Guides · Hiring and costs
What do you ask the studio before you book a studio?
A checklist of questions about price, inclusions, access, sound, terms and planning, so you book a studio on facts.
Last updated: 7 November 2026
Price and inclusions
Ask for the rate on your date and time slot, whether VAT is extra, what the minimum booking is and what exactly is included: lights, grip, cyc, green screen, parking, coffee, cleaning, power. If a field in our directory says unknown, ask the studio to confirm it. See also what’s included.
The room itself
Confirm floor area, height, blackout, daylight, loading, ground floor, lift and whether a vehicle can come inside. Ask whether you may hang your own lights and how much power there is. For film: how quiet is the room, is there a control room, and how are the acoustics? See renting a film studio.
Planning and paperwork
Until when can you cancel or move the booking? What happens if you overrun? Can you start setting up earlier? Who is the contact on the day? Ask for the terms by email, including damage and subletting. More on that in terms, cancellation and damage. Work the answers into your shoot day.