St Lucia Film & Photography Production Services & Camera Crews
Are you a media company, brand, ad agency or production company looking for film / photography production support or shooting crew in St Lucia? Contact us for trusted fixers, producers, directors, DoPs, videographers, photographers, and full shooting crews tailored for the specific needs of your project.
Filming in St Lucia
For an introduction to shooting in St Lucia see below notes on film locations, permits, when to shoot, unique local stories, costs, tax incentives, crews, talent, equipment, communications, art department, studios, post facilities, visas and work permits for filming, transport, film-friendly accommodation, and safety advice.
St Lucia Film Locations
St Lucia is a Caribbean island famous for the Pitons, white sand beaches, coral reef, tropical flower-lined roadsides, paradise waterfalls, and lush rainforests.
Agricultural film locations include banana, sugarcane, coconut, mango, avocado, and cocoa plantations. St Lucia is also a centre for offshore banking.
The country has hosted productions including White Squall (1996), Superman II (1980), and Dr Doolittle (1967).
St Lucia can be divided into the following districts: Anse la Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufrière, and Vieux Fort.
Castries is the capital. Film locations of note include Government House, Castries Central Market, the cruise port, Mindoo Phillip Park cricket ground, and a range of British and French colonial architecture.
Darren Sammy Cricket Ground is located in Gros Islet.
The Pitons are two iconic mountainous volcanic spires.
Paradise beach locations include Anse Chastanet Beach, Reduit Beach, Jalousie Beach, Anse Louvert, Grande Anse, Vigie Beach, La Toc Beach, and Marigot Bay where Dr Doolittle (1967) was filmed.
Diamond Botanical Gardens is a verdant film location home to Diamond Falls.
La Soufriere Drive-In Volcano can be reached by car.
Pigeon Island National Park is home to Fort Rodney, an old British military base.
Anse Chastanet Marine National Park coral reefs offer underwater photography options.
St Lucia Film Location Permits
Although there is no official film permit, having a letter of support from relevant government authorities is helpful when seeking permission to film around the island. Our St Lucian fixer will require a project synopsis and crew details. The letter of support usually takes about a week to get. With this in hand small productions can film for free, without issue in most public locations as long as they are not taking exclusive use of public space. Larger productions that seek to control traffic, lay track or set up big lights, for instance, will require additional permits and consultation with police and local authorities. Filming in national parks such as Pigeon Island requires an extra level of permitting and additional costs. Please contact us for any more location specific information.
When To Shoot?
St Lucia has a hot, tropical climate tempered by trade winds throughout the year. The dry season runs from December to May. This is the best time to film for weather. The wet season runs from June to November which is also the hurricane season. For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Carnival takes place in July. The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers transatlantic sailing competition ends in St Lucia in November.
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in St Lucia.
Unique Local Stories
Brands are looking for local stories that match their brand narrative. Our local teams are a great lead for sourcing those unique stories and characters.
If you are looking for stories for your next shoot, send us your brief and we will pitch you ideas.
If you have a unique story you would like to pitch to a brand anywhere in the world, pitch us your idea. We have well-established processes to ensure that your ideas are properly seen and protected.
Costs & Tax Incentives
Costs. Local costs are fairly expensive. Since little to no filming infrastructure exists all key crew and equipment must be brought in from abroad. Our St Lucian fixer will negotiate local deals and provide the appropriate level of production support to match every budget.
Tax Incentives. At present there are no tax incentives for foreign commercials or films shooting in St Lucia.
Film Crew & Talent
Crews. St Lucia has a very small pool of directors, directors of photography and stills photographers. Key crew are best brought in.
Contact us if you are looking for a director, DP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, or any other film crew for your shoot in St Lucia.
Talent day rates and buyouts are negotiable. English is the official language. Most citizens are Afro-Caribbean. Some Indo-Caribbean and Caucasian talent is also available. It’s a very small country so the pool of talent is limited. All other talent looks need to be brought in from abroad.
St Lucia Film Equipment
Equipment. There are no camera, lighting and grip equipment houses in St Lucia. Some locals own basic gear they may be willing to rent. Best to bring in your own. Miami is the closest major production centre. For productions intending to bring in equipment St Lucia is not an ATA carnet country. If you are bringing in more than a few small pieces of gear it is best to go through a customs broker. Our local fixer can arrange this to ensure you are not overcharged.
Communications. Communication is key. Our agility and global experience allows us to customise the right communications systems for every shoot.
Web posted casting, scouting, and videoconferencing.
For clients that are unable to attend set we offer a virtual video village solution. This dedicated and secure high-resolution video streaming platform allows clients from one or multiple timezones to view setups without compromise and to participate in real-time with the team on set. Separate systems can be set up for the discrete conversations that are required to make a job run right. Working remotely with our local teams reduces your content production costs, turnaround times, carbon footprint, and risks associated with unpredictable global events.
Art Department, Studios, Backlots, & Post Production
Art department and set construction is very basic.
Studios and backlots. None exist at present.
Post Production. None available locally. Post abroad.
Visas & Work Permits
Crews travelling on western passports can enter visa-free for stays of up to 90 days. Work permits are not required to film in St Lucia.
Transport & Accommodation
Transportation Infrastructure. Main roads are in an average condition. Several international airlines service flights to St Lucia.
Accommodation. Recommended film friendly hotels in St Lucia include:
Jade Mountain Resort
The BodyHoliday at LeSport
Cap Maison
The Landings
Please contact us for corporate rates.
For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.
Final Notes
Safety. St Lucia is a very safe and reliable place for foreign productions to visit. See here for up to date travel advice.
Down Time. Try delicious local Creole dishes.
Projects. For an example of TV commercials, stills campaigns, online content, corporate videos, virtual reality 360 content, feature films, TV series and documentaries shot in St Lucia, please see below:
Hire St Lucia Production Support & Shooting Crew
If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer for your shoot in St Lucia, please contact us.
If you are looking for a shooting crew for your shoot in St Lucia, such as a director, DoP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, please contact us.
We are able to provide you with answers, references and bids quickly.
