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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 Monaco
Monaco sits on the French Riviera and is a different country. Filming requests go to the Principality's own authorities, not French ones, in a state where almost every metre of public space is already spoken for. We run Monaco days from our Cannes base.
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A sovereign state, its own rules
Not a French communeThe most common mistake on a Riviera schedule is treating Monaco as the next town along the coast. It is a sovereign state. A French filming permit, whether from a commune, the Département or a French prefecture, has no value at the border. Filming requests in the Principality are handled by the Principality's government and services, under their own process.
We are a production service company working across France from Paris and Cannes, and Monaco sits inside our Riviera operation. Élie prepares and files the Monaco request alongside the French permits for the rest of the shoot; Zacharie brings the unit in from Cannes. You get one plan for a shoot that crosses a border, without two suppliers.
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Who issues what
French side vs Monaco sideSituationAuthorityLead time
Public space in MonacoStreets, squares, port, viewpointsThe Principality's own authorities, not French onesWe give it per request
Private locations in MonacoHotels, restaurants, apartments, yachtsThe owner or operator, plus the Principality where public space is affectedCase by case
Drones over MonacoAny flightMonaco's own rules apply, separate from French DGAC clearanceWe give it per request
The approach from FranceCorniches, coastal roads, villages above MonacoFrench communes and the Département, as on the rest of the Riviera2 to 5 weeks (indicative)
Drone on the French sideAny flightDGAC and the prefecture, always separate3 to 6 weeks
The Corniche shot is two jurisdictions
A car descending the Corniche into Monaco is a classic brief. The top of the shot is in France (commune or Département roads, French drone rules); the bottom is in Monaco. That is two countries, two processes and two sets of documents for what looks like one continuous take. We file both sides together and match the dates, so the French road clearance does not expire before the Monaco one arrives.
Very little room. Monaco is small and dense, and its public space is busy all year: tight streets, constant traffic, security everywhere. Expect controlled crew sizes, short windows and precise unit base plans. We tell you what is realistic in your window before you build the storyboard around it.
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The Monaco calendar
Seasonal notesMayThe Monaco Grand Prix, usually in May or early June. The circuit is built into the streets for weeks around race weekend, and the city is full. Shooting the event itself is a rights and accreditation question; shooting around it is a logistics one. The Cannes Film Festival is usually around the same time, so Riviera crew and hotels are scarce.
June to AugustHigh season. Terraces, port and beaches crowded; accommodation expensive on both sides of the border.
SeptemberThe Monaco Yacht Show, usually in September, fills Port Hercule with large yachts and the trade. Good for yacht content, hard for anything else at the port.
October to AprilThe quietest windows for street and port shots, with more flexibility on locations and crew.
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What shoots here
Selected2025Adidas × Edison ChenMonaco Grand Prix & CannesExecutive production of the Stan Smith campaign during the Monaco Grand Prix and the Cannes Film Festival, with George Russell.Wrapped
Monaco is a commercials and branded content location first: automotive, motorsport, luxury, watches and jewellery, yachts. It is rarely a shoot on its own. Most of our Monaco days sit inside a longer Riviera schedule, with villas, coves and the Corniches on the French side.
Crew and logistics
We do not bring a Paris crew to Monaco for one day. Riviera crew from our Cannes base come in, with kit from southern rental houses and drivers who know the border traffic. For productions travelling from Paris, Zacharie comes down with the unit. Accommodation is often cheaper on the French side, in Menton, Beausoleil or Nice, and we plan the unit base accordingly. See crew sourcing and location scouting.
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Selected work
Verified credits▶ WatchDo you need a permit to film in Monaco?
Yes, for anything in public space beyond a discreet handheld shot. Monaco is a sovereign state, so filming requests are handled by the Principality's own authorities, not French ones. A French permit does not cover Monaco. We prepare and file the request and give you the realistic lead time for your dates.
Does a French filming permit cover Monaco?
No. Monaco is a separate country with its own authorisation process. A shot that starts on a French road and ends in Monaco needs a French permit for the French side and a Monaco authorisation for the Monaco side. We file both together so the dates match.
Can we film during the Monaco Grand Prix?
Filming the race itself is controlled by rights and accreditation. Filming around it, in the city and with talent, is possible but the streets are taken by the circuit and the city is full. We ran the Adidas × Edison Chen campaign with George Russell during the Grand Prix, combined with the Cannes Film Festival.
Do you have crew in Monaco?
We bring Riviera crew from our Cannes base, along the coast, with kit from southern rental houses. For productions coming from Paris or abroad, Zacharie travels with the unit. This avoids flying a full crew in for a short shoot.
When is the best time to film in Monaco?
Between October and April, outside the big events. Late spring brings the Grand Prix (and the Cannes Film Festival on the same coast), September usually the Yacht Show, and summer the crowds. If one of those events is your subject, plan months ahead.
Tell us what you need to shoot.
Format, dates, locations, crew size. We come back within three hours with what is possible and what is not.