Southern Florida (primarily South Beach) has moved into the #3 spot in the U.S. for shooting movies, behind Los Angeles and New York City. In fact, the area has been nicked named "Hollywood East". Part of that is of course the great year-round climate, as well as a very visually interesting setting.
Part of it is also due to the extremes South Beach will go to allow the movie industry to do what it needs to produce the desired finished movie. Permits are given out frequently resulting in parts of streets or parks being shut down for a day or two. Not only do South Beach locals and tourists not seem to mind the "imposition", but they find the setup and shooting of the movie itself to be great entertainment.
Some fairly recent movies filmed at least in part in South Beach include Random Hearts with Harrison Ford, There's Something About Mary with Cameron Diaz, Any Given Sunday with Al Pacino, and Out of Sight with George Clooney.
Whatever it takes to the make the movie is usually allowed. Transform the elegant Park Central hotel into the "Raj Mahal" (they couldn't get permission to use the name "Taj Mahal") and shut down part of Ocean Drive for The Crew starring Burt Reynolds and Richard Dreyfuss? "No problem". Have a naked woman riding a horse down Ocean Drive for a soft drink ad? "No problem." Have a lion lounging on the beach surrounded by Versace-clad models? "No problem." Have an alligator stroll down Ocean Drive? "No problem". Let Playboy shoot a group of topless female rollerbladers on Ocean Drive? "No problem...but could you do it early in the morning so absolute chaos doesn't result on Ocean Drive?"
BACK TO SOUTH BEACH HOME PAGE
| 
