Independent Filmmakers
Small budget.
Big frame.
Northside Studios was built for the productions that get told no everywhere else — indie features, shorts, proofs of concept and first films that need a real environment on a real budget.
Why this exists
Production value isn't a budget line.
It's a decision about where the money goes. An indie film that spends carefully on one purpose-built environment usually looks more expensive than one that spends the same money chasing four mediocre locations.
The traditional model prices independent filmmakers out on purpose. Soundstages quote day rates that assume a studio behind you. Location fees, permits, insurance riders and restricted hours stack up until a scene that should cost hundreds costs thousands — and you still don't control the room.
Our answer is unglamorous: a warehouse, a build shop and published pricing. A half day is $325. A full ten-hour day is $500. Design starts at $500. Those numbers are on the site because indie producers can't plan around a quote that takes two weeks to arrive.
We assume you're doing this the hard way
Small crew. Borrowed gear. Weekend schedule. Everyone wearing three hats. That is the normal case here, not the exception, and it shapes how we scope work: in tiers, with the honest version priced next to the ideal one.
- /First-time directors
- /Short film teams
- /Proof of concept shoots
- /Independent features
- /Music video directors
- /Commercial + branded work
- /Web series + episodics
- /Student + thesis films
- /Photographers
How it helps
Five ways this saves indie money.
- 01
You can afford to plan
Design starting at $500 means the environment can be worked out on paper instead of improvised on a shoot day you're paying crew for.
- 02
You only build what the camera sees
We scope builds so finish and detail land on camera-facing surfaces. Everything else gets built plainly, and the savings stay in your budget.
- 03
You don't pay to move a set
Build and shoot happen in the same warehouse. No trucking, no reassembly, no second load-in.
- 04
You can hold the set
$75 a night keeps your set standing between shoot days, so a two-day schedule doesn't mean building twice.
- 05
You get a straight number
Rates are published. Construction is quoted in tiers so you can see the hero version and the lean version before you commit.
Quick answers
Filmmaker questions
Does Northside Studios work with indie filmmakers?
- Yes. Independent filmmakers are who Northside Studios is built for. Our pricing is intentionally accessible so more of a small budget ends up on screen.
Can I shoot a proof of concept at Northside Studios?
- Yes. Proofs of concept, short films, independent features, music videos, commercials and photography projects are all welcome. A half day of up to five hours is $325.
How much does Northside Studios cost?
- A full production day of up to 10 hours is $500 and a half day of up to five hours is $325. Overtime is $75 per hour. Custom set design starts at $500 and construction is quoted per project.
How much does film set design cost?
- Custom set design at Northside Studios starts at $500. The final figure depends on the size of the environment, the level of detail and how much construction documentation the build requires.
Can my set remain standing overnight?
- Yes. An overnight set hold is $75 per night, which keeps your set standing between shoot days so you do not have to reset or rebuild.
Is the warehouse a soundstage?
- No. Northside Studios is a production warehouse, not a certified soundstage, and it is not soundproof. It is a large, controllable interior space suited to custom set builds and productions that manage their own sound.
Tell us the budget first.
Start with what you actually have. We'll tell you what's possible inside it, and we'll be honest if it isn't.