The film industry in Florida is one of the largest in the United States: in 2006, Florida ranked third in the U.S. for film production (after California and New York) based on revenue generated. However, more recent 2009-2010 data no longer show Florida among the top four states.
Contents
- Orlando
- Celebrity residents
- Recent feature films shot in North Florida Pensacola Ocala Jacksonville regions
- Recent feature films shot in Central Florida OrlandoTampa region
- Recent feature films shot in South Florida Miami region
- Documentary films shot in Florida
- Florida based narrative TV series
- Florida based documentaryreality shows and independent shorts
- Film festivals hosted in Florida
- Film commissions and offices
- Florida based studio facilities
- References
Production activity has been generally concentrated in two regions, South and Central Florida (Orlando and Tampa). The South Florida region is famous for large projects like Jerry Bruckheimer's Bad Boys film series and Neal Moritz' 2 Fast 2 Furious. The Central Florida area has recently been featured in The Punisher, starring John Travolta, and Adam Sandler's The Waterboy.
The state of Florida has a long film history thanks to its year-round sunshine and moderate climate. Film classics were filmed throughout the state, such as Moon Over Miami (1941) and Esther Williams' Easy to Love (1953).
Orlando
In the early 1990s Orlando experienced a great boom in film production. The construction of the Disney-MGM Studios and Universal Studios production facilities attracted many filmmakers to the area. Films like Ron Howard's Parenthood and syndicated television shows like The Adventures of Superboy led the pack. Soon, the Steven Spielberg series seaQuest DSV and Tom Hank's From the Earth to the Moon called Florida home. During this period Orlando acquired the nickname "Hollywood East" because of its surging film industry.
Just as film production appeared to be on the decline in Florida, the phenomenal success of 1998's The Blair Witch Project led to another boom. While this film was filmed in Maryland, its director and entire crew were University of Central Florida film school graduates. This cult independent film has led to a new wave of film production for the area.
Celebrity residents
Florida is also the home of many famous actors. Celebrity residents of Florida include Burt Reynolds, James Best, John Travolta, Michael Winslow, Justin Timberlake, Scott "Carrot Top" Thompson and Sylvester Stallone. There are also quite a few successful film directors located in the state including Daniel Myrick and George A. Romero.
Recent feature films shot in North Florida (Pensacola, Ocala, Jacksonville regions)
Recent feature films shot in Central Florida (Orlando/Tampa region)
Recent feature films shot in South Florida (Miami region)
Documentary films shot in Florida
Florida-based narrative TV series
Florida-based documentary/reality shows and independent shorts
Film festivals hosted in Florida
Film commissions and offices
Florida-based studio facilities
Metro Orlando alone is home to more than 10 state-of-the-art sound stages, making it one of the largest working production facility centers outside of Los Angeles and New York. Complete studio and production services are available throughout Florida, including backlots that can double for just about any national or international locale, production office space and sound stages totaling more than 160,000 square feet (15,000 m2).
Some of these facilities include: