Q&A: Collinsville’s first-of-its-kind film studio

The City of Collinsville is hoping to lure filmmakers from around the country to town with a new film studio.

News On 6 spoke to city leaders about what makes it unique and got reactions from filmmakers.

Q: What is Collinsville building?

A: The city is constructing Emerge Studios, a 40,000-square-foot film studio featuring two sound stages along with space for pre- and post-production.

Q: Why is this project significant?

A: City leaders say it will be the only municipally owned film studio in the United States and the largest studio in Oklahoma.

Q: How is the project being funded?

A: Collinsville City Manager Chuck Ralls says the project was financed with grants and capital revenue, and future operations will be self-funded.

“We're not going dipping into city funds, and we're not using utility revenues,” he said.

Q: Who has toured the facility so far?

A: On Monday, state legislators, local film offices, and filmmakers from across the country toured the site and offered feedback on the design.

Q: What do state officials think?

A: Jeanette Stanton with the Oklahoma Film and Music Office praised the effort, saying, “We couldn't be more thrilled… We've seen so much growth and so many cities jump on board to champion filmmakers in the state.”

Q: How do filmmakers view the new studio?

A: Actor and producer Randy Wayne of Rebellium Films says it will strengthen the local industry.

“The more infrastructure we build, the bigger the industry grows for us… Collinsville may not be known to the rest of the country, but it will be pretty quickly,” he said.

Q: What’s the long-term vision?

A: Ralls says the goal isn’t to compete with massive studios like Disney or Marvel, but to give independent creators a home.

“We're really wanting to try to get those startups and those local talents be able to hone that skill, create good content, family-friendly, good-quality shows here locally or regionally,” he said.

Q: When will it be finished?

A: The studio is about 60 percent complete and expected to be ready before the end of the year.