TV Ad Makers Find a Place in the Florida Sun. (Originated from The Miami Herald)

May 16--Most locals already know South Florida has become a magnet for high-profile television and film productions like Oliver Stone's Noriega, Arnold Schwarzenegger's True Lies and David Frankel's Grapevine.

But Ridley Scott for Sheraton? Jeff Gorman's Lexus? Peter Cherry shoots Closeup?

As South Florida's film and TV production industry takes its first big steps, there is a new baby on the block. The production of television commercials in South Florida is slowly coming into its own. It's fueled by the area's international cachet, a growing pool of local talent and some adventurous New York and Los Angeles transplants who have set up shop here.

"When I came to South Florida in 1980," said Don Baret, "everyone was saying Miami was the 'Third Coast,' after New York and Los Angeles. After 14 years here, I see that's finally coming true." Baret is executive producer for Broadcast Video, a North Miami post-production company that does about 80 percent of its business in commercials.

"There always has been local TV commercial …