Numerous television productions are set in Miami, but shot in Los Angeles. How is that done convincingly? The productions have discovered the ocean front city of Long Beach. CSI:Miami, Dexter and Nip/Tuck are all shot in part on location in Long Beach.

Shooting in Los Angeles, productions face the challenge of hills that appear along the horizon in shots. The problem is eliminated when they shoot in the coastal city of Long Beach. The area beaches also serve as a good representation of what Miami looks like, complete with waterfront office buildings. “The way the town is built, I can pretty much duplicate some of the feeling of South Beach in Long Beach,” said Don Tardino, a producer on CSI:Miami.

CSI:Miami uses Long Beach’s El Dorado Park to depict the Florida Everglades. It also shoots in the coastal suburb of Marina Del Rey. With the shows large budget, CSI:Miami is able to use high-end locations that it pays to shut down for filming. Though some of the show’s signature large-scale interiors are sets at Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach.

For authenticity and to give the feeling of actually being in Miami, CSI:Miami shoots the first two and last two episodes of each season in Miami, flying in its main cast and a large percentage of the crew. The production also shoots aerials in Miami four or five times a year.

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