It’s no secret that Florida was once rich in television and film production. In fact, Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM) and Universal Studios Florida were both built as counterparts to their main locations in southern California. But why did it all but disappear?

In short: government and unions.

When it comes to the rise and fall of the film industry in Florida, we can look at Universal Studios Florida and Nickelodeon Studios as microcosms of the larger intersection of cinema and politics in the Sunshine State…Head over to INFLUENCE magazine to read the full article flapol.com/3UAFIxq

INFLUENCE magazine is part of the Florida Politics family of publications.

Ryan teaches Film Studies and Screenwriting at the University of Tampa and is a member of the Critics Association of Central Florida. If you like this article, check out the others and FOLLOW this blog! Interested in Ryan making a guest appearance on your podcast or contributing to your website? Send him a DM on Twitter. If you’re ever in Tampa or Orlando, feel free to catch a movie with him.

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