The Caribbean’s Production Powerhouse
The Dominican Republic (DR) is the undisputed heavy-hitter of Caribbean cinema, offering a sophisticated blend of world-class infrastructure and diverse natural beauty. From the 16th-century Spanish colonial streets of Santo Domingo to the dramatic “Jurassic” jungles of Samaná and the industrial grit of its major ports, the DR is a versatile “chameleon” capable of doubling for almost any tropical or Latin American setting.
The Production Reality & Miami Support: The DR is home to Lantica Studios (Pinewood Dominican Republic), featuring the Horizon Water Tank—a 60,500 sq. ft. exterior tank with a natural ocean horizon that is widely considered one of the best in the world. While the local technical crew and equipment pools are the most robust in the region, we manage every production through our Miami-based hub to ensure surgical precision:
The Technical Pipeline: For high-end features and TVCs, we use Miami as our primary logistics base to “short-shuttle” specialized gear—such as technocranes, specialized high-speed cameras, or marine-specific lighting—directly into the country. With the DR’s Shooting Permit (PUR), temporary equipment importation is a streamlined, duty-free process.
Incentive Mastery: For 2026, the DR offers a powerful 25% Transferable Tax Credit (TTC) on all qualifying local spend (with a $500k minimum). Unlike other islands, this credit has no per-project cap. Our Miami team works with local fiscal agents to manage the mandatory audits and the “monetization” of these credits, ensuring your production receives maximum liquidity.
VAT Efficiency: We leverage the 18% VAT (ITBIS) exemption on all qualified goods and services, which drastically improves your front-end cash flow compared to other territories where you must pay and later reclaim taxes.
Our Role: We provide a “Fortune 500” standard of production management in a Caribbean setting. By pairing the DR’s world-class facilities with our Miami-based HODs and technical oversight, we ensure that your project benefits from the region’s best financial incentives without sacrificing the technical standards of a US-based shoot.
Contact us directly with details about your next project.
BACARDI | DANCE FLOOR
Production Service in Dominican Republic
Directed by Tom Kuntz of MJZ, with choreography by dance legends Rich&Tone, this spot for Bacardi from BBDO New York is uniquely told entirely from the waist down during a rum-fueled night in the Caribbean.
Whether it’s your living room, a barbershop, a beach, or even a laundromat, every floor can be your dance floor! So “Do What Moves You.”
The film features five professional dancers from around the world – Los Angeles, Miami, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico – bringing together different rum cultures and individuality on display through in their dance moves. Throughout the piece, each friend dances to create a different musical sound through the movement and expression of their hips, legs, and feet. As the group comes together, their sounds mix together, forming a track by DJ trio, Major Lazer, longtime Bacardi friends and collaborators.
Client: Bacardi
Campaign: Dance Floor
Director: Tom Kuntz
DoP: Hoyte van Hoytema
Market: Worldwide
Agency: BBDO NY
Production Company: MJZ
Production Service: Shoot Collective
Service EP: Michael Savitz
Head of Production: Patti Getker
Location: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Michael Savitz
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Michael Savitz has worked in the commercial film production industry for over 25 years. He is co-founder and Executive Producer at one of the largest and most successful production houses in Florida.
[cont.] Michael started as a high school intern at a large commercial production company in the area, until it was time to go to college. He then worked for ABC news and dabbled in radio and television movie production before returning to his first love – advertising and the production of commercials.
At the ripe old age of 25, Michael was bestowed the coveted Silver Medal Award, a lifetime achievement award, by the American Advertising Federation (AAF/Miami). He currently is President of AICP Florida and serves on AICP’s National Board of Directors. He has served as Chairman of the AICP Show in Florida, as well as the ADDY Awards Judging Chair.
Michael’s mother still doesn’t know what he does for a living but was overheard telling a friend that he makes wedding videos. Michael lives in South Florida with two beautiful daughters, a gorgeous beach to the east, and the Everglades practically in his backyard. His kids will tell you that their dad is the bestest, until he refuses to buy them the latest iPhone.
1920 North Miami Avenue
Miami, Florida 33136 USA
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