City Guide Filming in Palm Bay, FL
Production Permit Fees
- Permit Fees - $0
Minimum Insurance
- General liability insurance - $1,000,000
- Vehicle liability insurance - $1,000,000
- Workers compensation - $1,000,000
Additional Permits
Discounts
About Palm Bay
Palm Bay often gets overlooked as a filming location. In the past, producers and directors have favored neighboring Melbourne, Cocoa Beach, and the Kennedy Space Center, to name but a few nearby and very popular filming locations. In recent years though, Palm Bay has started to evolve as a filming location to be reckoned with, and with good reason.
In 1995 Disney production crews arrived in Palm Bay from Los Angeles to film scenes for a long-forgotten, live action movie titled Operation Dumbo Drop. The movie had nothing to do with the ever-popular animated character Dumbo although it did involve an elephant. In that movie, a dilapidated runway at Palm Bay's Valkaria Airport was used as a substitute for one in Vietnam. That's how versatile Palm Bay is.
It wasn't just Palm Bay that featured in the TV series Real Food Real Kitchens, but its residents, too, as they invited film crews into their kitchens and cooked up a storm. For the most part, when it's been used as a filming location, Palm Bay is generalized in the credits as Brevard County which has stolen its limelight to some degree.
Keep your eyes peeled while rewatching the old Bond movie Moonraker and the Bruce Willis hit, Armageddon, and you may well spot glimpses of Palm Bay and parts of its spectacular coastline if you don't blink at the wrong moment.
Palm Bay has a magnificent waterfront that takes a lot of exploring, so if you're pushed for time when scouting locations, take a look on Giggster. It's the quickest, and coolest, way to discover all the amazing filming locations in Palm Bay without having to pound the streets while suffering the heat and humidity. When you've found your perfect Palm Bay filming locations all you need to do is check out the city and state filming regulations, and you'll be good to go.
Do I Need a Filming Permit in Palm Bay?
The majority of commercial filming undertaken in Brevard County, including the City of Palm Bay, is required to be permitted by the appropriate authority. The only time you may not be required to obtain a filming permit in Palm Bay is if you are a one-person cast and crew filming solely on private property. That said though, it's always best to check the legalities of filming your production with the relevant authority before you start filming.
The time it takes to process a film permit that will enable you to film legally in Palm Bay can take between one to two weeks. This time period will be extended if your production requires any of the following:-
Road or bridge closures
Police involvement, including on-set presence or escorts
Crowd control
Fire department involvement
Paramedic presence on set
Lifeguard assistance
Any requirements for the above services must be requested at least thirty days in advance of the film shoot. Use of all of the above services incurs fees that are billed to the production company. Fees vary depending on the filming location and assistance required.
Permit Management in Palm Bay
Space Coast Film Commission
Film permits for Palm Bay are managed by the Space Coast Film Commission. The Space Coast Film Commission is a division of the Space Coast Office of Tourism which is based at:-
150 Cocoa Isles Boulevard
Suite 401
Cocoa Beach
FL 32931
The Space Coast Film Commission also manages film permits for all of Brevard County, including Palm Bay's neighboring municipalities of Melbourne, Satellite Beach, Cape Canaveral, and Cocoa Beach.
To apply for a film permit for Palm Bay, you will need to download and complete a permit application form from the Space Coast Film Commission website. You will find it on the Permits and Incentives page.
The form requests basic information such as:-
The type of production
Dates and locations you want to film
If you will be filming with special effects
If you will be filming with animals
If you will be filming with airplanes or helicopters
What your estimated expenditure will be on the Space Coast
Contact details
The Space Coast Film Commission doesn't use an app for film permit application submissions, so you will need to return the completed form to the Film Commissioner by email. You will find the email address on the same page as the permit application form. You will be contacted by the film commissioner within a week of emailing the form.
Should you need to make use of any of the public services during your film shoot such as the police, fire department, or paramedics, then the Space Coast Film Commission will act as a liaison for the production company. They will inform you of what the final costs will be, and you will need to pay the relevant fees before your film permit is issued.
