Show summary Hide summary
Oklahoma City is no longer just a convenient backdrop for film crews — a local studio is betting the city can become a reliable base for producing television year-round. Rock Paper Cannon, led by industry veteran Rachel Cannon, is building a model aimed at turning episodic, live-audience sitcoms into sustained local work and investable intellectual property.
Rock Paper Cannon is an independent television studio headquartered in Oklahoma City focused on creating, financing and producing original multi-season sitcoms on location. The company plans to combine Los Angeles creative talent with Oklahoma’s technical crews, studio space and private capital to keep more production spending—and profits—inside the state.
Turning episodic shoots into a lasting industry
Oklahoma’s incentive programs have already attracted high-profile projects. Since 2023, productions supported by the Oklahoma City Film Incentive Program have generated roughly $91.3 million in direct local spending and an estimated $329.1 million in total economic activity. Across the state, incentivized film and TV work has exceeded $620 million in spending over the last decade.
Ronald McDonald House OKC hits 68-room milestone: new CEO to lead expanded services
Powder mailed to officials before election: man charged after hundreds of letters
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Direct local spending (Oklahoma City Film Incentive) | $91.3 million | Since 2023 |
| Total economic impact (Oklahoma City) | $329.1 million | Since 2023 |
| Statewide incentivized production spending | $620 million+ | Past decade |
Rachel Cannon, who previously helped build Prairie Surf Studios and played a role in attracting shows such as Tulsa King and Twisters to Oklahoma, says the next stage is not more one-off shoots but creating a center where companies, crews and capital coalesce. Her pitch: move from a sporadic production destination to a functioning production hub with repeatable output.
Why sitcoms fit the plan
Rock Paper Cannon is concentrating on the multi-camera, live-audience sitcom format because it naturally supports repeat business. Unlike feature films, which wrap and move on, a successful sitcom can return season after season—offering predictable schedules for crews, steady rental work for studios and recurring revenue from the show’s intellectual property.
The state has taken notice, enacting the Bringing Sitcoms Home from Hollywood Pilot Program Act to encourage qualifying live-audience episodic productions. On top of production benefits, tapings with studio audiences can draw visitors and fill nearby restaurants and hotels on show nights.
- Recurring employment: Same crews and vendors hired across seasons.
- Long-term IP value: Syndication, streaming and licensing create ongoing revenue streams.
- Tourism lift: Live tapings attract visitors and boost hospitality spending.
- Predictable production cycles: Easier workforce planning and equipment utilization.
- Local investment opportunities: Allows Oklahoma capital to own stakes in content rather than only offering locations.
Bringing local capital into the picture
Beyond streets, crews and catering, Rock Paper Cannon aims to open a path for local businesses and investors to participate financially in television projects. The strategy is to package a slate of original sitcoms that Oklahomans can invest in—so profits and equity stay tied to the state rather than flowing entirely to out-of-state producers.
This approach is intended to create a multiplier effect: private capital supports production, shows create recurring work, and that work strengthens the local vendor and talent base—making future projects easier and cheaper to mount in Oklahoma.
What success would look like
Cannon’s horizon is measured in years, not months. Over the next five to 10 years she expects a denser network of production companies, soundstages and seasoned crews calling Oklahoma home. The ultimate goal: a market where multiple companies anchor operations locally, Oklahoma investors share in the upside of original shows, and television becomes a regular export from the state.
For residents and policymakers, the stakes are concrete. A sustainable TV sector promises more steady jobs for technicians and creatives, expanded business for local suppliers, and a platform to keep talent in-state rather than seeing it relocate to larger media centers.
As Rock Paper Cannon begins production development and investor outreach, the experiment will test whether a midwestern city can shift from hosting occasional shoots to sustaining an ongoing television ecosystem — and whether that shift can reshape Oklahoma’s cultural and economic landscape.
