Westlight Studios

What Westlight Studios does

Westlight Studios operates a 6,000 sq. ft. photography, video, and event rental facility at 1106 Harpeth Industrial Court in Historic Franklin, Tennessee, approximately 20 minutes south of Nashville. The company runs two distinct studios: Studio A (West), a 34' x 34' ground-level space with a 16' x 12' cyclorama cove, large west- and south-facing windows for natural light photography, dressing room, and client green room with HDTV and Apple TV; and Studio B (East), a 22' x 45' blackout studio with a 19' x 12' cyclorama cove, LED lighting grid, textured backdrops, makeup room, dressing room, and client lounge with espresso machine. The studios can be rented individually or combined for larger productions, with shared amenities including an open kitchen, modular backdrops, posing cubes, and free high-speed WiFi.

The company generates revenue through unit-priced rental sessions (full-day 10-hour and half-day 5-hour slots, including evening blocks), priced at $500-$1,200 per session depending on studio configuration, plus add-on equipment rentals covering video gear (LED lighting grids, teleprompters, gimbals, audio equipment) and photography lighting kits at $35-$150/day. Secondary revenue comes from private event rentals (birthday, anniversary, corporate) and a $150 cyclorama wall painting service. Ancillary fees include $50-$100/hour overtime, a $250 special-cleanup fee, and a $150 fee for fresh cyclorama paint. A $1,000,000 liability insurance policy is required for all rentals, with The Event Helper recommended as insurance provider.

The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer via the company website (online rental application) and phone sales, supplemented by a curated referral network of freelance photo assistants, makeup artists, and stylists and an affiliation with the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) Tennessee chapter. Primary customer segments are professional photographers, videographers, and event planners in the Nashville/Franklin metro, with notable enterprise projects including Nicole Kidman's Vanity Fair (May 2019) cover shoot and photography work for The Black Keys. The business is privately held, with no disclosed funding, headcount, or financial figures, and operates 24/7 by appointment.

Name

Westlight Studios

Legal name

Westlight Studios

Website

https://westlightstudios.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Westlight Studios operates a 6,000 sq. ft. dual-studio photography, video, and event rental facility in Historic Franklin, Tennessee, serving professional photographers, videographers, and event planners in the Nashville metro area through hourly/daily rentals and equipment add-ons.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photography and Video Studio Rental

NAICS

Photographic Services (54192), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADAIAC

Studio Campus / Production Facility Operators

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Studios, Soundstages & Backlots

SECONDARYMPADAIAA

Soundstage & Stage Rental (Film/TV)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Studios, Soundstages & Backlots

SECONDARYMPAIAHAO

Production Management & Studio Support Services (Studio Managers, Techs)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Production Services (Studios, Producers, Session Musicians)

Keywords

• Photography studio rental
• Video studio rental
• Event space rental
• Production facility
• Commercial studio rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Franklin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Studio Rental - Photography & Video: Hourly/daily rental of Studio A (West), Studio B (East), or both studios combined for photography, video production, and content creation. Rental periods are either full-day (10 hours) or half-day (5 hours with multiple time slots including evening slots). Additional fees apply for cyclorama wall painting and overtime.
2. Private Event Rental: Rental of studio space for private parties and events. Private party inquiries must call for rates and reservations. Additional fees include $250 cleaning fee for food/beverage events, $100/hour overtime past midnight, and special liability insurance requirements for alcohol service.
3. Equipment Rental Add-ons: Additional revenue from optional equipment rentals including video gear (LED lighting grid, teleprompter, audio equipment, gimbal) and photography lighting kits. Equipment rental is priced per day and is add-on to studio rental.
4. Cyclorama Wall Painting: Fresh white paint coat on cyclorama walls available upon request for $150 additional fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Westlight Studios operates a 6,000-square-foot dual-studio creative facility in Franklin, Tennessee, offering hourly and daily rental of a natural-light photography studio (Studio A / West) and a blackout-equipped video production studio (Studio B / East), along with associated lighting, grip, and event setup, for professional photographers, videographers, production teams, and event hosts.

Product overview

Westlight Studios operates as a 6,000 sq. ft. photography, video, and event rental studio space in Historic Franklin, Tennessee. The company offers two distinct rental studios: Studio A (West), a natural light photography studio, and Studio B (East), a blackout video production studio. Studios can be rented individually or combined for larger productions. Additional offerings include Video Rental Package, Still Photo Kit, and Grip Kit add-on equipment rentals. Both studios feature cyclorama walls, dressing rooms, makeup rooms, and client lounges. The company also supports private event rentals with catering-friendly spaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Studio A (West) Natural Light Photography Studio A natural-light photography studio within Westlight Studios' 6,000-square-foot Franklin, Tennessee facility, designed for professional photography shoots using daylight. Available for hourly or daily rental by professional photographers and their clients for editorial, commercial, portrait, and music-related photo projects.
• Studio B (East) Blackout Video Production Studio A blackout-equipped video production studio within Westlight Studios' 6,000-square-foot Franklin, Tennessee facility, designed for controlled-lighting video shoots. Available for hourly or daily rental by professional videographers, production companies, and content creators for music videos, commercials, interviews, and branded video content.

Quantifiable outcome

• Professional magazine-quality shoots completed (e.g., Nicole Kidman Vanity Fair May 2019 cover)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Slick Lawson FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough The Slick Lawson Foundation, Westlight Studios offers emerging talent photography and video internships with invaluable hands-on experience, mentorship and networking. The foundation embodies the studio's philosophy of 'pay it forward' with the motto 'Just help the next guy.'
• The Event HelpercoreOthersThird-party insurance provider recommended by Westlight Studios for liability insurance coverage. Rental clients must maintain $1,000,000 liability insurance policy and list Westlight Studios Franklin as additional insured. The Event Helper provides a direct link for purchasing coverage.
• American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) TennesseeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional association partnership providing linkage on the studio website. ASMP is a professional organization for media photographers that may serve as a referral source for members seeking studio rental space in the Nashville area.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Peerspace: Online marketplace that lists photography, video, and event studio rentals by the hour/day across hundreds of cities. Competes directly with Westlight Studios for the same Nashville-area photographers, videographers, and event hosts by aggregating comparable independent studios onto a single booking platform.
• Giggster: Production location marketplace connecting filmmakers, photographers, and event planners with rental studios, soundstages, and unique spaces. Directly comparable to Westlight in that its listed inventory includes cyclorama-equipped photo/video studios with similar day-rate pricing models.
• Splacer: Boutique marketplace for short-term rental of creative and event spaces, including photography studios and production lofts. Comparable to Westlight as a competing distribution channel for boutique studio rentals targeting professional creatives.
• Studio BPM: Boutique photo and video rental studio offering cyclorama-equipped spaces, lighting rentals, and half/full-day bookings. Comparable to Westlight in operating model, target customers, and reliance on freelance creative ecosystems.
• Quay Studios: Multi-studio photography and video rental facility with cyclorama walls, lighting packages, and hourly/half-day pricing. Operates a comparable production-studio rental model targeting photographers and videographers in a similar geographic footprint.

Regional players

• The Factory at Franklin: Adjacent event and entertainment venue in Franklin, TN located directly next to Westlight Studios. While it focuses on weddings and large-scale events rather than photo/video production, it competes for the same local event-rental wallet and benefits from the same Franklin-area traffic patterns.

Others

• ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers): National professional association of media photographers that drives referral traffic to member studios including Westlight. Functions as an industry ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but shapes demand for studio rentals among professional photographers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/westlightstudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westlight-studios

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Westlight Studios