Film Production Companies in NYC: A 2026 Directory

NYC is the second-largest film production market in the United States, anchored by major studio episodic, premium streamer scripted, network broadcast, indie features, national commercials, and one of the world's most active music video scenes. The volume is real: hundreds of productions filming on any given day across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.

This guide is the practical map: the studios that anchor NYC production, the categories of indie and commercial production company you'll find, and how to navigate the market as a producer, crew member, or talent.

What Anchors NYC Production

Three things anchor the NYC market:

1. The New York State film tax credit — 25-30% refundable, applied to qualifying spend. Increased post-2023 to compete with Georgia. See Film Tax Credits by State (2026 Guide).

2. Studios and stage capacity — major sound stages in Queens (Silvercup, Steiner, Kaufman Astoria, JC Studios) and Brooklyn (Steiner Brooklyn, Greenpoint Studios) host significant amounts of episodic and feature work.

3. The Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment (MOME) — coordinates permits, location access, and production support. See Filming in NYC: Permits, Locations, A Practical Guide.

Major NYC Studios

These are the production complexes anchoring NYC's stage-based work:

Silvercup Studios

Long Island City, Queens. Home to multiple ongoing series. Major streamer episodic and prestige TV regularly book stage space.

Steiner Studios

Brooklyn Navy Yard. Significant feature and episodic stage work. One of the largest sound stage complexes on the East Coast.

Kaufman Astoria Studios

Astoria, Queens. Hosts multiple long-running series. Strong feature production history.

JC Studios (formerly NEP Studios)

Brooklyn. Mid-sized stage facility used for episodic and feature work.

Greenpoint Studios

Brooklyn. Newer stage facility serving streamer episodic.

Broadway Stages

Multi-location across Brooklyn and Queens. Often used for episodic series and music video work.

EUE/Screen Gems Brooklyn

Brooklyn. Mid-sized stages and production support facilities.

Tier 2: Indie and Commercial Production Companies

Beyond the studios, NYC has a deep ecosystem of independent production companies. Rather than list specific names (which change ownership and focus), the more useful map is the categories of indie production company you'll find.

Indie Feature Specialists

Companies whose primary work is independent feature films. Often NYC-based directors and producers who own their own production banner. They tend to:

• Produce 1-3 features per year
• Operate on $1M-$15M budgets per project
• Hire heavily from the local crew community
• Submit to Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, and TIFF

How to find them: search "[director name] production company NYC" for filmmakers whose work you admire. Cross-reference Tribeca Film Festival official selections from the last 3 years for active producers.

Episodic / Streamer Production Houses

NYC-based production companies that crew up and operate streamer episodic series. Often run by working line producers and UPMs.

How to find them: look at the production company credits on NYC-shot streamers and network shows. The credits at the start of episode 1 are a mix of the showrunner's company, the streamer's first-party banner, and the local NYC production services partner.

Commercial Production Companies

Companies that primarily produce ad work for global brands and agencies. NYC has the strongest commercial market in the country, anchored by the agency presence (BBDO, Ogilvy, Wieden+Kennedy NY, Droga5/Accenture Song, etc.).

How to find them: AICP (Association of Independent Commercial Producers) lists member companies. Major NYC commercial production companies can be found through agency credits on recent ad campaigns.

Music Video Production

NYC's hip-hop, indie, and alternative music scenes drive significant music video production. Music video production companies range from one-person director shops to fully-staffed houses.

How to find them: search Vimeo and YouTube for music videos by NYC-based artists; cross-reference director's IMDb and credits.

Branded Content / Documentary Houses

Companies that produce branded content (between traditional advertising and editorial) and documentary work. NYC has strong documentary and branded content traditions.

Theater-to-Screen Production

NYC is the country's center for theater-to-screen adaptation work. Companies producing screen versions of Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, plus original theatrical-style content for streamers.

News and Documentary

NYC is home to major news organizations (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, Bloomberg, NYT, etc.) and documentary production houses. Different ecosystem from scripted but shares some crew.

Reality TV / Unscripted

NYC has strong reality TV production, particularly anchored by Bravo (Real Housewives of NYC, Below Deck, Watch What Happens Live), VH1, and HBO Max unscripted.

Tier 3: Newer, Smaller, and Niche

Beyond the established companies, there's constant churn of newer indie production companies, individual director's shops, and freelance producers operating at the project level. This layer is where most aspiring crew break in.

How to find them:

• Tribeca Film Festival every spring — selected indie features always credit the production banners
• Brooklyn Film Festival and other local festivals
• NeedaCrew and other crewing platforms — newer producers post here as their first hire channel
• Facebook groups specific to NYC filmmaking ("NYC Filmmakers," "Brooklyn Production")
• NYU, Columbia, NYFA, SVA alumni networks

The NYC Crew Map by Department

A rough sense of crew supply by department in NYC in 2026:

Department	Supply level	Notes
Camera	Deep	Strong DP and AC pool; many Local 600 members
G&E	Deep	Both grip and electric strong; Local 52 (East Coast)
Sound	Strong	Large pool of working sound mixers
Art	Strong	Production designers, decorators, props masters
Costumes	Strong	Costume designers and costumers; period and character specialty
HMU	Strong	Hair and makeup community especially strong for talent of color
Locations	Very strong	Highly experienced; local knowledge is unmatched
Casting	Very strong	Major casting offices; deep talent pool
Background actors / extras	Very strong	Tens of thousands of registered background
Stunts	Strong	Local 798 (East Coast SAG-AFTRA) covers stunt work
Specialty	Adequate	Some specialties (animal wranglers, picture vehicles) often imported from LA

For day rates by role in NYC, see Film Crew Day Rates by Role and City (2026).

