The Office of Arts Culture & Entertainment in Miami Beach, Fla., recently announced that the city of Miami Beach, in conjunction with the location production community, has developed new incentives designed to facilitate filming in the city, as well as reduce costs for the production industry. The incentive package has already taken effect.
The new program has been in development for about a year and, according to Alexis Edwards, film & print coordinator for Miami Beach, and will benefit commercial, film and television projects, as well as fashion and print shoots. The new Miami Beach Film & Print Incentive program applies to many facets of a particular production. In addition to helping producers realize cost savings, the program will make production in the area easier. For example, the parking lot at the city convention bureau will now be available as a preferred lot for crew parking at a flat rate of $250 day, which represents a significant cost savings. Also in the parking vein, passes will now be issued to location scouts. There will additionally be a reduction in fees for access to the beaches in the area during the summer months. The discounted access fees are designed to make filming on the beach an easier and more affordable proposition.
Another aspect of the new program is a series of fee reductions, which will be based on the budget of a project as well as number of nights spent in area hotels. Some of the cost savings will be realized through reduction in the administrative surcharge levied against a production by the local police department, as well as lowering or waiving of fees for other services. The minimum budget requirement necessary to take advantage of the reductions is currently set at $1 million. According to James Quinlan, director of the Office of Arts, Culture & Entertainment, he and his staff are looking into making the aforementioned fee incentives applicable to lower-budgeted fare, such as TV commercials.
In addition to the city’s new production program, the Miami Beach Office of Arts, Culture & Entertainment is working with local businesses, such as hotels, to obtain package room rates and other amenities, for productions coming to the city. "We’ve galvanized the community like never before," notes Quinlan. "Every sector of the community in Miami Beach is working to contribute to the process of expanding production opportunities for projects of all sizes."
PROGRESS
The new film and print incentives come on the heels of an earlier policy passed by the city in which filming and permitting is now allowed in the residential areas of South Beach. That policy went into effect in April 2001. Quinlan also points out that his office is marketing the North Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach as a lower-cost alternative to the more well-known South Beach area.
It is estimated that film and print production brings about $60 million annually to the city’s economy. Edwards also notes that filmmakers and photographers have also helped in the revitalization of the city by using Miami Beach as a backdrop.
"Offering a great setting along with a full-service production community has always made Miami Beach [a viable production center]," notes Edwards. "Now with these new incentives, the city can provide a production community that continues to attract and respond to an international clientele."
