St Vincent & The Grenadines 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 Vincent & The Grenadines? 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 Vincent & The Grenadines
For an introduction to shooting in St Vincent & The Grenadines 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 Vincent & The Grenadines Film Locations
St Vincent & The Grenadines is an archipelago in the southern Caribbean including the main island of St Vincent as well as two-thirds of the Grenadines, a chain of 32 smaller islands.
The country is known for its secluded coves, untouched palm-lined white sand beaches, turquoise waters, spectacular coral reefs, tropical rainforest, privately owned luxury island resorts, and yacht-filled harbours.
Agricultural locations include banana, arrowroot, and coconut plantations.
St Vincent & The Grenadines hosted productions such as Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), and White Squall (1996).
Film locations can be divided into the following regions:
St Vincent
St Vincent is the main island known for its lush volcanic mountain peaks, white sand beaches, and beautiful waters.
Kingstown is the capital and largest settlement known for its cobbled streets and colonial buildings such as the Cathedral of the Assumption. Arnos Vale Stadium is a cricket ground.
La Soufrière is an active volcano.
Baleine waterfall is a beautiful waterfall.
Wallilabou Bay featured in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
The Grenadines
The Grenadines consist of 32 paradise islands. The surrounding waters and anchorages offer superb sailing conditions.
Inhabited islands include Mustique, Bequia, Union, Canouan, and Mayreau.
Bequia is the second largest island. A popular yachting destination, the island is known for its lush hillsides dotted with bougainvillea, boat-filled bays, and paradise beaches such as Princess Margaret Beach. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) filmed in part in Bequia.
Uninhabited islands include Palm Island, Petit Saint Vincent, Tobago Cays, Isle à Quatre, Baliceaux, Bettowia, Petit Mustique, Petit Nevis, Petit Canouan, and Savan.
St Vincent & The Grenadines Film Location Permits
Most public locations are free of charge and very easy to permit. Although all beaches are technically public property, it is best to seek permission, particularly if planning to film on beaches of private resorts. More complicated shoots involving larger setups and exclusive use of public space require a little more lead time. That said, local authorities are very open to helping visiting film crews. Please contact us for location specific information.
When To Shoot?
St Vincent & The Grenadines has a hot, tropical climate tempered by trade winds throughout the year. The dry season is from December to May. This is the best time to film for weather. The wet season runs from June to November. St Vincent & The Grenadines sit on the edge of the hurricane belt. For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Events of interest to filmmakers and photographers include:
• The Bequia Easter Regatta in April.
• Vincy Mas Carnival celebrations in July.
St Vincent & The Grenadines is a predominately Christian country, so those holidays are observed.
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in St Vincent & The Grenadines.
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 many goods need to be imported. Since little to no filming infrastructure exists all key crew and equipment must be brought in from abroad. Travel is another expensive factor, with no direct flights from the US or Europe. More remote beaches require additional travel still. Our Vincentian 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 Vincent & The Grenadines.
Film Crew & Talent
Crews. St Vincent & The Grenadines has a very small pool of directors, videographers and stills photographers. Key crew needs to be brought in. There are several good key crews scattered throughout the Caribbean. Otherwise, Miami is the closest major production centre for experienced technical crews.
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 Vincent & The Grenadines.
Talent day rates and buyouts are negotiable. Casting facilities are limited so most casting is done in-house.
English is the official language.
Most citizens are Afro-Caribbean with some East Indian and Caucasian looks also available. All other talent looks need to be brought in from abroad.
St Vincent & The Grenadines Film Equipment
Equipment. There are no equipment houses in St Vincent & The Grenadines. In emergencies, TV stations may have some gear to rent. Otherwise Barbados is the closest production centre to source standard film equipment. More specialised camera, grip and lighting equipment can be easily brought in from major production centres such as Miami. Although St Vincent & The Grenadines is not an ATA carnet country, bringing in gear is easy and hassle free.
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. Best to post abroad.
Visas & Work Permits
Most nationals are allowed visa-free travel to St Vincent & The Grenadines. There are no special work permits required for film crews.
Transport & Accommodation
Transportation Infrastructure. Main roads are for the most part in an average condition. The best way to travel between islands is by boat or chartering a small plane. At present, there are no direct flights to St Vincent & The Grenadines from the US or Europe. Argyle International Airport on St Vincent is the largest airport.
Accommodation. Recommended film friendly hotels in St Vincent & The Grenadines include:
The Cotton House
Petit St. Vincent Resort
Firefly Hotel Bequia
Raffles Resort Canouan Island
Please contact us for corporate rates.
For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.
Final Notes
Safety. See here for up to date travel advice.
Down Time. Island hop the Grenadines by yacht.
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 Vincent & The Grenadines, please see below:
Hire St Vincent & The Grenadines 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 Vincent & The Grenadines, please contact us.
If you are looking for a shooting crew for your shoot in St Vincent & The Grenadines, 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.