Where NYC Crew Network

The NYC crew community has a few key gathering points:

In Person

• Tribeca Film Festival (April-June, annual) — biggest convergence point
• Tribeca + IFP industry events
• AICP East events — commercial production community
• NYWIFT (New York Women in Film & Television) events
• DGA NY events
• IATSE local meetings — Local 600 (camera), Local 52 (G&E), Local 161 (production office), Local 798 (HMU), Local 829 (United Scenic Artists)

Online

• NeedaCrew — crew gigs and community
• NYC Filmmakers Facebook group — active, large membership
• Brooklyn Filmmakers Facebook group
• NYC Production Crew Discord servers — search "NYC film discord"
• Reddit: r/Filmmakers (general), r/NYC (occasional film threads)

Trade Organizations

• NYWIFT (New York Women in Film & Television)
• IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)
• AICP East
• DGA Eastern Region
• WGA East
• SAG-AFTRA NY Local

How to Navigate NYC as a Producer

If you're producing a project in NYC and need to assemble a crew:

1. Decide your tax credit posture. If you're spending more than $250K-1M (depending on program) in qualifying NY State spend, the tax credit is impactful. Most production companies use a NY-registered LLC and a tax credit broker.

2. Hire your line producer locally. A locally-based line producer with 5+ years of NYC experience is your single most important hire. They know the rates, the rental houses, the locations, the union politics, and which crew shows up.

3. Department heads next. DP, gaffer, key grip, sound mixer, production designer, costume designer, casting director, locations manager, 1st AD. Pick them based on tone and budget.

4. Crew is referred from the dept heads. Don't hire individual ACs, electrics, grips, or PAs cold. Department heads refer their preferred crew, who refer theirs.

5. Use NeedaCrew and the NYC Filmmakers Facebook group for any gaps.

For the broader producer's perspective, see How to Crew Up a Low-Budget Short Film.

How to Navigate NYC as Aspiring Crew

If you're trying to break into the NYC production scene:

1. Get on NeedaCrew, Mandy, Staff Me Up, and the NYC Filmmakers Facebook group. Make yourself findable.

2. Take any short or music video. NYC has high volume of low-budget production. Take everything for the first 10-15 days.

3. Find one or two department heads in your target department who'll mentor you. NYC key grips, gaffers, and DPs often take on 1-2 PAs they're developing.

4. Show up to Tribeca and major NYC industry events. Network, watch the indie scene, meet producers.

5. Consider IATSE. NYC locals (52, 600, 161, 798, 829) are accessible after qualifying days. Union work in NYC is plentiful.

For more, see How to Become a Film PA in NYC (2026) and How to Get on a Film Set With No Experience.

How to Navigate NYC as Talent

If you're casting in NYC or trying to break into casting from the talent side:

1. NYC is the second-largest casting market in the US. Major streamers, network TV, indie features, theater, and national commercials all cast here regularly.

2. Sign up with major background casting agencies: Central Casting NY, Grant Wilfley Casting, Hylton Casting, Tammy Smith Casting, Bizarre Casting.

3. NeedaCrew Casting Studio. Direct submissions to NYC casting calls for adult talent.

4. Self-tape from anywhere. NYC casting now operates almost entirely on self-tape, so a strong home setup matters more than your physical proximity to Manhattan.

For more, see NYC Casting Calls Directory (2026).

Borough-Specific Production Notes

NYC production happens across all five boroughs:

Manhattan: Highest volume of commercial and episodic work. Most casting director and agency offices. Heavy permit activity.

Brooklyn: Indie features, music videos, and increasingly some episodic work. DUMBO, Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Greenpoint are common.

Queens: Major studios (Silvercup, Steiner Astoria, Kaufman). Heavy scripted episodic. Long Island City and Astoria are crew-heavy neighborhoods.

Bronx: Less volume than Manhattan/Brooklyn but real, particularly for ethnically-specific casting and some indie work.

Staten Island: Limited but real, used for productions seeking specific looks.

How NeedaCrew Connects NYC Crew with Productions

NeedaCrew is the US/Canada marketplace for film crew and casting. NYC is one of the platform's largest markets.

For NYC crew:

• Browse working NYC crew by department
• Saved searches for NYC-specific work by role and rate
• Direct messaging with producers and coordinators

For NYC producers:

• Post gigs free with rate, role, location, and dates upfront
• Reach the working NYC crew community
• See applicants who are actually available for your shoot dates

Sign up free on NeedaCrew →

TL;DR

• NYC is the second-largest US film production market, anchored by the NY State tax credit
• Major studios: Silvercup, Steiner, Kaufman Astoria, JC Studios, Greenpoint, Broadway Stages, EUE/Screen Gems Brooklyn
• Indie production spans features, episodic, commercial, music video, branded, news/doc, reality, theater-to-screen
• Crew supply is deep across most departments; specialty roles often imported from LA
• Network at Tribeca (April-June), AICP East events, IATSE locals, and online communities
• Five boroughs each have distinct production patterns — Brooklyn for indie, Queens for stage-based episodic, Manhattan for commercial

Find NYC crew on NeedaCrew →