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Stan Smith × Edison Chen
2025 · Nice & Monaco
Executive production on the Riviera, with crew, equipment, talent management and locations.
Filming in Marseille
A port city with a long screen history and its own film office. Streets, port, islands and the Calanques sit within a few kilometres, and each belongs to someone different: the city, the port, a national park, a heritage operator. Here is who says yes, and when the hills say no.
01
Marseille is not the Riviera
Different city, different desksProducers often fold Marseille into a Riviera shoot. On the map it is the same region; on the permit map it is a different world. Marseille has its own film office inside the regional network, the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan area has its own, and so does Aix-en-Provence. The coast south of the city is a national park, the port is run by its own authority, and the islands in the bay are a mix of park, heritage site and city.
We are a production service company working across France from Paris and Cannes. Marseille is about two hours along the coast from our Cannes base. We hire crew in Marseille (a gaffer from Marseille for a shoot in Provence is our default, not a Paris crew on a train), Élie maps and files the permits, and Zacharie runs the unit on the ground. For the wider region, see Provence and Riviera permits and our production service on the French Riviera.
02
Who issues what in and around Marseille
Indicative, confirmed per projectLocationAuthorityLead time
Streets, squares, the Vieux-Port quaysCity public spaceThe City of Marseille film office, inside the regional film commission network2 to 4 weeks
Aix, Martigues and the metropolitan areaNeighbouring townsEach commune; Aix-en-Provence and the Aix-Marseille-Provence Métropole each have a film office in the regional network2 to 4 weeks
The CalanquesCliffs, coves, the coast road to Les Goudes, the Frioul islandsParc national des Calanques. Professional and commercial shoots need its prior authorisation, with a feeAbout a month
Château d'IfThe island fortressIts heritage operator, plus the national park for the island setting4 to 10 weeks
Commercial portDocks, terminals, shipsThe port authority, not the cityCase by case
Forest massifsThe hills around the cityPrefecture access rules in summer, decided day by day, on top of any permitDaily, June to September
DroneAny flightDGAC and the prefecture, always separate. Over the national park, overflights for filming are authorised only exceptionally3 to 6 weeks
The national park credits your film, and you credit it
The Parc national des Calanques treats every professional shoot as an individual decision. Its instructing service takes about a month, the authorisation has to be on set because it can be checked, and the decision can set the crew size, the exact spot and the time window. The decisions we have seen also require the finished work to credit the park and a copy to be sent to it. Overflights for television images are allowed only exceptionally, which rules out the drone shot of the coves that many boards open with. Plan the park first: it is usually the longest file on a Marseille shoot.
03
The summer trap
Fire risk in the Bouches-du-RhôneEach summer, typically from 1 June to 30 September, access to the forest massifs of the Bouches-du-Rhône is regulated day by day according to weather and drought. The prefecture publishes the map the evening before, at 6pm for the following day, and on high-risk days some massifs are closed to everyone, crews included. A permit does not override it.
In practice, a summer shoot in the hills or the Calanques needs a cleared backup location in town or on the water, and a call sheet that can switch at 6pm the day before. This is the Marseille equivalent of the fire closures in the Esterel and Maures further east, with the difference that the decision is published daily. For the spring and autumn, when light is good and the massifs are open, Marseille is one of the easiest big cities in France to shoot.
The rule of thumb. Town permit, park authorisation, summer access map, drone file. Four desks, four clocks. Filed together, a Marseille location day clears in about a month. Filed one after the other, it takes a season.
04
What shoots in Marseille
And how we run it01Commercials and brand filmsLight, sea, rooftops, a port city with real texture. Automotive on the coast roads, fashion against the limestone, lifestyle on boats.Priority
02TV series and featuresMarseille has a long record of series and features, and a production studio in Martigues in the metropolitan area. We service foreign units on location.Scripted
03Documentary and newsMigration, the port, politics, the northern districts. Access is the work: Élie's journalism background is what these briefs need.Access
04Crew and kitLocal heads of department and drivers who know the city, kit from southern rental houses or from Paris depending on the package.Local
05
Selected work
Verified credits▶ WatchVanity Fair
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's War of the Rosé
2023 · Nice & Avignon
Research, booking and translation for the investigation into the Miraval dispute.
Read ↗NBC News
Wildfires across southern France
2016 · Provence
Rapid deployment to the fire zone, safe access, interviews with residents and coordination with authorities and firefighters.
Read ↗Do you need a permit to film in Marseille?
For anything beyond a handheld shot with no impact on the public, yes. Streets and squares go through the City of Marseille film office; neighbouring towns, the Calanques National Park, the port and heritage sites each have their own desk. A drone always needs a separate DGAC and prefecture clearance.
How do you get permission to film in the Calanques?
Professional and commercial shoots in the Parc national des Calanques need its prior authorisation. The park says instruction takes about a month, so file as early as possible. The decision can set crew size, place and hours, a fee applies, and the authorisation must be on set. Overflights for filming are only allowed exceptionally.
Can we film in the hills around Marseille in summer?
Not reliably. Typically from 1 June to 30 September, the prefecture decides access to the Bouches-du-Rhône massifs day by day and publishes the map at 6pm for the next day. On high-risk days, massifs are closed to everyone. Keep a cleared backup location for any summer hill or Calanques day.
Is Marseille covered by your Cannes base?
Yes. Marseille is about two hours along the coast from Cannes, and we hire local crew in Marseille rather than bringing a unit from Paris. Élie handles permits and access; Zacharie runs the production on the ground.
Can we combine Marseille with the Riviera in one shoot?
Yes, and it is common. Keep in mind that they are different permit maps: Marseille and its metropolitan area on one side, the Var and Alpes-Maritimes on the other, with different film offices, roads and seasonal rules. We run both from one plan and one budget.
Shooting in Marseille or the Calanques?
Send us your dates and locations, with the format and the size of your crew. We tell you who says yes to each one.
Or email [email protected]. We reply within 3 hours.