Miami was a dreamed paradise, where the most important films of the year were once shot. This magical paradise hosted Sean Connery as James Bond in Goldfinger and Thunderball, and where Al Pacino made famous the personification of Tony Montana in Scarface. In Miami, Ace Ventura also partnered with the Miami Dolphin’s legendary quarterback, Dan Marino, to find T.D., the team’s kidnapped mascot. That golden period left hope for the community of actors and producers that call the Sunshine capital home. The city almost lost the filming of the Oscar-winning film Moonlight, a movie narrating a person growing up in the rough streets of Liberty City, because of the lack of tax incentives for producers. Therefore, local and state leaders, along with industry professionals, must continue to adjust the thinking and come together to develop innovative ways to rebuilt Miami’s film industry,
Nevertheless, the industry just obtained many incentives, including the opening of a state of the art production studio for television and films in Downtown Miami. The Miami Omni Community financed the project with the intent of revitalizing the sector. The company Screen Gems Studios will administrate and pay the agency about 100,000 dollars, plus 11 percent of the gross revenues during a 10-year lease period. Furthermore, Viacom, owner of Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and MTV, will use the studio for all new productions. For these new installations, the organization is hiring local talent and hundreds of part-time technical professionals for the countless projects, including television series, films, and music videos. Viacom now employs 150 people in the Miami area and develops small productions in South Florida. This project, however, constitutes a massive push toward rebuilding the Miami film industry. Such investment, along with the revitalization of the Downtown and Overtown Miami areas, the Miami Design District, and other key areas, help make the South Florida destination attractive not just to tourists, but to film industry representatives.
From the production perspective, the positive aspects of generating production in Miami include castings, where there is a diverse type of bilingual, multicultural people with great international experience. Furthermore, the location provides perfect access to the rest of the United States, Central, and South America. It has a war climate year-round, the state does not charge state-level income tax, and it is a “right to work state,” providing production companies with a low level of regulation in terms of hiring and firing employees, which lowers the costs of production. Miami also has a strong film production industry and is well known as a leader in productions with content that appeals to a more receptive audience. Furthermore, the South Florida sector works with a higher level of standards than those often seen elsewhere.
The access to Spanish-speaking talent also provides the area with major advantages. This demographic grows, increasing the demand for products available in Spanish. Experts no longer feel surprised by the amount of attention companies place on the Latin consumer because the income level of Spanish-speakers in the area expanded and creates an attractive market. For example, many of the AT&T Stores in Florida help customers with their excellent service in Spanish. And with everyone being able to watch tv, videos and movies on their mobile devices, it only makes sense to stop by and visit an AT&T location. Plus, you can get help finding the best packages that may include AT&T U-verse, DirecTV and more.
Miami witnesses growth important for movie, film, and television producers. Such growth makes Miami the ideal location for an industry looking for diversity in culture and language.
