The 5 Best Sound Stages and Video Studios in Minneapolis
If you are a video production company, ad agency, or marketer, you might be on the hunt for a great studio space in Minneapolis. Minnesota is home to many Fortune 500 companies and large Ad agencies which help support a healthy video production community. You have many options to choose from when it comes to studios and stages. This list examines our top picks for studios in Minneapolis along with their pros and cons.
If you are also looking for a Minneapolis video production company to bring your ideas to life, please contact us here. We have produced productions in many of the spaces below.
Need a grip and electric rental shop too? Check out our list here.
Top 5 Minneapolis Video Studios:
Largest Studio/Stage:
Large/Medium Stages:
Sound Treated:
Lifestyle, Product, and Food Studio:
Tasty Lighting - ACME Stages
Tasty Lighting’s ACME Stage is home to the biggest stage in Minneapolis. It’s large enough to drive a tour bus directly into the stage. Their cove wall is 80 feet wide and 24 feet high. The facility is 25,000 sq. and offers both a primary stage and an additional space called Studio B (part of their Annex stages). ACME is a great studio for productions that require custom set building and a lot of space to work with. It’s large enough to build walls and sets inside and has easy access for load-in and load-out. This space will require pre-lighting so if your production budget is smaller, you might find a different studio on this list is a better fit.
ACME Stage is owned and operated by Tasty Lighting Supply, a G&E rental house in Minneapolis. The G&E rental company is attached to the ACME stage which makes loading G&E in and out extremely convenient. ACME does require you to rent G&E exclusively from Tasty Lighting.
ACME offers a green room, wardrobe room, full kitchen (designed for food shoots), makeup room, and a client lounge too. Located in SE Minneapolis by highway 55, ACME stage is located in a freestanding building meaning that there are no neighbors to worry about. The stage is also far enough away from the highway and roads that sounds from the neighborhood are minimal.
Pros:
80-foot-wide cove wall
Drive-in studio with the ability to accommodate large vehicles
Largest cove wall and stage in Minneapolis
G&E rental house in the same space making access to equipment fast and convenient
Can help crew up your productions with in-house G&E department
Grip & lighting package designed for the both stages
Lots of extra space if room is needed for staging large products
Free parking spaces
Cons:
The primary stage may be too large for some productions, but the Annex and Studio B spaces are great alternatives
All G&E gear used in the studio must be rented through Tasty Lighting Supply which may be an issue for some productions, but the convenience makes up for this requirement
To our knowledge, the space is not significantly sound-treated, but does have curtains helping reduce reverb/echo
The Cove wall does not have any pre-hung lighting. A pre-light day is a must for this large stage
Tasty Lighting Supply & ACME Stages Website: Click Here
Address: 2635 28th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406
Cinequipt - Studio C
Cinequipt is a G&E, camera, and lens rental house in Minneapolis owned by Redstar. Their Studio C stage that is attached to their rental house is 60 ft X 45 ft. (2700 sq. ft.) and 25 ft. tall. The studio features a corner CYC that is 36 feet by 44 feet and 20 feet tall.
Similar to some of the larger studios on this list, it features a drive-in staging area with a loading dock too. Studio C is one of the bigger stages on this list, being beat only by ACME stages. The space includes dressing rooms, a makeup room, and a break/production area.
One of the best perks to Studio C is having a full rental house at your fingertips. If your crew needs additional lights or grip equipment, it’s only a few steps away. What’s unique about Cinequipt in comparison to ACME is that you also have access to cameras, media, and lenses if needed.
Cinequipt is located in North Minneapolis not too far from I-94. The studio is located in the corner of the Cinequipts large commercial building. It does not share walls with neighboring businesses and is on a quiet street. The commercial space offers plenty of free parking spaces.
Pros:
36 ft. X 44 ft. CYC
G&E rental house in the same space making access to equipment fast and convenient
Grip & lighting package designed for Studio C space
Drive-in and out access + loading dock
Cinequipt offers pre-hung 6k spacelights as requested
Tons of free parking spaces
Can help crew up your productions with crew recommendations
Cons:
Space may be too large for small product or portrait shoots that need simple color sweeps
All G&E gear used in the studio must be rented through Cinequipt which may be an issue for some productions, but the convenience makes up for this requirement
Space is not a true sound stage like many others in this list. The sound quality is still great, but the occasional outdoor noise may sneak in. Large drapes are included to help reduce sound
Cinequipt Website: Click Here
Address: 2601 49th Ave N #500, Minneapolis, MN 55430
Conduit Sound
Conduit Sound is located in NE Minneapolis. Compared to other studio spaces in this list, Conduit is not the smallest, but it is also not the biggest. It’s a great size for most corporate productions and sets that don’t require large props.
