Film industry in Florida

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.

Florida is also the home of many famous actors. Celebrity residents of Florida have included Burt Reynolds, John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Andy Garcia, Tom Cruise, Ron Palillo, Kaye Stevens, Michael Winslow, Larry Haines, Margaret Hayes, Roberta Haynes, Meinhardt Raabe, Jackie Gerlich, Hedy Lamarr, Susana Giménez, David Caruso, Christian Slater, Vanilla Ice, Christian Daniel, Iggy Pop, Donna Summer, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Kerry, Jerry Springer, Antonio Sabàto Jr., Gloria Estefan, Jackie Gleason, Richard Boone, Perry Como, David Winters, Herb Shriner, Jean Shepherd, Bob McFadden, Scott "Carrot Top" Thompson, Billy Connolly, Cody Burger, Mickey Kuhn, Willard Scott, Ricou Browning, Philip Michael Thomas, Eugene Levy, Barrie Ingham, Mike Douglas, Leslie Nielsen, Eddie Egan, Kirby Grant, Arlene Dahl, Patricia Dane, Norma Miller, Lili Damita, Martha O'Driscoll, Dixie Dunbar, June Preisser, Phyllis Thaxter, Vic Damone, Vaughn Monroe, Tom Fadden, Kimbo Slice, Dick Smothers, Rhonda Shear, Luke Halpin, Jay North, Dan White, Dennis Hoey, Freddie Bartholomew, George Hamilton, Gary Burghoff, Jo Ann Pflug, Steve Sipek, Dave Madden, David Cassidy, Davy Jones, Anthony Newley, Gayle Hunnicutt, Gail Edwards, Enrique Iglesias, Phil Collins, Sofia Vergara, Hulk Hogan, Nick Hogan, Randy Savage, John Cena, and Dwayne Johnson. There are also quite a few successful film directors located in the state including Daniel Myrick, George Abbott, and Harry Revier.

• Film in Florida - official site of Governor's Office of Film and Entertainment[9]
• Metro Orlando Film Office[10]
• Miami-Dade Film Office[11]
• Polk County Film Office[12]
• Space Coast Film Commission[13]
• Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission[14]

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:

• Chapman Leonard Soundstage and Equipment (Orlando)
• Detour Studios (Haines City)
• Full Sail University (Winter Park)
• Horizon Pictures Studio (Orlando)
• Broadcast Beat Studios (Fort Lauderdale)
• Dolphin Image Studios (Winter Haven)[15]

• Cinema of the United States
• Cinema of the world
• Florida Film Critics Circle