City Guide Filming in Boca Raton, FL
Production Permit Fees
- Film Permit - $0
Minimum Insurance
- Commercial General Liability - $1,000,000 per occurrence
- Vehicle Liability - $1,000,000 per occurrence
- If Applicable:-
- Aircraft or Watercraft Liability - $1,000,000 minimum
- Stunt Liability Coverage - $5,000,000 per occurrence
Additional Permits
- Police Officer - $50 per hour. Minimum 3 hours.
- Police Sergeant - $55 per hour. Minimum 3 hours.
- An additional $10 per hour is applicable if filming on a national holiday
Discounts
About Boca Raton
Filmed in Boca Raton, Florida. If that's something you're contemplating adding to the credits of your film, television series, episode, or documentary, it's not a bad thought in any way shape, or form. As a filming location, Boca Raton has a lot to offer.
There's no mistaking that Boca Raton is in Florida as, in many ways, this coastal city epitomizes everything good about the state. Palm-tree-lined boulevards, Spanish Colonial architecture, immense swathes of golden sand beaches, sweeping views of the North Atlantic Ocean, and an Intracoastal waterway.
You won't be the first director or producer to scout filming locations in Boca Raton. It's a location with similar features to Miami but a lot more character crammed into a more compact area. It served its purpose well from the early '80s to the present by adding a touch of coastal glamor to several well-known comedy and action movies.
Bill Murray, with Chevy Chase, immortalized Boca Raton in the 1980 movie Caddyshack. They were followed a few years later by Tom Selleck, who played the lead role in the comedy-drama Folks! 2001 saw a female takeover of Boca Raton as Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewit arrived to film a movie called Heartbreakers.
Boca Raton has also seen the likes of actors like Cameron Diaz, who starred alongside Shirley Maclaine in the 2005 film In Her Shoes. Jason Statham, Nick Nolte, and Jennifer Lopez made their mark on this Florida city when they got together in the 2013 hit movie Parker, directed by Taylor Hackford.
If you're now starting to feel drawn to Boca Raton as a filming location than you were initially, you can make a preliminary scout of available filming locations on Giggster. While you probably don't need any more convincing that Boca Raton is the place to shoot your project, know the filming regulations in Palm Beach County. Once you understand the filming guidelines for Boca Raton inside out, you'll be almost ready to roll.
Do I Need a Filming Permit in Boca Raton?
Sadly, there's no escape from going through the rigmarole of getting a filming permit in Boca Raton. As Boca Raton is in Palm Beach County, all commercial filming activities on public property are required to be permitted. It's not too much of a complicated process either, so hopefully, you won't find it too taxing.
You may also be required to obtain a film permit if you are filming on private property if any of the following apply:-
Public Roads or Sidewalks
Your chosen shoot location is next to public roads or sidewalks
Pyrotechnics
You will be using pyrotechnics
Local Authority Requests
The local authority requests your activity to be permitted
Pre-production Meeting
Before you're issued with a permit, you will be required to have a pre-production meeting with the permit issuing authority. This should be scheduled to take place approximately three weeks before your estimated filming date. It can be done up to five days before, but earlier is advisable. After the pre-production meeting, if everything is given the okay, the majority of film permits can be processed within a three working day timeframe.
Permit Management in Boca Raton
PBCFTC
The issuing of film permits for Boca Raton falls under the jurisdiction of the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission.
The Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission will deal with every aspect of you acquiring a permit to film in Boca Raton. They operate a relatively simple one-step process for all film permits.
To initiate your film permit application with the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission, you will need to access the application form via their official website. You'll find the form located in the permits section.
Once your film permit has been granted, you will be sent a copy that you will need to sign and return. After the FTC has received the signed permit, they will email you a copy which you will need to keep with you at all times during the shoot.
There is a separate section for student film permit applications. If you're a student, you should read through the extra guidelines on student filming and expected behavior before completing your application.
What Insurance Do I Need in Boca Raton?
Having adequate insurance coverage is a requisite for obtaining a Boca Raton film permit. The Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission publishes the minimum insurance requirements on their website, but the actual coverage you may need to have can be higher if you're using special effects.
You will need to provide proof of Workers' Compensation Liability that's in line with Florida state laws or sign a Workers' Compensation Waiver if you don't have any employees on the production team.
If you can’t meet any of these requirements, you’ll need to explain in writing why you can’t meet the requirement to the Office. They will determine if the shoot can go ahead without the necessary insurance.
Note that these requirements are minimum requirements. Larger and more complex shoots may require additional insurance which will be determined by the Office.
What Kind of Filming Locations Are Available in Boca Raton?
There are amazing filming locations in Boca Raton that will suit storylines that are as diverse as historic drama is to a script about skateboarding. There's an old saying that goes something like Seek and you will find, and that applies to scouting out filming locations in Boca Raton.
Boca Raton is certainly one of those cities that like to bend over backward to accommodate filmmakers in every way they can. You can even film, without being arrested, at Boca Raton Police Headquarters if you feel so inclined. The Boca Raton Cemetery and Mausoleum can also be used to give authenticity to any movie funeral scene too.
