I am in the early planning stages of building out a studio.   I know what *I* need to have in the studio, but I want to rent the space out to others to cover the lease on the building.  I'm not looking to make a buttload of money on the rentals, just enough to cover lease, power, water, etc..

What kind of things do you look for in a studio?  What size, types of equipment availalbe, power requirements, etc.?

Do you usually rent backdrops, lights and rigging or bring your own?  If you rent, what kind of equipment do you usually rent? 

Would a fixed white box or black box be useful?  How about a chroma room? (mainly for video chroma-keying..)

Thanks for you help.

My own studio doesn't have alot of these features, so if I needed to rent this is what I would be looking for:

- control of exterior light (blackout curtains or something)
- a shop sink
- large light rigs like 8' octagon softboxes available
- some serious power run out through distribution boxes (call Barbizon, www.barbizon.com)
- clean floors
- a high ceiling (over 10 feet)
- minimum 1000 sq ft but I would rather have 2,000-3,000
- a lounge space with comfy couches and a square of carpet
- a kitchen space with a fridge, sink, and counter (to just make a sandwich or for a catering crew to set up)
- a sturdy ladder 1' under the ceiling height (unless they're over 15', then a 10' and a rolling staircase 15-20')
- a bay door (minimum 7' tall x 6' wide)
- a real makeup table
- folding tables
- non-folding, non-swiveling chairs
- tall directors chairs (they were used in old hollywood for a good reason, they don't bunch clothing as much, so there is less wardrobe maintanence for your featured talent)
- a nice big clock

My Green Bay studio in an industrial park includes the following:
Free Parking
2,400 sq. ft.
16 ft. ceiling
14 ft. garage door
Lounge area
Office
Bathroom
Changing room
10 shooting areas some with sets
Electrical outlets everywhere
storage
two entrances

I'd like wireless electricity, but thats just me!

Dave

The studio I have has the following:

1000 sq. feet of floor (50x20 feet).
Ceiling flourescent lights (My only complaint is that there's no remote control..)
Two heavy duty electrical circuits for lights each with it's own breaker
Air conditioner
Space heater
Full developers lab sink
Computer with high-speed internet access
Photo quality printer
Shelving and lockers for individual photographers
Office desk and chairs
Dressing room area (with door that closes, and full length mirror)

Unfortunately the rest room is down the hall and we have to share with an electrician company, but most of our shoots are nights/weekends so they're not in when we are...

Almost all the photography I do in a studio is done in a rental space, and here's what I like to see:

1) I want the place to come with everything; I don't want to have to rent the studio, plus lights, plus backdrops, etc. Production is hard enough without the rental studio making it even more difficult. If I can't rent an equipped studio, I generally rent a dance hall instead. They're cheaper, and their staff usually has better attitudes than people who rent studios.

2) I want the studio to have enough power to run its lighting system and keep the coffee IV drip going for the model and art director. I'm not going to be plugging in anything significant of my own.

3) Bookends. (Bookends are 8' x 8' white panels, hinged down the middle.) So this implies a 10' ceiling.

4) Frosted plexi.

5) Posterboard and foamcore the studio doesn't mind me taking a knife to.

6) Plenty of stands for gobos.

7) Even more stands for gobos.

8) Plenty of wire stock for gobos.

9) I want the studio space disconnected from the reception space. I don't want to be able to see or hear the reception space from the studio.

10) If the space has windows, I want some serious light blocking blinds on those windows.

11) 802.11b/g.

12) A phone in the studio, with a ringer on/off switch. (Because my cell phone doesn't always work everywhere and all the time, but then again I don't want the phone ringing in the middle of something.)

13) A helpful, useful studio assistant. Someone who knows where we can get 10' seamless in hot pink with purple polka-dots at ten on a Saturday night in a city that is strange to me. Not someone who wonders what seamless is and, after having it explained, assumes I know exactly where and what "Adriatico's place" is. Someone who is on good terms with a good shopper, stylist, and MUA, in case ours flake.

14) Preferably Profoto or Broncolor, but anything bright will do; with modifiers from 6" to 6', emphasis on square or hex softboxes. (Anything bigger, and I'll use the bookends or the plexi.)

15) Blackening material (to make those softboxes whatever shape I want).

16) Gaffer tape. Because mine always runs out.

And I'm willing to pay what it takes to get a studio full of this stuff.

I don't do chroma, and I don't know what a "fixed white box" or "black box" is.