FILMING ON OR AROUND BROADWAY IN NASHVILLE
Lower Broadway is one of Nashville's most recognizable locations, but it can also be one of the more complicated areas to film.
Between heavy pedestrian traffic, vehicles, businesses, tourism, live events and limited production parking, a Broadway shoot should be planned carefully.
If you're considering filming on or around Broadway, start with the Metro Nashville Office of Film + Special Events.
METRO NASHVILLE FILM + SPECIAL EVENTS
DO YOU NEED A FILM PERMIT?
If your production is filming on or using Metro-controlled public property, including streets and sidewalks, a Metro Nashville Film Permit may be required.
This is especially important if your production needs to:
Place cameras, lighting or equipment on public property
Impact pedestrian traffic
Use public sidewalks
Reserve public parking spaces
Close or restrict a street or lane
Temporarily control traffic
Use significant space for crew or equipment
DOWNLOAD THE NASHVILLE FILM PERMIT APPLICATION
FILMING INSIDE A BROADWAY BUSINESS
Bars, restaurants, honky-tonks and other businesses along Broadway are generally private property.
If you're filming inside a privately owned business, you'll need permission from the property owner or authorized representative.
However, a private location does not automatically give your production permission to use the public sidewalk or street outside.
If equipment, crew, vehicles or production activity extend onto public property, additional Metro permitting may be necessary.
SIDEWALKS + PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
Lower Broadway can experience extremely heavy pedestrian traffic.
If your production needs to place equipment on a sidewalk or restrict pedestrian access, include that information in your permit planning.
Productions should not assume they can simply block pedestrians temporarily to get a shot.
If a sidewalk closure or other use of the public right-of-way is required, additional permitting through the Nashville Department of Transportation + Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) may apply.
STREET + LANE CLOSURES
If your production requires a street or lane closure, additional approval is required.
NDOT handles temporary street, lane and sidewalk closure permits.
Traffic-control plans are also required for right-of-way permit submissions, with additional requirements depending on the location and scope of the closure.
TEMPORARY STREET + LANE CLOSURE PERMITS
NDOT TRAFFIC CONTROL GUIDELINES
POLICE + TRAFFIC CONTROL
Some Broadway productions may require police or approved traffic-control personnel.
This can become relevant for:
Driving shots
Picture vehicles
Intermittent traffic control
Street closures
Busy intersections
Large production footprints
Public safety concerns
Discuss these needs during permitting rather than assuming production crew can control public traffic.
PRODUCTION PARKING
Parking is something to consider early when scouting Broadway.
Metro's current film permit allows productions to request that paid public parking spaces within the shoot footprint be blocked through the applicable Right-of-Way Permit.
Metro currently charges $21 per parking space, per day, and requires at least three business days' notice for these requests.
Depending on the size of your production, it may be more practical to establish crew parking, trucks, holding or basecamp away from Lower Broadway.
EVENTS + CROWDS
Downtown Nashville regularly hosts concerts, sporting events, festivals, conventions and other large events.
An otherwise workable Broadway location can become significantly more complicated depending on what else is happening downtown that day.
Before locking the location, check:
Major concerts
Bridgestone Arena events
Nissan Stadium events
Festivals
Street closures
Conventions
Downtown special events
The day and time of your shoot can make a major difference.
JOHN SEIGENTHALER PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE
If you're considering the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge for filming or still photography, Metro requires additional approval and a separate usage agreement.
Metro's current film permit lists additional usage fees for the bridge.
Check with the Film + Special Events Office for current availability, restrictions and fees.
METRO NASHVILLE FILM + SPECIAL EVENTS
COMMUNITY + BUSINESS NOTIFICATION
If your production closes a street, Metro requires notification to affected businesses and residents.
Metro may also require notification when there isn't a full closure but the production could adversely impact the surrounding area.
This is particularly important in a dense commercial district like Lower Broadway.
SCOUT BROADWAY AT THE RIGHT TIME
If you're considering Broadway as a location, scout it at approximately the same day and time you plan to shoot.
Broadway at 7:00 AM on a Tuesday and Broadway at 8:00 PM on a Saturday are essentially two different production locations.
Pay attention to:
Pedestrian traffic
Vehicle traffic
Noise
Deliveries
Parking
Business hours
Sun direction
Signage
Equipment placement
Possible holding areas
Load-in and load-out
The creative may work perfectly while the logistics do not.
OFFICIAL RESOURCES
METRO NASHVILLE FILM + SPECIAL EVENTS