To make Studio Works (SW) as efficient and user friendly as possible, we have established the following rules and definitions. You will find below, an explanation for each.

Please feel free to reach out at info@studios.works for any questions or comments.

In the context of this website, a “film studio” is not to be confused with production company that also owns their distribution and exhibition companies (Movie theaters, Television Channels, Steaming service), but is the term we use to describe a building complex with a minimum working surface of 10,000 square feet, comprising at least one soundstage. This type of setting can also be known as a « film studio lot».

A soundstage is a soundproofed indoor stage with no daylight. It must offer air conditioning, an adequate electrical power supply and must be able to handle the shooting requirements of feature films, high-end television shows.

A combined stage is not an additional stage, but the physical combination of two or more stages to achieve a bigger one. These stages must be linked by shared walls.

A tank (or pit) is a surface that is deeper than the main floor of the stage. It is used to build sets below the stage floor (such as a basement). It can sometimes be used (if equipped) as a pool for underwater filming.

A deep tank is a part of a tank with an even deeper floor. It is mainly used for underwater filming and special effects setups.

For better clarity, we have broken down the studios into three categories. We use these to define the kind of stages offered by any given studio. These categories are the following:

Purpose built Studios
Repurposed built Studios
Alternative Studios

Please read below about how these differences affect how we rate the class of a studio.

To offer our users an efficient method for finding the right setting for their production needs, we have devised the following classification.

We have divided all film studios into three groups:

A class
reserved for purpose built studios. These are the most ideal type of studios, designed to be at the top of any production’s filming requirements; with the most efficient soundproofing (including silent air conditioning and heating), a powerful electrical power and some extra perks such as fast Internet connexion and more.
B class
mostly identical to the previous but comprised of repurposed buildings. Offer quality settings but built in refurbished premises such as warehouses. We must point out that a B class studio can sometimes be in better condition than an ageing A class studio, however our rating system doesn’t take into consideration the condition of the premises.
C class
refers to any alternative to the above. These studios, which are often set in warehouses, can vary a lot from one to another in terms of quality and can present potential issues such as low ceilings, obtrusive pillars, non rectangular areas and are generally not very well soundproofed. Their big appeal, on the other hand is generally a lot of available space.

We have opted to add some granularity within the three classification groups (A, B and C) to help fine-tune our users research queries based on the quantity of available stages and their sizes.

These are broken down as follows:

Also, when added: "+" describes a studio witch includes a backlot (exterior shooting area).

Please note that we are not giving movie ranches class ratings as, currently, we have not yet developed a satisfactory method for objectively rating movie ranches. However, we will keep at it, and hope that in the future we will come up with a set of valid criteria by which to also rate movie ranches.

Here are a few reasons why a studio may not meet the requirements necessary to be listed in this directory.
Please note that Studio Works reserves its right to adapt its policies regarding eligibility without prior notice.

» The total surface of all soundstages is inferior to 10,000 ft2. Our aim is to help professionals who wish to produce feature films and high-end television. Through experience, we have come to the conclusion that surfaces under 10,000 ft2 are not fit to handle these kinds of productions.


» The studio is dedicated only to broadcast television. Film studios that are only designed for broadcast services are not taken into consideration. The main reasons for this is that such studios are generally not available for external productions such as feature films and high-end television series. Also these stages are equipped for broadcasting or recording, not filming in the motion picture sense of the word.


» The studio can’t be “dry” hired. Some studios are only used by one company, to film only one type of production. Often, these studios are even build for a particular production in mind and are never available for any others productions. Obviously, these studios can’t be listed as they are not accessible by nature.


» The studio is in warehouse that is unfit for filming. Some premises stand in for film studios, but are in fact only ordinary warehouses that have not been subjected to any repurposing work at all. These locations aren’t fit for filming as they are not soundproofed, suffer from invasive daylight, offer none of the necessary infrastructure required and therefore cannot be considered proper film studios.

We would like to remind studio owners that enlisting any eligible studio into our database is free of charge. Please submit your studios at info@studios.works.

A Class rating for a studio is determined by the manager of SW following the rules above. If the studio doesn’t agree with the rating for their studio, a claim may be addressed to SW in writing. We will always be open to discussion but the studio owner/manager must be open to offering any information requested by SW to change a rating.

The directory is free to access. We offer a free “basic” version which will give you access to all the publicly available information about all the studios and movie ranches listed on our website.

If you wish to enjoy the full experience of what this directory has to offer, with access all its rich features set such as our powerful search engine, maps and statistics, you will need to choose our SWpro version for which you will need to invest a yearly fee. You may convert your account to SWpro at any time provided you pay the subscription fee. Without renewal, your SWpro access will end after the current subscription period. This does not cancel your account however. For more information, please visit our SWpro page.

All versions of our website require that users must be registered.

As a studio owner/manager you are entitled to receive one SWpro access, free of charge, per studio enlisted.

Please note that SW is not responsible for the accuracy of the data concerning any of the studios, stages, news feeds and books presented in this website.