While they don't issue permits for filming in Palm Bay, the Florida Film Commission is a good source of information about filming in the state.
What Insurance Do I Need in Palm Bay?
When filming in Brevard County, you are legally required to have adequate insurance coverage issued by an insurance company that reaches the standards set by the county authorities.
The basic minimum insurance coverage is:-
General liability insurance - $1,000,000
Vehicle liability insurance - $1,000,000
Workers' compensation - $1,000,000
It's best to have a consultation with the film commissioner before contracting insurance. It may be that your project or the locations you have chosen to film at require a coverage higher than the minimum published by the Space Coast Film Commission.
In all cases, the insurance certificate must state the City of Palm Bay and its employees, as well as Brevard County and its employees, as additionally insured. The Space Coast Film Commission will supply you with the exact wording you need on request.
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 Palm Bay?
When you're looking for somewhere to film a water sports-related movie then Palm Bay is somewhere you should be taking a good look at for filming locations. It's got all you need and then some. It's also overloaded with spots where you can catch shots of yachts against a background of palm trees and skyscrapers.
One of the best spots for filming canoeing or kayaking scenes is the Turkey Creek Sanctuary. The sanctuary and its two miles of boardwalked wetlands are ideal for getting back-to-nature shots, too, so long as your actors don't push each other into the water and disturb the resident wildlife.
Water-related sports filming aside, including fishing at Stick Marsh, here you'll find disc golf courses, proper golf courses, bowling alleys, paintball, and even a drag car facility should you be searching for something totally out there. There’s also a pistol and rifle shooting range that’s the biggest in Florida. That’s ideal for any cop show when you need to have the actors practicing their aim.
While Palm Bay's marina and waterfront are impressive, they're not all the city has to offer. Palm Bay is home to several nature preserves, all with diverse ecosystems. Compare the Micro Scrub Sanctuary, where the trees are anything but small, to the surroundings of the Grapefruit Bike Trails, and you'll see how completely different they are. If those two filming locations in Palm Bay don’t deliver what you’re looking for, the city has another twenty-five parks and outdoor spaces you can choose from.
There are plenty of residential properties in Palm Bay that would make excellent filming locations too. From homes by the waterside with their own docks to apartments with views of Indian River and the ocean beyond it.
There's no shortage of business owners either who, if offered the right price, would turn their bar, restaurant, gym, or hair and beauty salon into a temporary filming location. Palm Bay is the pearl in the oyster where Florida filming locations are concerned. You just have to crack it open to find the treasure it's hiding.
Special Requirements in Palm Bay
Filming At Valkaria Airport
Should your script call for scenes to be shot at an airport, Valkaria Airport is the closest to Palm Bay. This small municipal airport has two four-thousand-foot long runways and over seventy hangers. It's mostly used for recreational flights and is only open from Mondays through to Fridays.
To be able to film your production at Valkaria Airport, you first need to make contact with the airport manager. You can find the airport manager's contact details on the brevardfl.gov website on the airport's information page.
Filming With A Drone
There are strict rules about filming with or flying drones in the state of Florida, and they also apply to Brevard County and Palm Bay.
Anyone wishing to film with a drone must be in possession of a license from the FAA and must be aware of all the state regulations for flying a drone. They should also check to make sure that the filming location you've chosen isn't one where drone flights are either restricted or prohibited.
Filming With Children
The state of Florida has strict laws concerning the employment of children which apply to the entertainment industry. As both Brevard County and Palm Bay are in Florida, they also apply to both locations.
Before you employ or start working with children, make sure you are fully aware of all the legalities connected to doing so. You can find out all about the laws with working with children and any recent changes that may affect your production by emailing or writing to:-
Program Manager
Child Labor Program
2601 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee
FL 32399-0783
The email address is - ChildLabor.Entertainment@myfloridalicense.com
Film At The Port Malabar Rifle and Pistol Club
The Port Malabar Rifle and Pistol Club is a privately owned shooting range, so to be able to film there you would first need to contact the club management. While it is a self-policed facility, that doesn't mean you won't need the Palm Bay police department in attendance while filming there. The use of fake weapons on a film set in Florida requires police attendance.