Conduit Sound was founded by audio mixers and engineers who paid special attention to the sound qualities of their stage. The stage at Conduit Sound is excellently treated and is the quietest studio on this list. If your production is sound-sensitive, Conduit Sound is your best choice.
Conduit Sound also has overhead LEDs pre-installed for your use with their cove wall. This is a huge time and cost saver for smaller productions that don’t have the time or budget to install lights for every production they do at a studio. I wish more studios had a minimal overhead setup for at least lighting their Cove/CYC walls.
Pros:
Excellent sound treatment
Loading dock doors
Overhead LEDs for illuminating the cove wall included
Grip available for rent
Cove wall
Sound booth for VO & recording studio available
Located on a quiet street
Free parking spaces
Cons:
Cove wall vs. CYC wall
Space is large enough for many productions, but not large enough for custom set building
The studio shares a wall with a brewery which can be a post-production perk but might also introduce some noise if you are to film on a Friday or weekend. Conduit has taken efforts to treat the shared wall.
Ceiling height may not be high enough for some productions looking to place lights high over set walls
Their website is very limited with minimal information. You must contact Conduit to learn more about their space
Conduit Sound Website: Click Here
Address: 3055 NE Columbia Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55418
Studio North
Studio North is located on the Northside of Minneapolis, North of Northloop. It is located in the historic Northwind Lofts building. Studio North has multiple looks available in one space including white brick walls, aged wood walls, and beautiful views of the Minneapolis Skyline. The studio also features 9ft paper sweeps and can be completely blacked out if necessary.
Studio North is the best option if you are looking for a space with character that can be customized for your shoot. It features a Bauh Haus-style living room that can be rearranged for a documentary film or photoshoot.
The studio also includes plenty of C-stands, extension cords, and lights if needed. Tables and workspaces are available too if you and your clients need a home during the shoot.
Pros:
1,300 sq. ft studio
9ft Paper Sweeps
Unique warehouse and stylized look
Natural light + Blackout curtains
Highly customizable space
Grip included and lighting available for rent
Large elevator & free parking
Cons:
Smaller space compared to many on this list
Not soundproofed. This space is a better fit for videos without sound or for photoshoots
No built-in CYC wall but has an excellent selection of sweeps and backdrops
Studio North Website: Click Here
Address: 2400 N 2nd St Unit 408, Minneapolis, MN 55411
Studio Q
Studio Q is located in NE Minneapolis on the famous Quincy Street which is home to many historical warehouses from Minneapolis’ industrial boom. Studio Q has a striking all-white interior that still maintains its brick character and large warehouse windows. This space is ideal for video productions that need a warehouse look, lots of natural light, or need a space that caters to product and food productions. With a wide selection of props and surfaces available on-site, Studio Q makes product shoots a breeze.
In this list, Studio Q is the best option for food or related productions looking for a place to not only prepare their dishes but capture them as well. With two kitchens, Studio Q is an excellent space for food prep and is a food stylist’s dream.
In addition to being a blank canvas, Studio Q has many options for capturing unique shots in one location. Desks and lounging areas can be used to capture both your primary content and b-roll. Studio Q does not have a CYC wall but offers one of the biggest selections of color sweep rolls in the city.
Pros:
5,000 sq. ft studio
Unique all-white warehouse studio look
The best option for product shoots with a vast array of props, paper rolls, and surfaces available for rent
Natural light + Blackout curtains
Multiple filming locations are available in one space helping you capture a variety of shots in one space
Grip and lighting available for rent
Fully functional kitchen with props for food photo & video productions
Cons:
Smaller space compared to many on this list, but still plenty large for interviews, product shoots, and portraits
The space does have some natural reverb from the hard concrete surfaces. It is not fully sound-treated but has large drapes to mitigate sounds.
No built-in CYC wall but has an excellent selection of sweeps and backdrops
No loading dock, but provides parking spaces out front for load-in and load-out
Limited free parking spaces
Studio Q Website: Click Here
Address: 1310 Quincy St NE Studio #1, Minneapolis, MN 55413
Summary
I hope you found this list helpful in finding the location for your next video production. All of these spaces are professionally operated and are great to work with. If you need help staffing up your production or you are looking for a video production company to capture content for you, I own and operate a Minneapolis-based video production company called Visual Captive. You can learn more about our services here. We would love to work with you in one of the spaces above.
Looking for a G&E rental house in Minneapolis? Check out our list of the best G&E rental shops in Minneapolis here.