Georgia's film industry boom is a big win, not just for bustling cities like Atlanta and Savannah, but for smaller communities across the state.
Imagine a movie crew setting up shop in your downtown square, filming scenes on Main Street, and renting out local shops for temporary sets. This isn't just Hollywood fantasy; it's a reality for many Georgia communities that are actively attracting film and television productions.
Georgia's Film Industry Takes Off
The magic started in 2008 with the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, which offered unprecedented tax breaks to qualified productions. Since then, the state has invested heavily in building film studios, training crew members, and helping communities showcase their unique assets. The results are impressive: in August 2024, the Georgia Film Office reported a whopping $2.6 billion spent by film and TV productions in the state over the past year.
The film office’s Camera Ready program has shined a spotlight on film-friendly communities throughout the state. All 159 counties in Georgia have a designated Camera Ready Liaison who works directly with the Georgia Film Office. Liaisons are trained to work with film scouts. They also promote their community’s location assets on Reel Scout, a location database hosted on georgia.org, as well as through industry-specific publications.
“With our state’s widely diverse landscapes, architecture and towns, there are many locations scouts won’t be aware of otherwise,” said Stacey Dickson, president of the Lake Lanier Convention and Visitors Bureau, who is the Camera Ready liaison for Hall County. “There are challenges to drawing productions out of metro areas like Atlanta and Savannah - but it can and is being done.”
How Filming Benefits Your Community
The local impact of the film industry is wide-ranging. Here are reasons why city and county leaders are vying for a piece of the action:
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Film productions create a variety of jobs, from actors and set designers to caterers and off-duty police officers. The state and local governments are working to make sure those jobs are filled by Georgians. The Georgia Film Office hosts a directory of production crew and support services called Reel Crew, as well as a Help Wanted Hotline featuring projects that are currently hiring.
The Georgia Film Academy is a partnership between the film office and state universities, technical colleges and independent institutions to build a professional workforce. There are 28 campuses throughout the state. “Governor Deal started the academy in 2015, and it's really helped us build our crew base,” Thomas said.
Camden County created its own website, filmcoastalgeorgia.com, that includes a database of local talent. Crew and vendors can register on the site, making it easy for studios to find Georgia-based workers. This will be especially significant when Pigmental Studios-- the company behind hits like "Despicable Me"--completes construction of a $200-million studio complex at the former airport near downtown St. Marys, according to James Coughlin, executive director of the Camden County Joint Development Authority.
“Right now Camden County is used to people waking up in Georgia and going to work in Jacksonville. And our proximity to Jacksonville is one reason why this project works,” Coughlin said. “But we hope that this will build the local economy.”
Boost for Local Businesses
Restaurants, hotels, and shops see a surge in customers when a production rolls into town. "They may be in town for a couple of days, weeks, months, a year. And they are staying in your hotels, eating at local restaurants, shopping at your stores, and adding to the local economy," Coughlin said.
This extra income supports a wide array of local businesses, from office space, to warehouses, to specialty shops, said Film Office Director Lee Thomas.
“We hear from a lot of antique stores that sell set dressing, especially around the Covington area where Vampire Diaries is filmed. I know of a woman who asked me when the film is coming back, because it's such a big benefit to anybody that's in that business,” Thomas said.
After a production leaves town, Camera Ready liaisons report the total economic impact to the Georgia Film Office, helping state officials keep tabs on the big picture.
Increased Tourism
Seeing their town on the big screen can put a community on the map, attracting tourists who want to experience the filming locations for themselves. A tour or mobile app highlighting popular scenes can increase the tourism value of local filming.
The Cherokee Office of Economic Development recently updated its Filmed in Cherokee app, which was launched in 2021. Users can use the interactive map to create their own self-guided adventure or follow a curated tour, such as the Historic Highlights, Family Fun, Spine-Tingling, or Foodie tours. The app reveals on-set photos, insider stories, facts about productions, and even secret film projects in Cherokee County, according to the economic development office.
Making Your Town Film-Friendly
Local leaders can play a vital role in attracting film productions. Here are some steps they can take:
Streamline the Permitting Process
Make it easy and efficient for film crews to get the permits they need to film in your town. This shows them you're open for business. The Camera Ready website offers sample permits, location agreements and many more resources for local governments.
"It’s important to have permitting to track productions, provide transparency in your area’s requirements and expectations while also showing hospitality toward the industry," Dickson said.
Camden County created a unified permitting process and a one-stop-shop for studios at filmcoastalgeorgia.com. Coughlin said that was a small investment with a huge return.
Promote Your Assets
Use the Camera Ready website to catalog potential locations. And don’t just list the obvious, Thomas said. “Sometimes it’s the one odd location that becomes the driver,” she said. “They call it ‘making a meal out of it.’ Once they find a location in an area, then they try to find other locations that are nearby.”
For example, a limited series was searching for a working pig farm. They found the ideal filming location in Barnesville, then added other convenient locations nearby. “It was hard for us to find, but once we found that pig farm, they shot the entire limited series in Barnesville,” Thomas said.
She used another example from Valdosta. “Zombieland” filmed at Wild Adventures theme park, then the filming locations spread to other houses and businesses in the area.
Be a Film-Friendly Partner: Work with film crews to minimize disruption to residents and businesses. This positive experience will make them more likely to return.
"An important part of the permit process is having a local network of officials, such as police, fire, public works, who are included in the process to ensure productions are safe and are not disruptive to local citizen’s daily routines," Dickson said.
The Takeaway
The Georgia film industry is booming, and the benefits are reaching far beyond metro areas. By taking proactive steps, smaller communities can become film-friendly destinations, attracting productions and creating a brighter economic future for their residents. So, the next time you see a movie set up in your town, remember – it's not just entertainment, it's an investment in your community's success!