Interesting historic buildings are plentiful, so you won't have to search too hard to find the places that will portray the right era for your film. Think along the lines of the Old Boca Raton Town Hall, the First Baptist Church, and the Boca Raton Hotel, which dates from the 19th century. If you need to create a period village of clapboard houses, don't miss checking out the twenty that make up the Boca Raton Children's Museum, they're truly unique.
If you need an exceptionally lush and luxurious setting, you'll come across a twenty-seven thousand square feet mansion complete with a waterfall in the garden or another, slightly smaller, property fully decked out with period furniture. They're just two examples, and there are many more besides those.
When you need to hit the water for a high-speed boat chase or a slow leisurely cruise, there's nowhere better than the Intracoastal Waterway. It's broad, the water is tranquil and it's lined by fantastic-looking houses that will add a touch of class to the scene.
For an exceptional exterior filming location with dense forest, lagoons, wooden boardwalks, and bridges, you need to take a look at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Reserve. It's amazing, but there are a few special requirements you'll need to adhere to if you choose to film there. You can discover what they are in the following section of this article.
Special Requirements in Boca Raton
Filming In Gumbo Limbo Nature Reserve
Before you can apply for a film permit from the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission to film at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Reserve, you will need to make an official request to the City of Boca Raton Communications and Marketing Division. You should do this at least two weeks prior to your estimated shoot start date.
The Gumbo Limbo Nature Reserve is renowned for its work with sea turtles and their conservation. If you're planning on making a documentary about the turtles or the work the center does, then there are strict rules you will need to abide by. They are as follows:-
Your request to film must be authorized by the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Coordinator or the Marine Conservationist.
Your filming must not interfere with the daily operations of the reserve.
You can not ask for turtles to be moved
You can not put cameras or equipment in the water near turtles
You will only be able to film during daylight hours. No night filming is permitted
Your project delivers a conservation message
You follow any instructions given by reserve staff during filming
Stunts and Special Effects
While the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission doesn't issue special effects permits, they will insist you have police or fire safety officers present when stunts or special effects are taking place.
Stunts and special effects fall under the following categories:-
The use or firing of fake firearms and weapons
Actors costumed as police officers or dressed in emergency response uniforms
The use of fake police or emergency vehicles
Anything that may endanger the public
Should you employ intermittent traffic control
The Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission one-step permitting means they will organize the attendance of the relevant police or fire safety officer. The cost of the city personnel is billed to the production company.
Filming With A Drone
If you are planning on filming with a drone in Boca Raton then you will need to adhere to the regulations set out by the Federal Aviation Administration. The drone can't weigh more than 55lbs and must be operated by an FAA-licensed pilot.
You will be asked to present relevant documentation during the film permit application process, including the drone pilot's certification.
Drone flying times are limited to daylight and dusk, which means you can fly half an hour before sunrise, then at any time throughout the day until half an hour after sunset.
What Does it Cost to Film in Boca Raton?
Film permits for filming in Boca Raton are fee-free. The services administered by the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission are also free of charge.
Additional Fees
The only charge you will incur for filming in Boca Raton is for hiring public or private filming locations or for employing city employees such as police officers.
Geographical Jurisdiction of Boca Raton?
Boca Raton is a Florida city that spreads its urban reach across almost thirty-two square miles of the state. While it may be a coastal city, only two and a half square miles of Boca Raton is taken up by water. Since it was first settled in the late 19th century, the population has grown to number in the region of a hundred thousand people. Boca Raton's North Atlantic coastline is lined by Spanish River Park, South Beach Park, and the Gumbo Limbo Nature Reserve. To the south, Boca Raton is bordered by Deerfield Beach, and to the southwest by Boca Point and Boca del Mar. To the west are Mission Bay and Whisper Walk, while to the north is High Point. Should your chosen shoot location encroach over the Boca Raton border and into Deerfield Beach, you will need to apply to the Film Commissioner at the Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business Development. All other nearby locations come under the jurisdiction of Palm Beach County, so are managed by the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission.
Outreach in Boca Raton
If you want to film in Boca Raton then you will be expected to conduct outreach before you can begin. The Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission will expect you to notify all of the residents and businesses within a certain radius of the shoot about your upcoming activities.
You will need to distribute notifications detailing the ins and outs of the shoot at least forty-eight hours before starting to shoot. The Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission specifies that your notifications must contain a contact number for people to call should they have any concerns about your filming. That means you will need a community manager whether you want one or not, unless you want to answer calls yourself.
Community Management in Boca Raton
Having a community manager on your team while you’re filming in Boca Raton isn't a requisite, but it is a good decision. You may not get any comeback at all after you've done outreach and distributed notifications to the nearby residents and business owners, but there's no guarantee of that.
Unless you're a seriously qualified multi-tasker who likes to do everything themselves, then having a community manager to deal with any problems that arise will keep you freed up for more important things like directing or producing. A community manager can also deal diplomatically with any onlookers who might try to get in the way while you're filming and cause a drama that's not been scripted.
If the shoot you're planning in Boca Raton is your first production, you might not fully appreciate the usefulness of a community manager. Don't have one on the team, and you will by the time you're done.
Conclusion
Boca Raton has all the attributes you could ask for in a great filming location, and even better, film permitting is free. Choose Boca Raton for your filming location, and you'll also have the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission to aid you with your production too. There's no better combination than superb filming locations and free help, so make the most of it before other filmmakers start taking advantage of them and they start charging for their services.