Need a Camera Crew in Tampa, FL? Top 10 Gems!

At Beverly Boy Productions, our clients call on us when they need to hire a camera crew in Tampa. This warm, Florida city boasts some of the best attractions in the state, with beautiful parks, restaurants, a relaxed daytime atmosphere and an exciting nightlife.  Here are 10 ways to make the most out of your next video production in Tampa.

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1. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Busch Gardens is a 330+ acre African-themed animal theme park located in Tampa, Florida, and is one of the biggest attractions to the city.  It features 8 roller coasters, 2 water rides, and in 2015 was the 11^th most visited theme park in the United States with over 4.2 million people attending.  Opened in 1959, this park continues to be an attraction and would be an excellent place to film with a camera crew in Tampa.

2. Tampa Riverwalk

Though perhaps not as well-known as its San Antonio sister, The Tampa Riverwalk is teeming with culture, entertainment and adventure.  It is a 2.4-mile walkable, bikeable, and Segway-able path connecting restaurants, bars, live music and fun in the city of Tampa.  The annual Riverfest is one of the city’s greatest displays of local food and business, and is a free event to the community.  Filming on the Riverwalk is sure to capture the spirit of Tampa in any video project!

Animated TV commercial for Florida Environmental Pest Control

3. Big Cat Rescue

The Tampa Big Cat Rescue is an animal sanctuary near Tampa that specializes in providing care and habitats for big cats such as bobcats, Canadian lynx, caracals, leopards, cougars, panthers, jaguars, ocelots, tigers, and lions. They offer special packages that allow you to go behind-the-scenes and explore how the sanctuary cares for the big cats in more detail, and they also have photo tours.  This would be an excellent option if you were looking to film with a camera crew at the Big Cat Rescue!

Tampa Live Web Streaming

4. Climate

The climate in Tampa, Florida is consistent with other areas in Florida – generally hot and humid, with rain consistent through the summer months.  In the winter, the temperate rarely drops below 50°, and in summer it can often average around 90°, with high humidity levels.  June, July and August are the hottest months, and typically have the most days of rain as well.  We suggest visiting Tampa in the months of December-April, when it will be warm but not as hot as the summer, and have little rain.  This would be optimal filming weather for hiring a camera crew.

A School Promotional video filmed by our Tampa camera crew

5. Permits

Film Tampa Bay offers filming permits to produce a feature or independent film and your cast and crew more than 3 people.  Be sure to include as much information as possible on the permit application in order to expedite the process of receiving your permit. Easy online applications are available.

6. Sunshine Skyway Bridge

This beautiful feat of architecture is a bridge spanning Tampa Bay with a total length of 21,877 feet.  Stopping on the bridge for any non-emergency is prohibited, so filming on the bridge itself is not possible.  However, there are walking paths along the bay that offer beautiful views of the bridge that would be excellent filming locations.

7. History

Although originally inhabited by native tribes local to Florida, Tampa’s modern history can be traced to the founding of Fort Brooke in what is now downtown Tampa in 1824, soon after the United States had taken possession of the land from Spain.  The city grew slowly due to poor transportation, conflicts with Native Americans, and outbreaks of yellow fever.  However, with the construction of the first railroad links to the town, Tampa began to thrive and has continued through the 20^th century.  This town is bustling with Native American and Spanish history which is reflected in its architecture, food, and citizens.

8. Food

When filming with a camera crew in Tampa, be sure to stop often and experience some of the amazing culinary experiences the city has to offer! Food in Tampa is often influenced by Spanish, Cuban, Greek and Southern cuisine, and is flavorful, ethnic, and often seafood-based.  Here are three local favorites in the city:

1. No matter where you get a Cuban sandwich in Tampa, it needs to be made on pressed baguette-style Cuban bread, and layered with pork, ham, salami, Swiss, yellow mustard and a slice of dill pickle – That’s the Tampa way! One great place to get an authentic Cuban is at The Floridian on Kennedy Blvd.
2. Stone Crab is best served chilled with a mustard dipping sauce – that is, according to the Tampa locals! Frenchy’s Café in Clearwater Beach hosts a crab season kickoff in October, and their franchises are among the best restaurants to crack some shells.
3. Not a restaurant, but the Tampa Roll is an exciting local twist on sushi and is available at most local sushi restaurants, but try it at Kuchi Sushi and Hibachi. It features fried grouper, mayonnaise and seaweed rolled in rice and sesame seeds.  Try it out while you’re in the area!

9. Helicopter Tours

Helicopter tours of Tampa can be a very exciting way to see more of this beachfront city.  You can enjoy spectacular aerial views of Tampa Bay while you fly over Davis Island, the Port of Tampa, and Hillsborough Bay.  You’ll definitely want to carve out some time to schedule a helicopter tour if you hire a camera crew in Tampa.  You can even catch close-up views of bottlenose dolphins in their natural habitat!

10. Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park

Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park is right downtown, next to museums, concert halls, the city library, and much more!  It’s an easy area to walk to, and has many relaxing water views perfect for filming a video project with a camera crew.  It is yet another relaxing and fun outdoor experience to catch when you hire your camera crew in Tampa. We also service these areas, Safety Harbor, Oldsmar, Clearwater, Gibsonton, Apollo Beach, Brandon, and Pinellas Park, along with other surrounding cities.