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.
Daniel Deckebach started working in restaurants to supplement income, but he found greater economic opportunities as a grip in Atlanta’s film community. By happenstance, he served crew members in a restaurant in East...
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...
It was a rough time for C&C Draperies, a decades-old family business in Tucker.
About a decade ago, the housing market and changing times had crumbled the old business model.
“Nobody does residential draperies anymore...
Catrina “Cat” Dygert hasn’t been wasting time. The self-described journalist and filmmaker has already co-written a screenplay that has been turned into a film; plays, monologues, articles, and reviews are on her resume...
St. Simons native Sara Alread always had a dream to be a film producer, but work seemed to be scarce. After forging a career in graphic design, she found more film producing opportunities as more productions came to...
Georgia prides itself on having locations to fit almost every film staging, and Clayton County native (and GSU graduate) Kyle Hinshaw knows them all as a location manager. Whether it’s Atlanta as a setting for a car...
Mamie Pound always had a passion for the entertainment industry as she worked as a local radio and television personality. After she left the industry, she opened her own small business, the Rothchild Pound House Bed and...
Dallas becomes the hometown setting for CW’s “Stargirl.” See where else the series was shot, and why a tax incentiative is just one of the many reasons “Stargirl” calls Georgia home.
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...
“I've really seen the market boom in the past few years thanks to Georgia’s film industry.” Chad Casey founded Casey Corporate Transportation in 2003, and he now employs five drivers that fulfill the transportation needs...
Jeremy Colwell has an unusual relationship with movies. He tends to like the ones other people don’t. The Mike Myers version of Cat in the Hat is a case in point. “Check it out; it’s an underrated gem,” he says. A...
Theresa Daniel retired from teaching in Monroe County and was looking for her “second act.” She found it as an actress in over 75 productions that have filmed in Georgia. Theresa got her start as an extra in an...
For Decatur resident Nikki Dillard, following her dream to enter the film industry meant moving to a new state that has become a global leader for movie and TV production, according to officials.
Originally from Chicago...
Kalena Boller is a location manager from Hapeville who came to Atlanta after graduating with a film degree from Howard University. Through working in the industry, she become inspired by the stories of the legions of...
“I know Savannah like the back of my hand. I knew I found my career path.” Laura Bryant has built a career on location management for film and TV productions, but it was after trying various jobs that enabled her to find...
Taylor Vickers followed her husband in the film production location industry. One production lead to another, and eventually she was asked to help scout the HBO series “Sharp Objects.” She drove all over Georgia until...
Filming under the Gold Dome! "The Walking Dead" transformed the Georgia State Capitol into a dystopian museum, making it the first production set of its kind. Governor Nathan Deal even dropped by the set.
Brandon Marsh was determined to develop his passion for film into a career path in his hometown of Columbus. But it wasn’t until the newly opened Georgia Film Academy began offering classes through Columbus State that he...
Georgia.org Content: Darrius Tucker of McDonough graduated from the Georgia Film Academy and immediately found himself on the set of the world’s most popular productions, including The Walking Dead and Black Panther...
Hudson Hickory House in Douglasville has been owned and operated by Buford and Scot Huson since 1971. But it wasn’t until the growth of Georgia’s film economy that the restaurant had the opportunity to shine in front of...
When movie star Robert De Niro wanted to know how to hold his gun, while playing a Georgia sheriff, he asked Joe McCrea.
And when Robert De Niro wanted to know how to say his lines, as a Georgia sheriff, he listened to...
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...
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...
Barnesville artist, Andrew Henry, found a way to marry his passion for visual arts and Georgia film. He worked on the set of HBO’s “Sharp Objects,” painting many of the murals in Barnesville which served as the fictional...
