City Guide Filming in Mobile, AL
Production Permit Fees
- Film Permit Minimum Cost: To be determined by the Mobile Film Office.
- Film Permit Application Fee: To be determined by the Mobile Film Office.
Minimum Insurance
- General liability insurance of at least $1,000,000.
- Special effects liability insurance of at least $5,000,000.
- Proof of Workers’ Compensation that aligns with the provisions of Alabama state laws.
Additional Permits
- Police and Fire Requirements: The Mobile Film Office liaises with City agencies and advises the filmmakers on the requirements for production.
Discounts
About Mobile
The city of Mobile in Alabama lies on the Gulf Coast. It has long been a cultural center and historic destination for its long-standing traditions, hospitality, picturesque locations, and colorful landscape. As a city once dubbed the Paris of the South, Mobile’s allure among entertainment buffs and tourists is without question. Located 14 miles northwest of Fairhope and about two hours northeast of New Orleans, this coastal city has attracted filmmakers to witness its magic and explore the various parts of town that are perfect for use as backdrops for production.
Film production here in Mobile dates back to the early 1900s. Filming activities have grown thanks to the incentives that production companies stand to enjoy from the Alabama Incentive Program. Many filmmakers have benefitted from these credits for filming in Mobile, and that, in addition to the reputation as a top filming destination, is why you should schedule your next production here. Use Giggster to find the location best suited to your production needs.
There is a long list of projects filmed in Mobile, and you will find a detailed list of those done wholly or partly in the city here. However, some of the popular ones include Inheritance (I) (2020), Get Out (I) (2017), The Lost Boys (1987), Gerald's Game (2017), Oculus (2013), The Final Destination (2009), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014).
Do I Need a Filming Permit in Mobile?
The nature of your project in Mobile determines whether or not you need a film permit for your production in the city. Per the filming laws in Mobile, you do not need a film permit for filming activities solely done for personal reasons. For instance, recordings you make with family or friends while on vacation in the city do not require a film permit. Carrying out your filming should not impact public activities.
On the other hand, any form of commercial film production (feature films, TV series, documentaries, commercials, music videos, student films, etc.) in Mobile requires a film permit. Projects that require the use of city property, rights-of-way, and other public spaces in Mobile also require a permit.
If you are a student filmmaker, certain special conditions may apply to you as you apply for your film permit — such as presenting your student identity card. Reach out to the Film Office to learn about these requirements and how TO obtain your student film permit.
If your production involves using smoke, flames, explosives, or other pyrotechnic effects, you must obtain a Special Effects Permit from the City’s Fire Department. This is in addition to the filming permit you need from the City’s Film Office.
If you are unsure about which category your production falls under and whether you will require a film permit, reach out to the City of Mobile Film Office for guidance so that you do not end up breaking any filming regulations in Mobile. You would not want to face the penalties of breaching the city’s ordinances.
Permit Management in Mobile
Mobile Film Office
The Mobile Film Office is responsible for coordinating permits for filming on public property in the city of Mobile. Moreover, in addition to managing the permitting process, the Film Office also provides resources to filmmakers by assisting with location scouting and sourcing technical crews when required. Furthermore, when a production company needs additional support services, the Film Office can also help secure those services to ensure that producers have a smooth experience.
The filming guidelines in Mobile require a filmmaker to submit a film permit application at least seven business days before the date that filming is scheduled to start. In addition, the filmmaker must provide proof of insurance and sign an indemnification and hold harmless agreement before the permit can be issued. It is the production company that will cover all fees.
As you fill out your permit application, describe the city services required for your production. The agencies that may need to be involved in your project include Law Enforcement, Fire, Parks-Recreation, and Public Safety. Certain approvals may need to come from them before your project commences. The Film Office will ensure that the respective agencies are notified and that any logistics required for your production are appropriately processed. However, you will be responsible for covering the costs of these services.
The city services you need will depend on the nature and scope of your production. If your project includes any of these elements, prepare to have city personnel involved in your filming process:
Filming with special effects
Filming with weapons (either real or fake)
Filming with aircraft or boats
Filming with drones.
Filming with stunts
Production that requires parking arrangements for vehicles
Production that requires sidewalk or street closures
What Insurance Do I Need in Mobile?
As part of your application for a film permit to the Mobile Film Office, you must provide a certificate of insurance that complies with the production insurance requirements of the city. Name the City of Mobile and the County of Mobile as additional insured on the insurance certificate. Furthermore, the certificate of insurance you present must be valid for the entire period that production is scheduled in the city.
As for the liability minimums on the insurance policy, the following amounts apply in Mobile:
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 Mobile?
Mobile is a prominent cultural center on the Gulf Coast that features several art museums, entertainment venues, parks, historic buildings, streets, roads, business areas, and residential areas perfect for different kinds of productions. Filming here works if you need a variety of different settings.
If your project requires the use of museums, Mobile is the ideal place to go, as you will find them in abundance here. Some of the museums in the city with remarkable exhibits and features include the Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile Carnival Museum, Richards DAR House, Bragg-Mitchell Mansion, Condé-Charlotte House, and Fort of Colonial Mobile. Rest assured that they tell fascinating stories about past exploits in the city and can tell even more compelling stories in your project.
