Georgia Film

I attended the Professional Entertainment and Sports Association at the University of Georgia today and an interesting panel was available to attend titled, "The Current State of the Film Industry: Atlanta." Naturally this caught my eye. My majors are Film Studies, Mass Media Arts, and Marketing, and like every entertainment career seeker I am often confronted with the question of whether I should move away from Georgia to the entertainment cities of New York or Los Angeles. For the past two years I have interned with a small production company in L.A. and gained a great deal of insight and experience in my short time in the industry. But, today's panel gave me a bit more faith in the entertainment city that is growing around me, Atlanta. And it is not surprising that we have a very strategic and sound economic potential to attract a great deal of industry giants to Georgia for film. So, my biggest takeaway was definitely a new perspective on the opportunity available in Atlanta.

But the industry is still quite young in Atlanta. The main thing attracting production to our state is the 30% tax incentive that is instated; which is a great way to bring in project after project, but what's to say something like this won't leave when this incentive leaves or a better deal pops up. The panel spoke to how Atlanta needs more permanent industry within the state, and if you have been paying attention to some of the industry news, Pinewood Studios setting up a soundstage in Peachtree City, there are definitely signs pointing in that direction.

Georgia native film is also beginning to blossom. Films like the "Spectacular Now," which was directed by an Athens native and filmed in Georgia, is a great example of the opportunities that are available here. I hope that this type of production continues. It gives me a great deal of hope and inspiration.  For the future of the film industry in Georgia I hope that films made about the South from a Southern perspective comes to the forefront. Maybe it's being overly optimistic but there has real potential to expand our unique culture through the extremely creative channel of film. We have the opportunity as Georgians to reach a broad audience and create content about Georgia and the South. I think that with this new opportunity for mainstream film, this kind of niche film can blossom from the economic benefits that are coming to Atlanta and the rest of Georgia.