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.
Catering by Chef Rob was started by Robert Smith and is based in Doraville. His company handles all the catering for many productions throughout Atlanta. Since relocating to DeKalb County, Robert has created four...
Gwinnett Place Mall is transformed into an abandoned mall in "The Darkest Minds," where crew and actors spent days filming scenes for the series.
Barbara Zagrodnik has always been on the front lines of the growing film community in Augusta. With each production in Augusta, Barbara sees the impact on crew depth, location logistics, and overall community development...
Nelson Burke has always been known as the “Engineer Guy,” supplying plastics-material for customers in the automotive and home-building industry. Then the film industry changed everything in his business. He now supports...
As the sun rises over Atlanta, the team at Reel Supplies loads up trucks with building materials to be shipped to one of dozens of Georgia film studios. It’s another busy day for the team, doing whatever it takes to...
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...
A bike shop in a funky Atlanta neighborhood has blossomed with the growth of Georgia’s film & TV industry, with its Hapeville warehouse supplying cast, crew and productions with equipment and service.
Macon native Catina was drawn back to her home state after a stint studying film production at UCLA. As the industry acknowledged the incredible growth of the film industry in Georgia, she thought it would be a perfect...
Eric White started as a server in various restaurants around Forsyth, but wanted the chance to explore his creative side in his home state. After graduating from film school, he started working in crew positions on...
Countless people in Georgia benefit from the billions of dollars generated by the state’s film and TV production.
Now, thanks to a rescue dog’s starring role in a summer sci-fi movie, the same can be said for non-human...
Joy Merle of Sandy Springs started her catering company, Finding Flavor, out of her mother’s kitchen. When she lost her biggest customer in 2015, she turned to film productions to find more clients. “I sent out about 200...
Greg Fischer grew up in Atlanta, but when he and his wife fell in love with rehabbing old houses, a friend suggested they move to where the action is - Macon.
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...
College Park resident Dwight Abercrombie credits the film industry for getting his life back on track. Before working in film, he worked “dead-end” jobs that all seemed to end the same. An opportunity at EUE/Screen Gems...
Sunnyside ATV Paradise, located in Wrens, Georgia, has found itself as the perfect location for Georgia-based productions. It has served as the mountains of Afghanistan to the backdrop of various music videos. But it...
Covington, located approximately 35 miles east of Atlanta, has been long established as a pivotal film and television production hub in Georgia. Benefiting from its scenic cityscapes, robust production infrastructure...
Erika Crawford Gordon of Rome is a Registered Nurse with Northside Hospital who found a way to make extra income as a babysitter on production sets for TV and film. With this new revenue opportunity, Erika has been able...
“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...
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...
“In a business, two brains are always better than one!” Storyboard artist Brian McGee perfectly sums up his relationship with wife and agent Audrey Beharie. The two of them teamed up to start B.R.E. Productions...
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.
Kayla Thomas thinks we could all use a little more humor in our lives.
What inspired her to get involved in the film? “It really started when I was in Georgia College my sophomore year. We had a film class and learned...
Recent movie production has drawn excitement from Macon residents. HBO has been filming off Cherry Street in downtown Macon, and city officials have been happy with the economic investment it has brought. Productions can...
Film “opened up a new market” for Hall Atlanta Wholesale Florist, a family-owned small business that has been around since 1921. The company has supplied arrangements to productions in order to meet every visual medium...