Mobile is also home to a wide variety of parks - both city parks and state parks. By far, the most popular park here for what it contains is the Battleship Memorial Park. It features the WWII battleship USS Alabama, the submarine USS Drum, and other military antiques and items. Other parks in the city include Bienville Square, Washington Square, Langan Park, Bellingrath Gardens and Home, Chickasabogue Park, St. Stephens Historical Park, and Mardi Gras Park, to name a few.
Producers who want locations with a wide range of architectural styles will enjoy what Mobile offers because the city is home to many. Here, you will find Greek Revival structures, Italianate buildings, Gothic Revival buildings, Victorian architecture, Colonial Revival style, Beaux-Arts edifices, Spanish Colonial Revival buildings, and many other architectural styles.
The seven historic districts add flavor to the film production landscape here. Explore Church Street, Oakleigh Garden District, Leinkauf, Lower Dauphin (LODA), Old Dauphin Way, Ashland Place, and De Tonti Square. Each of these districts has something that attracts filmmakers, and you will realize that there’s more to them than meets the eye. Besides, historic structures abound in the city, particularly private residential homes, apartments, and churches offering other filming locations.
Besides the outdoor areas that are great for filming in Mobile, indoor settings are customized for production and interest filmmakers, including production studios like Gulf Coast Studios, The Wild Souls Film + Photo, and Dogwood Production. Feel free to check out the Port of Alabama, schools, historic cemeteries, hospitals, and passenger terminals here.
Special Requirements in Mobile
Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center
The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center welcomes production companies to shoot film projects in its facility in Mobile. Approval for commercial film production in the Exploreum is obtained from the Communications Office. To get permission to film here, submit your request in writing to the Director of Marketing and Design and include information about your proposed production. Please note that fees may be required for production activities in the Exploreum. There may be insurance requirements to fulfill as well.
Mobile Regional Airport
The Mobile Airport Authority (MAA) manages the Mobile Regional Airport and allows commercial production activities at the airport. The Commercial Business Department is the unit of the MAA that processes all film permit applications that filmmakers submit. During the review process, the Commercial Business Department works hand-in-hand with the External Affairs Division to ensure that production activities do not interfere with airport operations or the traveling public.
The MAA provides the Commercial Filming/Photo Shoot Application on request and furnishes filmmakers with other information required for a successful application, such as insurance, available filming areas, filming duration, and fees.
What Does it Cost to Film in Mobile?
Filming activities come with specific fees, particularly when they require that city officials be involved and city property is used. The Mobile Film Office provides information about filming fees to filmmakers who apply for a film permit and sets the timelines for these fees to be paid.
Additional Fees
Some fees that may need to be paid here include permit application fees, filming or location fees, fees for hiring Fire or Police personnel or equipment, or costs incurred by the city from loss of revenue due to the filming activity.
Geographical Jurisdiction of Mobile?
Mobile lies in Mobile County and is situated on the Gulf Coast a few miles east of Mississippi. Municipalities that lie south of Mobile include Theodore and Tillmans Corner. Tanner Williams and Union Church are west and southwest of the city, respectively. Semmes, Mauvilla, Prichard, Chickasaw, and Saraland are municipalities that bound the city to the north. Mobile Bay and Blakeley are located east. If you wish to film within most of the municipalities around the city of Mobile, you either have to reach out to the Mobile Film Office or the Alabama Film Office for guidance.
Outreach in Mobile
It is your responsibility as a filmmaker to notify all the residents and businesses affected by your proposed production in Mobile. The filming guidelines in Mobile state that if you intend to film in a residential area in the city, you must send out the notification at least three business days before you start. However, if you intend to film in a commercial area in the city, you must send out the notification at least five days before filming commences.
If your production significantly impacts the neighborhood, you may be required to provide earlier notification and sign-off sheets (written approval) during your outreach. As for the radius to cover during the outreach in Mobile, the minimum requirement is one or two blocks in each direction of the filming area, including base camps and parking areas for production equipment.
If you require intermittent street closure during production, notify the adjacent property owners at least three days before filming starts and get their written approval.
Community Management in Mobile
After sending prior notification to the folks who live and do business within and around the filming location in Mobile, filmmakers can engage the wider community. Such can be done by participating in public events and forums, setting up a means through which the locals can reach the production company when there are concerns or inquiries, and providing compensation if possible and where acceptable. It also helps to work in the area in such a way that there is only minimal impact on the livelihood of the hosts.
Conclusion
Mobile has long been a reputable city for cultural exploits, outdoor recreation, vacations, historical pursuits, and filmmaking. As a renowned cultural center, Mobile hosts several regional festivals. Mobile is even more attractive because of the people, the landscapes that provide stunning film locations, and the Mobile Film Office.
The Mobile Film Office is the go-to agency for film permitting and production. The Film Office oversees the film permitting process and assists filmmakers who may need help finding locations, sourcing technical crews, or finding production resources in the city. In addition, the Film Office spearheads coordination with other city agencies like Public Works, Police, and Fire when their services are required during production.
To obtain a film permit from the Mobile Film Office, submit your application at least seven business days before the date you intend to commence filming and ensure you list the additional services you require. As part of your application, you will also provide a certificate of insurance, a signed indemnification form, and any fees as required by the Film Office.