The story
Austin Studios, operated by the Austin Film Society in partnership with the City of Austin, is a hub for the region’s creative media ecosystem. Located at the former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, this 20-acre film and creative media production complex is conveniently located in central Austin. When the airport was decommissioned in 1999 and moved to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the Austin Film Society, under the leadership of founder and artistic director Richard Linklater entered into a unique partnership with the City of Austin to convert former airplane hangers into production stages, as well as a private terminal that was turned into a production office. The Studios were officially opened in October 2000.
Austin Studios’ production facilities currently feature two sound stages, a mill/wardrobe facility, two vendor warehouses, two flex stages, production offices, and a dedicated parking area for base camp. In addition to the 200,000 sq. ft. of production space, Austin Studios is home to filmmakers, production vendors, and small businesses, including Richard Linklater’s Detour Filmproduction, Miscellaneous Rentals, MPS Camera & Lighting Austin, Beth Sepko Casting, Vicky Boone Casting, and more.
For 10 years, Austin Studios was also the official home of Rooster Teeth, as well as the mid-country hub for motion picture equipment rental company Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment.
Austin Studios has been the recipient of two city bonds. In 2006, Proposition 4: Cultural Facilities was voted on, which allotted $5 million towards improving the Studios, soundproofing the stages, and improving the digital infrastructure of the facilities. In addition, Austin Studios received $1 million from Austin Energy towards climate control in soundstages Stages 3 & 5. In 2012, Proposition 18: Cultural Arts Facility Improvements allotted $5.4 million towards renovating a decommissioned Texas National Guard Armory Building into the Creative Media Center among other improvement projects.
During its 26-year history, Austin Studios has become the hub of the Texas film ecosystem; posting over 1200 productions, resulting in over 50,000 jobs, and to date an economic impact of $3 Billion on the Austin economy.
From Wikipedia’s article on Austin Studios, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3