Sound stage rental cost at AKS Stages in Los Angeles

Sound Stage Rental Cost in Los Angeles

July 11, 2026

Published by AKS at July 11, 2026

Sound Stage Rental: What’s Included? | AKS Stages

A sound stage rental usually includes much more than an empty shooting floor. Depending on the facility, the rental may also include production offices, hair and makeup rooms, wardrobe space, electrical service, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and limited parking.

At AKS Stages in Burbank, a standard sound stage rental generally includes the selected stage floor, several support rooms, client-controlled air conditioning, Wi-Fi, electrical service within the stage’s available capacity, and a limited amount of on-site parking.

However, equipment, additional parking, external generators, lifts, and large-scale trash removal normally cost extra. Therefore, productions should confirm exactly what the rental includes before booking. That simple step can prevent unexpected costs during production or at wrap.

What Does a Sound Stage Rental Include at AKS?

Every stage has a different layout and capacity. However, an AKS sound stage rental generally includes:

The selected sound stage floor
A production office
Hair and makeup space
Wardrobe space
A bullpen or larger shared workspace when available
Client-controlled air conditioning
Wi-Fi
Electrical service within the stage’s available capacity
A limited amount of on-site parking
Use of the shared dumpster for small amounts of normal production trash

The exact number and layout of support rooms depend on the selected stage, the production’s requirements, and the available facility configuration.

The Sound Stage Floor

The shooting floor forms the main part of the sound stage rental.

Productions use this area to build sets, light scenes, position cameras, record sound, and complete principal photography.

However, productions should choose a stage based on more than square footage. They should also consider:

Crew size
Set size
Number of setups
Equipment footprint
Electrical requirements
Parking needs
Support-room requirements

A smaller stage may offer a lower daily rate. Nevertheless, it may not provide the least expensive option overall.

For example, when the crew, set, and equipment do not fit comfortably, the production may lose time moving equipment, resetting spaces, and working around other departments. As a result, the production can spend more on overtime and labor than it saved on the stage rate.

The right sound stage rental should give the crew enough room to work efficiently and safely throughout the day.

AKS offers several stage sizes, including Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, and Stage 4.

Production Offices Included With a Sound Stage Rental

Productions need a dedicated place for scheduling, paperwork, client communication, department coordination, and general production management.

At AKS, we normally provide a production office. In addition, when the facility layout allows it, we provide a bullpen or another larger room where several production team members can work together.

Productions may use these spaces for:

Producers
Production coordinators
Assistant directors
Agency or client representatives
Art department personnel
Video village
Shared production workstations

These rooms help the production stay organized. Furthermore, they prevent the crew from turning parts of the shooting floor into improvised offices.

The selected stage and the production’s requirements determine which support rooms come with the sound stage rental.

Review the available production offices and support spaces at AKS Stages before booking.

Hair and Makeup Space

AKS generally provides a dedicated room for hair and makeup.

This room gives the department space for mirrors, chairs, tools, products, and talent preparation. At the same time, it keeps hair and makeup from interfering with the wardrobe department or production office.

Keeping hair and makeup close to the stage also reduces delays when the crew calls talent to set.

However, productions should tell us in advance how many cast members and hair and makeup artists will work on the project.

For example, a small interview may only need one station. By contrast, a commercial or larger production with several cast members may need substantially more room.

Wardrobe Space

AKS also generally provides a room for wardrobe.

The wardrobe department can use this room for:

Clothing racks
Fittings
Costume organization
Changes between setups
Steaming and garment preparation
Talent privacy

Wardrobe needs vary considerably between productions.

For instance, a single-person interview may only require a small room and one clothing rack. On the other hand, a larger production with several cast members or frequent costume changes may need much more space.

Therefore, productions should explain their wardrobe requirements before the shoot. The earlier we understand those needs, the better we can assign the available rooms.

Air Conditioning and Wi-Fi in a Sound Stage Rental

All AKS stages have air conditioning that the client can control.

This matters because a working stage can heat up quickly. Lighting, equipment, crew members, closed stage doors, and set construction can all raise the temperature.

Consequently, the production can adjust the air conditioning to suit its comfort and shooting requirements.

