Georgia Film Stories
Georgia is one of the top film-production centers in the world, thanks to the Georgians, small businesses and engaged communities that work together to create the best climate for storytellers to succeed.
In fact, the best stories in the business are the personal stories of the Georgians who work behind the scenes — whether it’s the production that has spurred new investment in a local community, the small business that has expanded to serve the industry, or the Georgian who has obtained professional training to become a crewmember on a set. Collaborating with industry partners and Georgia’s “camera ready” contacts, the Georgia Film Office is cataloging stories in Georgia’s film industry from across the state to tell the story of how “Georgia Film Works!” Submit your own Georgia Film success story.
Small Business Stories
Small business stories spotlight the local small businesses that serve Georgia’s film industry.
Production Stories
Production stories spotlight the impact specific movie productions have had in local Georgia communities.
Georgian Stories
Georgian stories spotlight individuals working in Georgia’s film industry.
Georgia Film Academy
The Georgia Film Academy is a collaborative effort between the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia to support the workforce in Georgia’s film industry. It is affiliated with more than 25 campuses across the state and connects Georgia students with production employment.
Merritt Sullivan was a trained horticulturalist and loved everything about plants. But a few years after college, she was frustrated by the limited opportunities in nurseries and landscaping.
The 2012 production of “Wanderlust” had a large impact on Habersham County, with over 200 production crew, staff, and actors residing in the North Georgia county for over 12 weeks. Mountain cabin rentals and local...
When her job in the energy industry was eliminated due to downsizing, Mallory deGolian created a new, thriving career in Georgia’s film and television production industry as a food stylist.
Like a lot of people, Alexander Kane wanted to become an actor in the movies. Against all odds in south Georgia, Kane made that dream come true. And then, like the countless working actors before him, Kane wanted to...
Atlanta realtor, Mary Louise Freeman, used her intimate knowledge of neighborhoods in the city to become a location scout and assistant location manager during the recession. After working on many major film productions...
Senoia is situated in Coweta County, approximately 35 miles south of Atlanta, and has a population of just over 5,000 according to the 2020 US Census. Although primarily a residential community, Senoia has garnered...
When she was young, sleepovers became film sets as Megan Lombardo made movies with her friends playing the starring roles.
"I was always making videos as a little girl," she says. "I don't remember ever wanting to do...
Location Manager Matt Chamberlin knows firsthand the economic impact a film production can have on a local economy.
"Most people are happy to have us in town," he says. "We can have a serious financial impact on a...
Met Clark is a Power Springs native from Thai immigrant parents, who never dreamed their son would be a medic on such productions as “Haunting of Hill House” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” In fact, Met retired early from...
Crafty Apes, a post production company, has grown from two employees to 65 in just 5 years. Co-founded by Chris LeDoux and his brothers Tim, Mark, and David, Crafty Apes has worked on numerous Georgia-based film...
Chad Embree is an artist and lifetime resident of Rome. He’s also an ambitious entrepreneur who used his social media marketing skills to snag a coveted job in Georgia’s film industry for himself and his employees.
Read...
Occasionally we check-in with some of the people featured in our stories to learn how their careers are progressing in Georgia's production industry. Here's an update on Theresa Daniel.
When Covid-19 derailed...
A filmmaker in Canton has finally realized his decades-long dream of directing and writing a feature-length movie.
“Jesse’s Gift” is the feature film debut of director and screenwriter Ken Merritt.
Atlanta Eats has been filming Atlanta's most delicious, interesting and one-of- a-kind restaurants for a decade. We take the approach that just because content is local, doesn't mean it can't be high quality and gorgeous...
Growing up in Savannah, Lawson Bruen loved two things: the movies and the outdoors. He dreamed of working in the film industry and of becoming an environmental scientist.
Now 34, Lawson has accomplished the first with...
Dallas resident and electrical contractor Rick Harris started Harris Diversified as an electrical equipment rental company catering to the film industry. What began as a family operation, quickly grew to 14 full time...
For Boise Cascade, a wholesale distributor of building materials for residential and commercial construction markets, Georgia’s film industry is a consistent and reliable channel for the company that fills gaps during...
The city of Roswell serves as Houston in the Academy Award-winning film, "First Man."
When the construction buyer for Netflix’s “A Man in Full” placed an order for lumber and construction materials with Cofer Studio Supply, the Cofer team launched into action. They triple-checked the order and loaded it...
Covington resident Nicole Kanoy took her love for animals and made it into a business, supplying and training animals for productions in Georgia. It became so lucrative that she started Animals On Set, a small business...
Business owners, Maryelle St. Clare and Christine Nelson, breathed new life into an abandoned warehouse in Atlanta. The sisters, who owned a set decorating company called Oompalala, turned the space into a mini-mall for...
Trenton Tye grew up in Southwest Georgia focused on becoming a blacksmith.
As a child, he became fascinated with the trade while on a field trip to a Civil War site. Trenton now has his own business, Purgatory...
Seth F. Johnson grew up in a world surrounded by creative minds. You could say it’s in his blood.
To put in perspective how high and how fast Natalia Temesgen has climbed the ladder of Hollywood writers, you simply need to know the plan this Columbus State University associate professor of English has to watch her...
