Florida to become destination for film industry

Grassroots efforts, kickstarter campaigns and crowd funded initiatives come natural to the Burg. St. Pete is the kind of community that will see brewers attend one another's bottle release parties and restaurant owners endorse the newest eateries opening daily.

St. Pete is on the verge of becoming a destination not just for tourists, but major businesses (i.e. TwinLabs, Genius) and cinema. Earlier in the year Tim Burton and some of the cast of "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" were spotted filming on the beaches. Bryan Cranston is set to film his latest project "The Infiltrator" in the Tampa Bay area in the coming weeks.

*Video by St. Pete-Clearwater Film Commission

Films like "Spring Breakers," "Cocoon" and a slew of other television shows have filmed in spots around St. Pete, St. Pete Beach, Tampa and Clearwater. Resident authors like Dennis Lehane and Sterling Watson have created a mythos and noir about the area that has added to the artistic intrigue to our wonderful city. 

These projects provide jobs in the service industry and give young professionals the opportunity to get hands-on experience in the industry. Cranston's film, "The Infiltrator," has put out open casting calls for local residents to appear in the film and promised to reserve jobs for film students at the University of Tampa.

Often the incentive packages offered by the potential film locations include stipulations for reserving 'x' amount of jobs for local companies (catering, housing, assistant positions, extra work etc.). This bump in the local economy has proven to be a substantial morale booster for the areas that can get the jobs.

Eckerd College recently added a minor concentration in film studies and hosts an international cinema festival. The University of Tampa has already garnered the reputation as a great launching pad for those interested in the film industry.

Tampa Bay has the opportunity to take the next step in becoming a film/TV/media epicenter. All you have to do is email your state representative and ask that they support HB 451.

HB 451 would expand the Entertainment Industry Tax Credit program to help fuel jobs and economic growth in Florida, help maintain technical jobs and help showcase our state through television and movies.

Follow this link to support the bill.  

Bring shuffleboard courts to Grand Central

The Florida film industry isn't the only one looking for community support. Urban Comfort, the ambitious project of Urban Brew and BBQ owner Andy Salyards, is set to open this summer. Salyards wants to up the ante on his already anticipated project by bringing shuffleboard courts to his restaurant (goal of at least 3).

Urban Comfort should be open by June. They are already in the process of building out the 26th and Central Location. Urban Comfort will be brewing their own craft beer, creating house cocktail specials and will serve seasonal comfort food. The restaurant is focused on customer experience, which is why they want to bring shuffleboard courts to the Grand Central District. The game's booming popularity in St. Pete has created the need for more courts throughout the city.

At this moment, they've received $521 toward their $7,000 goal with 26 days left to reach that amount. If you'd like to see more shuffleboard courts in the Burg, just follow this link and donate to Urban Comforts kickstarter.

Donation benefits include: a dinner on the house at Urban Comfort once they open, a complimentary dinner for 4, an invitation to their soft opening, Urban Comfort t-shirts and of course the opportunity to enjoy the shuffleboard courts 7 days a week. In case you haven't seen what will be on the menu yet, we'll just leave these photos here…

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