Productions recording sound should also plan around HVAC noise. Depending on microphone placement and the type of scene, the sound department may ask the production to turn off the air conditioning during takes.

Therefore, the production should account for those periods in its shooting schedule, especially during warm weather.

Wi-Fi is also included with the sound stage rental.

Productions commonly use Wi-Fi for:

Email
Production communication
Scheduling
Scripts and documents
Client approvals
Cloud-based production tools
General office work

However, productions with unusually high bandwidth requirements should discuss them with us before the shoot.

For example, a production that needs to upload large files, provide remote viewing, or transmit live video may need more than standard office internet use.

Electrical Service Included With a Sound Stage Rental

A sound stage rental includes electrical service within the capacity of the individual stage.

Stage 1 and Stage 2 provide significantly more electrical capacity than the smaller stages. Therefore, they can support larger lighting and equipment requirements.

Stages 3 and 4 offer lower-capacity service. As a result, they may work better for interviews, photography, smaller sets, and productions with lighter power demands.

Before booking, the gaffer or another qualified member of the production team should review the stage’s electrical specifications.

The production should determine:

The anticipated electrical load
Lighting-package requirements
Distribution needs
Cable requirements
Whether the stage provides enough service
Whether the production will need an external generator

If the stage cannot supply enough power, the production must provide an external generator.

AKS does not supply external generators. Instead, the production must arrange the generator, delivery, distribution equipment, and qualified electrical personnel.

Most importantly, do not wait until load-in to discover that the stage cannot support the planned lighting package.

You can review the current stage specifications and AKS floor plans and production downloads before finalizing the rental.

Parking Included With a Sound Stage Rental

AKS includes a limited amount of on-site parking with the rental.

However, the amount of parking that comes with a sound stage rental varies by stage, property configuration, vehicle size, equipment-truck requirements, and activity at the other stages.

Stage 1 and Stage 2 have access to larger parking areas. Meanwhile, Stages 3 and 4 share a smaller lot.

The production should provide an honest estimate of all expected vehicles, including:

Crew vehicles
Cast vehicles
Client and agency vehicles
Equipment trucks
Production vans
Hair and makeup vehicles
Wardrobe vehicles
Catering vehicles
Delivery vehicles

Parking remains one of the easiest costs to underestimate.

For example, a production may originally estimate 20 crew members and later add talent, vendors, clients, equipment trucks, or additional department staff. Once that happens, the available on-site parking may no longer meet the production’s needs.

AKS also has access to an additional production lot that clients may rent separately through Burbank Lot Rentals. However, productions should confirm availability and capacity in advance.

Last-minute parking usually costs more and creates more complications than parking arranged during preproduction.

What Is Not Included in a Sound Stage Rental?

Before booking a sound stage rental, productions should confirm which services the stage provides and which items they must arrange separately.

The standard rental price does not automatically include:

Grip and electrical equipment
Scissor lifts or other access equipment
External generators
Additional parking
Large dumpsters
Set-demolition waste removal
Other third-party production services

Grip and Electrical Equipment

The standard sound stage rental does not include grip and electrical equipment.

Productions may bring their own vendors and equipment packages. However, when clients need help sourcing equipment, AKS can recommend vendors for grip and electrical equipment, lifts, and other production needs.

The production should build its equipment list around the stage size and shooting plan.

For example, a larger stage may require more lighting, cable, distribution equipment, lifts, and labor than a smaller space.

Scissor Lifts and Access Equipment

The basic rental does not automatically include scissor lifts or other access equipment unless the written quote or rental agreement specifically lists them.

Therefore, productions that need to work at grid height should discuss lift requirements before the shoot.

The selected stage, required height, and type of work will determine the correct equipment.

External Generators

The rental does not include external generators.

When the production’s power requirements exceed the available stage service, the production must arrange its own generator and related equipment.

In addition, the production should coordinate the generator plan with the stage and its qualified electrical department before load-in.

Additional Parking

The rental includes limited parking, not unlimited parking.

Therefore, if the production needs more spaces than the stage can accommodate, it must arrange additional parking separately.

The best way to avoid an unexpected parking expense is to provide an accurate crew and vehicle count before finalizing the quote.

Large-Scale Trash Removal

Trash causes one of the most common misunderstandings in a sound stage rental.

