A Knoxville production company that started with little more than a drone has taken over the city's largest remaining studio. Big Slate Media has moved into the former HP Video building at 1200 North Broadway, rebranding the space as Marble City Studios and setting its sights on everything from first-time YouTubers to full-scale Hollywood productions.
The company is leasing the facility from HP Video owner Danny Harb, with hopes of potentially buying it down the road, according to Inside of Knoxville. HP Video had operated out of the Broadway address since 1992, working with HGTV and other local production outfits during its run, the outlet reports. Big Slate began moving into the building earlier this month, according to WBIR.
Jonathan Halley, CEO and owner of both Big Slate Media and Marble City Studios, told the station the facility is unusually large and flexible for Knoxville and the surrounding region. He said the studio is designed to work for huge-scale productions and inexperienced content creators alike, with the goal of connecting incoming productions with camera equipment, crews and local resources. Facility specs differ between sources: Inside of Knoxville describes a 10,000-square-foot building with an 80-by-80-foot cyclorama wall, a 50-foot ceiling and a 24-by-24-foot sound stage, while WBIR lists the space at 16,000 square feet with a 30-by-30-foot soundstage and an 80-by-80-foot infinity wall.
First Booking Already On the Books
Marble City Studios had only a handful of days booked in October, and Big Slate was preparing for its first rental: a music video shoot scheduled for the upcoming weekend. The station said the identity of the client wasn't disclosed.
Halley wants the studio to pull productions from New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta, pointing to Knoxville's lower production costs, available resources and proximity to Great Smoky Mountains scenery as selling points, per the same report. He said continuing the Broadway building's legacy — one that spans 34 years under HP Video — is a priority, describing the move as a chance to keep the facility a pillar of the community while bringing fresh energy to its next chapter.
A Decade of Growth, Now With a Soundstage
Big Slate Media didn't start out chasing feature films. The company launched in 2015 as a small aerial film and photography operation and has since grown from six full-time employees in 2020 to more than 30 creatives, according to the Knoxville Chamber. WBIR puts the current headcount at 34 employees. Along the way, the company has worked with Red Bull, the University of Tennessee, the Tennessee Theatre and HGTV, among other clients, per the chamber's account and the WBIR report.
Big Slate's capabilities have expanded beyond cameras and drones. Inside of Knoxville reports the company recently added in-house original music and sound design by hiring composer and sound designer William Wright, and that Big Slate has already completed a sonic logo for Regal Cinemas. The outlet also notes Big Slate's B Roll Bank media asset-management system now serves more than 40 customers, and that the company is preparing to install its enterprise media-management software for its first customer on that platform, Clayton Homes.
Knoxville Chases a Bigger Film Footprint
The timing lines up with a broader push to grow Knoxville's film industry. Inside of Knoxville reports that with Warner Brothers Discovery Studio and River Media's production facilities both closing, the former HP Video building is now the largest studio remaining in the city. Meanwhile, the ABC series “9-1-1: Nashville” was set to film an episode in Knoxville in fall 2025, which the city's Film Office described as the largest production to come to the area, according to WATE.
Visit Knoxville officials told WATE they're hoping that production opens doors to bigger projects coming to the city on a more regular basis, noting that landing projects like it brings more visitors and creates opportunities for actors, filmmakers and even caterers. Visit Knoxville separately touts the city's deep crew base, state and local film incentives, and diverse locations as draws for productions, and notes Knoxville was named one of MovieMaker Magazine's Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2024, the fourth time it's made the list.
Big Slate Media hopes Marble City Studios becomes a pillar of that local creative community, highlighting what Knoxville can offer productions that might otherwise shoot elsewhere. With a music video shoot scheduled and bigger ambitions on the table, the company is betting that a studio built for both beginners and blockbusters can help put Knoxville on more location scouts' radars.
