For over 100 years, the film industry in Florida has thrived, bringing business to local towns and residents. The state, which once held the third-place spot in the nation for production work, now doesn’t even reach top 20 lists. For the last 20 years, such industry has faced setbacks such as high costs, changing weather patterns and political factors that have driven the industry elsewhere.
Florida first saw movie and television productions taking place in the state in 1908 with “A Florida Feud: Or Love in the Everglades.” Jacksonville was chosen for production because of its appealing weather, architecture, and railroad access. The making of this production and several others in the area at the time laid the groundwork for Jacksonville to become a prime location for film production, earning it the title of the “Winter Film Capital of the World.”
Over time, as film productions spread out throughout the country, Jacksonville and Florida’s appeal as a production site in the industry waned and gave way for more favorable sites around the country to flourish. More recently, Florida has felt this impact, not only in small towns but in its film hotspots like Jacksonville, Miami and Orlando.
Robert Massetti is the Founder and executive director of FearFilm Studios in Orlando. He says that finding a job in Florida’s film industry can be exhausting.
“When I first got here in Florida, production was thriving. I was working as an extra and there was so much work that I had an agent, but nowadays it's few and far between,” Massetti said.
Massetti mentions that despite Florida’s appeal as a production site becoming less attractive to large production companies, the independent film industry continues to produce content in the state.
“There’s a lot of good filmmakers here, and a lot of good film schools here as well,” Massetti added.
Currently, Florida has several film schools throughout the state, however, students and graduates struggle to find jobs in the market. With less productions taking place in Florida, those seeking job opportunities have begun searching out of state.
Oliver Sulla is a senior film student at the University of Central Florida who questions his career path after graduation, looking into opportunities outside of Florida in hopes of a better chance of landing a job.
“I’m looking more towards places like Atlanta and North Carolina for work, because I know the industry is more stable and supported than it is here in Florida,” Sulla said. “There's a lot more opportunities in those areas than there is in Florida, which might’ve been different, say like 20 years ago.”
Resources exist in Florida for filmmakers, such as the Film Florida nonprofit that seeks to advocate for and educate those working in the independent film industry. Its Executive Director, John Lux, shares that there are efforts being made to keep filmmakers in Florida.
“We are educating other states' workforces right now,” Lux said. “We'd like to see all of those graduates and all of those industry professionals here and employed, making money, paying their bills, and raising their families here.”
Those in the industry express their concerns for the future even with efforts like these being made.
“I’m not entirely too sure how my life will look after graduating at UCF,” Sulla said.
Students in Sulla’s position may find the job search easier by focusing on small productions and working upwards. Massetti believes that putting time into smaller scale productions could prove valuable in reviving the film industry in Florida.
“I would say instead of looking at Hollywood productions, take a chance and look at independent productions,” Massetti said.
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