s film and television industry,” said Cherokee Nation principal chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “Cherokee Nation and its businesses have long remained a great community partner, and we are here to stay. Our tribe continues to do our part to successfully build permanent infrastructure and encourage economic growth that creates jobs and expands opportunities for the Cherokee people, and for all of northeast Oklahoma.”

Jennifer Loren, director of Cherokee Nation Film Office and Original Content added: “The rate at which Oklahoma’s film and television industry is rapidly evolving is nothing short of astounding [...] This facility and its incredible capabilities are just the beginning. We will remain at the forefront of our region’s filmmaking industry by building upon what we have here today. With that being said, I am proud to announce the upcoming expansion of our virtual production LED volume studio.”

The LED wall will soon be increased to more than double its current size, bringing the screen to 80 ft long and 17 ft high, with a ceiling 18 ft deep ceiling. The expansion will also include fixed and mobile set lighting options and add portable LED wall panels, allowing for reverse shot capabilities.

Tava Maloy Sofsky, the director of the Oklahoma Film & Music Office, a division of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce said: “As the global production industry sees a surge in demand for the creation of film and television content, the Cherokee Nation’s investment in the film and television industry is a critical component of both further diversifying the state’s production landscape with new infrastructure and industry-leading technologies, as well as creating unprecedented opportunities for workforce and business development within the Nation itself.