The Studio Story Now
South Florida’s studio market is not simply Hollywood moving east. It is a working mix of advertising, Spanish-language television, corporate video, podcasts, health and wellness content, virtual production and independent film crews who want to keep shooting close to home. The infrastructure behind that work has grown up around demand from brands and broadcasters as much as around feature films.
For producers, that means more options than a decade ago, from LED volumes in Broward to broadcast stages in Miami-Dade, along with a long-planned studio campus in Fort Lauderdale that is entering a new phase. Knowing which facilities are operating today and which are still in development is the starting point for any budget.
Stages Operating Today
On the Broward side, BrandStar’s studios page lists two sites: a Deerfield Beach facility built around a 2,000-square-foot LED volume, plus kitchen sets, edit suites and an audio booth, and a 30,000-square-foot Hollywood campus whose main LED wall measures 60 by 18 feet, alongside fashion studios, a set-build workshop and five loading docks. The company first announced a multimillion-dollar investment in virtual production, augmented reality and mixed reality equipment in 2021.
Its June 2023 multi-year agreement with GRUP MEDIAPRO covered virtual production at a new Miami-Dade studio; that site is not on BrandStar’s current locations list, so confirm availability with both companies before planning around it.
In Miami, TC Production Services rents stages at Telemundo Center, listing sound stages from 700 to 8,000 square feet on a campus it describes as Category 5 hurricane-ready. Its Studios K and L offer a 65 by 48.5 foot green cyc with Unreal Engine camera tracking and an in-house real-time graphics team, which suits commercials, music videos and broadcast-style productions.
The Fort Lauderdale Campus Plan
The largest project on the board is the Fort Lauderdale studio initiative. The city’s project page says the City Commission approved a comprehensive agreement with Fort Lauderdale Studio Initiative, LLC in September 2022 to develop, build, operate and maintain a movie studio complex on a 61-acre site at 1400 NW 31st Ave., with sound stages, outdoor sets and an educational component to train people in production trades.
The project changed course in 2026. The city’s Sept. 15, 2026 conference meeting agenda included an update on the agreement, and the South Florida Business Journal reported on Sept. 16 that the city approved a resolution ending the deal with Napster and returning control of the project to the Studio Initiative. The next day, the Studio Initiative said it is moving forward with Buffalo FilmWorks as studio partner for a campus combining production, technology and workforce training. It remains a project in development, so treat timelines and stage counts as plans until permits and construction are announced.
What Producers and Vendors Can Do Now
For a shoot this year, compare operating stages on what each actually provides: stage dimensions, LED or green screen, camera tracking, power, loading access, parking and support crew. Ask for a written quote that separates the stage day rate from crew, gear, graphics and overtime, and confirm insurance requirements and usage rights before booking.
Budget around local incentives where they apply. Broward productions that meet Film Lauderdale’s spend, residency and production day rules can apply for its performance-based rebates before principal photography, and qualified companies can use Florida’s production sales tax exemption on eligible gear and set purchases.
Vendors and crew can position early for the Fort Lauderdale campus by tracking city agendas and the Studio Initiative’s announcements, and by building credits on the stages already working. The region’s studio capacity is growing in steps, and the businesses that serve today’s productions will be best placed for the larger ones.
Updated Oct. 9, 2026: studio specifications and the Fort Lauderdale studio deal status rechecked against BrandStar, TC Production Services, the City of Fort Lauderdale and the South Florida Business Journal.
Sources
- BrandStar, Studios
- Business Wire, BrandStar Studios Invests Millions in Technology and Equipment (Sept. 23, 2021)
- Business Wire, GRUP MEDIAPRO and BrandStar Studios sign a multi-year agreement (June 20, 2023)
- TC Production Services, Telemundo Center studios
- City of Fort Lauderdale, Movie Studio Initiative
- City of Fort Lauderdale, File 26-0821, Update on the Agreement with Fort Lauderdale Studio Initiative (Sept. 15, 2026 agenda)
- South Florida Business Journal, Fort Lauderdale officially cancels movie studio project deal with Napster (Sept. 16, 2026)
- Film Lauderdale, Screen Industry Incentive Programs
- FloridaCommerce (Film in Florida), Sales Tax Exemption Program
Related reading: Fort Lauderdale Studio Moves Forward With Buffalo FilmWorks; Virtual Production Is Giving South Florida Creators a New Kind of Set; Film Florida Organizes Delegation to Toronto Film Festival; and the Film Incentives and Rebates in South Florida hub.
Key Facts for Owners and Search
How is South Florida’s studio market changing?
Demand now comes from advertising, Spanish-language television, corporate video, podcasts, wellness content, virtual production and independent film, not only feature films. Facilities have grown to match, from LED volumes in Broward to broadcast stages in Miami-Dade, while a larger studio campus in Fort Lauderdale remains in development under a city agreement with a private developer.
Which South Florida studios offer LED or green screen stages?
For LED work, BrandStar’s Deerfield Beach site has a 2,000-square-foot volume and its 30,000-square-foot Hollywood campus has a 60 by 18 foot main wall. For green screen, TC Production Services at Telemundo Center in Miami lists stages from 700 to 8,000 square feet, including a 65 by 48.5 foot green cyc with camera tracking.
What is the Fort Lauderdale movie studio project?
In 2022 the city approved an agreement with Fort Lauderdale Studio Initiative to develop a studio complex on a 61-acre site at 1400 NW 31st Ave. In September 2026 the city ended the deal with Napster and returned control to the Studio Initiative, which is moving forward with Buffalo FilmWorks as studio partner.
What should a producer ask before booking a stage?
Ask for stage dimensions, LED or green screen specs, camera tracking, power, loading access, parking and support crew. Get a written quote separating the stage day rate from crew, gear, graphics and overtime. Confirm insurance requirements and usage rights in writing, and check current availability directly with the operator before locking a shoot date.
Which incentives apply to South Florida studio shoots?
Broward productions meeting Film Lauderdale’s spend, residency and production day rules can apply for performance-based rebates before principal photography. Statewide, qualified production companies can use Florida’s sales tax exemption on eligible equipment, set construction, props and wardrobe. Florida has no statewide film tax credit, so county programs and the exemption carry the incentive budget.
