Spotlight Cinema Supply is an Oklahoma-based rental company that caters to the film, television and commercial industry. They have an ever-expanding inventory of equipment, including production supplies, walkies, location supplies and, most recently, grip and lighting.
Can you tell us how and why you started your business?
After moving to Oklahoma in 2020, co-founder Kevin Tighe quickly noticed the local need for more high-quality production equipment as the abundance of gear and vendors to which he was accustomed from his 20 years of production work in Los Angeles simply didn’t exist. With this in mind, together with his wife and siblings, Tighe started Spotlight Cinema Supply with a small package of production supplies. From that humble beginning, we’ve continued to grow and offer a wider array of equipment for Oklahoma filmmakers!
What services do you provide within the film/music industry?
We are a full-service rental business that offers a wide variety of supplies, including walkies, location supplies, hair/makeup/wardrobe supplies, health and safety supplies and, most recently, grip and lighting. Our goal is always to get our clients what they need, so if we don’t have it, we’ll help you find it!
How has your company grown to meet the needs of Oklahoma’s film and/or music industries over the last 3-5 years?
Spotlight just celebrated its first anniversary, and we are extremely proud of what we have accomplished to date. We have made great expansions with our inventory and have helped service major projects across the state. We also have BIG plans for 2022 and beyond!
What are the benefits of basing your company’s operations in Oklahoma?
Opening a film-related business in Oklahoma has been incredibly rewarding! The state’s incentive program has proven to be attractive to projects of all sizes and continues to attract incredible productions to the state, from low budget indie films to large studio projects. Our excitement grew when we learned of the Cherokee Nation’s incentive program going into effect March of this year! With the continued success of these programs, Oklahoma is well on its way to becoming one of the leading film communities in the nation.
What would you consider your business’s greatest accomplishment to date?
Spotlight Cinema Supply’s goal from day one has been to help support and grow the film industry here in Oklahoma. The way we conduct our business reflects on our company, our family and on the Oklahoma film industry at large, and so we commit ourselves every day to providing top quality service for every project, big or small. We have fulfilled every order on time with top quality, industry standard equipment, and have met the needs of projects of all budgets. We’re proud of the role we play in this community, and we’re excited to help all of us in the Oklahoma film industry succeed together!
Are there any recent successes your company would like to highlight related to work within the Oklahoma film and music industries?
We just added a large quantity of brand-new walkies to our inventory—No more shipping walkies in from out of state!
We are also one of the businesses that qualify for the Cherokee Nation film incentives program, so are excited to help our clients tap into that new program and continue Oklahoma’s growth as a world class film destination!
What are you working on now/next?
We have many long-term plans to continue our growth but most recently, we have teamed up with expat Joel Nix of London G&E who is bringing his film expertise AND equipment back to the Sooner State from Los Angeles. Additionally, we now offers grip and lighting equipment.
What is your goal/vision for the future of your company?
Simply put, our goal is to be a one stop shop for our clients. As we continue to offer more services under one roof, we make it easier for productions from around the world to confidently come film in Oklahoma.
What advice do you have for others who are considering starting a film or music business in Oklahoma?
Do it and do it now! Be part of the rapid growth that is happening here. More and more projects are coming to the state, so the best way to support the influx of filming is to build the infrastructure with high quality goods and services. Help us all grow by doing what we did: find an unmet need here and fill it! After all, this is the Sooner State!
What opportunities do you believe await Oklahoma’s film/music industry in the future?
With the continued growth and refinement of the film incentive programs here, the sky’s the limit! If the momentum continues, we’ll see massive growth in infrastructure, which will cause more skilled labor and creative talent that relocate to the state. From there, we can rival any of the major film hubs in the country.