If this is one of your chosen filming locations in Palm Bay and they are happy to hire you the facility for your production. The film commissioner from the Space Coast Film Commission will be able to liaise with the police department on your behalf.
Filming At Palm Bay Paintball Park
The Palm Bay Paintball Park is the place to go when you want to stage a mock battle but are on a tight budget. They'll provide all the camouflage outfits and pretty realistic-looking weapons and provide the dirt for your actors to crawl around in.
To be able to film at the Palm Bay Paintball Park, you'll need to contact them personally as it's a privately owned facility. Once you've come to an agreement about field and equipment hire, you'll need to check with the Space Coast Film Commission as to whether or not you'll need police or paramedics in attendance during the shoot.
What Does it Cost to Film in Palm Bay?
The Space Coast Film Commission does not charge any fees for issuing a film permit. You will only have fees to pay if you need to utilize public property or have city-employed police, fire department staff, paramedics, or lifeguards at the shoot. Any fees incurred for the use of city property or public employees have to be paid in full before the film permit can be issued
Additional Fees
If you require additional city services like street closures, traffic control, or other special accommodations, there could be extra fees associated with those services. Some specific locations, such as public parks or government-owned properties, might have additional location fees or rental charges.
Geographical Jurisdiction of Palm Bay?
Palm Bay is located in the central eastern district of the state of Florida. It is a city in Brevard County which is known as the Space Coast because of its connections with NASA, its space facilities, and rocket launch zones.
Palm Bay occupies an irregular rectangular-shaped area of Brevard County which in total covers approximately ninety square miles. That makes it the largest in Brevard County, and with around one-hundred and twenty thousand inhabitants, it is also the most heavily populated.
Palm Bay is bordered to the north by West Melbourne, and to the northwest by open countryside beyond which lies the Herky Huffman-Bull Creek Wildlife Management Area. To the south of Palm Bay is the TM Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area and the St Sebastian River Preserve State Park.
To the southeast, Palm Bay is bordered by Grant-Valkaria. The Indian River forms part of Palm Bay's eastern border along with the town of Malabar.
All urban locations around Palm Bay are within Brevard County, so if you wish to film outside of the jurisdiction of the city, you'll still need to apply to the Space Coast Film Commission for a film permit.
If you decide you'd like to film in the St Sebastian River Preserve State Park, then you will need to apply to the Division of Recreation and Parks of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for a film permit. This should be done at least seven working days in advance of the proposed filming date.
Outreach in Palm Bay
The Space Coast Film Commission does not publish any specific requirements regarding notifying the community of your filming activities. If you will be filming in an urbanized area, it's a good idea to discuss conducting outreach with the Space Coast Film Commission film commissioner. They may advise you to distribute notifications, but then again, they may not.
While it may seem time-consuming, there's no harm in letting the residents and businesses near your chosen filming locations about the upcoming activities, especially if you'll be causing road or sidewalk closures. It's a lot easier to deal with objections before the shoot than during it.
Community Management in Palm Bay
The Space Coast Film Commission does not specify any necessity for having a community manager on a production company's team. As they live in such a scenic city, most residents will probably be happier checking out the views or going fishing rather than watching the filming.
There's always that one person, though, who might decide to object to what you're doing just because they're having a bad day or are one of life's natural complainers. A good community manager will be able to appease any whinger in a few minutes and get them to move on without escalating the situation. As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure, so having a community manager or someone on the team delegated to do the job, even if they have to multitask, is not a bad idea.
Conclusion
While all of the nearby space-related filming locations tend to steal the limelight from Palm Bay, it's still a filming location with plenty of merit. Palm Bay's waterfront and marina are stunning, and its parks and natural spaces are truly a cut above the average. It's a great spot for filming any movie with out-in-the-wilds kayaking or canoeing scenes or ones where you need your actors to be trekking through woodlands where there are no houses or vehicles visible. Check Palm Bay out, and you'll soon discover you've found that perfect filming location you were looking for.