1994 Talent Times Pictorial View of South Florida Film Industry

A large-format promotional pictorial map of South Florida published c. 1994 to publicize the region's film industry.

A Closer Look

Stretching from Palm Beach and West Palm Beach at top to Miami at bottom, this pictorial map highlights businesses throughout the region related to the film industry, from those directly connected, such as talent scouts, studios, camera crews, and producers, to those more tangentially involved, such as hotels and caterers. A comprehensive list of businesses arranged by services provided is included at bottom. The cities and neighborhoods of Worth Ave., Fort Lauderdale, South Beach, and Coconut Grove are represented in magnified insets. Amid the backdrop of South Florida's landscape and landmarks is Joe Robbie Stadium (now Hard Rock Stadium) at left, home to Major Leage Baseball's Florida Marlins (now Miami Marlins), which began as an expansion team in 1993.

Florida's Film Industry

Even from the early days of the American film industry, Florida has been seen as a potential rival to Hollywood as it boasts the same basic advantages: good weather year-round and plentiful land for sets and studios. Both North Florida (namely Jacksonville) and South Florida (Miami and adjacent cities) developed their own film industries in the 1910s and 1920s and the latter has retained a small but active film industry ever since, as evidenced here. South Florida even incorporated its own city of Hollywood in 1920! Nevertheless, Florida has never truly emerged as an alternative to Hollywood, in large part because Florida's humidity, thunderstorms, and occasional hurricanes have been seen as a liability in contrast to L.A.'s more consistent and dry weather.

Publication History and Census

This map lacks clear publication information but appears to have been related to the South Florida Production Guide, a directory for the area's film industry, as well as the publication Talent Times. Art Bodner, illustrated and quoted at bottom-left, was involved with the production of other promotional pictorial maps in the 1990s, operating in the late 1990s as Bayside Promotions. An empty box at bottom-right might have been meant to be filled by various different sponsors. We are unaware of any other examples of this map in institutional collections or on the market.