AKS has a shared dumpster that productions may use for small amounts of normal daily trash. However, the shared dumpster cannot handle the demolition and disposal of an entire constructed set.

When a production tears down flats, lumber, scenery, packaging, props, and construction materials, the waste can quickly exceed the dumpster’s capacity.

Therefore, the production must arrange large-scale waste removal.

Depending on the amount of material, the production may need:

A roll-off dumpster
Additional hauling
Disposal labor
Multiple pickups
Special handling for certain materials

Productions should estimate their wrap waste before the shoot begins rather than waiting until the crew starts demolishing the set.

A Common Sound Stage Rental Problem: Trash at Wrap

We regularly see productions focus on the shoot and forget to plan for what happens after the final shot.

For example, the art department may begin tearing down the set while large piles of material accumulate around the stage.

When we see that a production is creating more waste than our shared dumpster can handle, we notify the production before the situation becomes unmanageable.

We can then refer the production to a qualified waste-removal vendor. The production can contact the company directly and arrange a suitable dumpster or hauling service.

The lesson is simple: wrap forms part of the production schedule.

Before load-in, the production should know:

Who will strike the set
Which materials the crew will discard
How much waste the production expects
Who will order the dumpster
When the dumpster will arrive
When the waste company will remove it
Who will leave the stage clean

Planning waste removal in advance costs far less than trying to solve the problem during wrap.

Can Productions Bring Their Own Vendors?

Yes. AKS allows full-paying productions to bring their own qualified vendors.

Many productions already have preferred relationships with equipment houses, lighting vendors, waste companies, caterers, and other service providers. Therefore, we do not require them to use our recommendations.

However, when a production does not have an existing vendor, AKS can provide referrals for services such as:

Grip and electrical equipment
Scissor lifts
Waste removal
Roll-off dumpsters
Other production support

The production normally contracts with and pays those vendors directly unless the written quote includes a different arrangement.

Do Returning Sound Stage Rental Clients Receive More Flexibility?

AKS tries to take care of loyal clients.

We operate as a smaller, independently run facility. As a result, we know many of our regular clients personally, understand how they work, and know how they treat the property.

When a trusted client has a legitimate problem, we often try to help when the schedule and circumstances allow it.

However, that does not mean every additional service comes free of charge.

Instead, it means we act practically and remain flexible when we know the client communicates honestly and does not take advantage of the relationship.

That relationship can provide real value when something unexpected happens during production.

Sound Stage Rental Questions to Ask Before Booking

Before signing a rental agreement, ask the stage to confirm:

Which support rooms come with the rental?
Does the stage provide a production office or bullpen?
Does the rental include hair and makeup and wardrobe rooms?
How much electrical service does the stage provide?
Does the rental price cover the available electrical service?
Can the client control the air conditioning?
Does the stage provide Wi-Fi?
How many parking spaces come with the rental?
How much trash can the facility dumpster handle?
Does the rental include lifts, generators, equipment, or other services?
Can the production bring its own vendors?
What additional costs could appear during the shoot or at wrap?

Do not assume that every sound stage rental provides the same services.

Instead, compare the full package because every facility structures its rates, rooms, utilities, and amenities differently.

Final Answer: What Does a Sound Stage Rental Include?

At AKS Stages, a standard sound stage rental generally includes:

The rented sound stage
A production office
A bullpen or larger shared workspace when available
Hair and makeup space
Wardrobe space
Client-controlled air conditioning
Wi-Fi
Electrical service within the stage’s capacity
A limited amount of on-site parking
Use of the shared dumpster for small amounts of normal trash

However, the standard rental generally does not include:

Grip and electrical equipment
Scissor lifts
External generators
Additional parking
Large dumpsters
Set-demolition waste removal
Other third-party production services

The most important step is to discuss the complete production plan before accepting a quote.

Therefore, tell the stage your actual crew size, vehicle count, set size, electrical requirements, equipment needs, and expected wrap waste.

The more accurate the information is at the beginning, the easier it becomes for the stage to provide the right space, suitable support rooms, and a realistic total cost.

For availability at AKS Stages in Burbank, send us your production dates, crew size, parking needs, electrical requirements, and a brief description of the project.

Review AKS sound stage rental options