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.
Nikki Johnson, a set dresser from Jasper, says she is grateful for the film industry and the opportunity to make a good living without a college degree.
“My husband and I are building a house right now,” says Nikki....
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.
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...
Cast and crew of the movie, “Reactor,” have started filming in Cordele. Drawing on the unique resources of south Georgia, the production was able to film in Fitzgerald and Valdosta. Producers are also employing a number...
Ellenwood resident, Jeff Nix, found a way to use his expertise of reptiles and exotic insects to make a living in the film industry in Georgia. Over the past couple of years, he has built a business off supplying...
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...
Back in the 1950s downtown Covington was a thriving retail center for Newton County. On the square shops sold shoes, clothes, jewelry, and furniture. There were restaurants, hair salons and barber shops. Then came the...
HBO's "Sharp Objects" filmed entirely in Barnesville, Georgia."We hope when this production company leaves they sing the praises of Barnesville."
Jantzen Winnig, a Covington native, grew up with a passion for filmmaking. He also was very fortunate to have constant productions filming in his backyard of Newton County. This allowed him to meet many directors and...
The trustees of Timothy Lutheran Church (TLC) in Woodstock were excited to get an unexpected windfall from the Christian movie “A Walking Miracle” filmed in Georgia. While looking for a location to shoot a pivotal action...
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...
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...
Writer, actor and voice/dialect coach Kristina Reiersgard was in Savannah to produce a new independent film. To find extra work, she posted her credentials on the Savannah Regional Film Commission website and shortly...
“Ozark is one of the 234 TV and film productions that helped make a dent in Georgia’s economy during fiscal year 2020. From production of season 3 alone, more than 1,000 Georgians were hired largely as members of the...
Terri Morales-Davis became a background actor out of curiosity. Now it's a longtime avocation that stretches the family budget.
"It pays for the little extras," says the stay-at-home mother. "It's like a paid hobby."
...
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.
Daniel Minchew opened Studio Space Atlanta in 2008 and Atlanta Filmworks Studio in 2013, and he has been growing his infrastructure ever since. Recently, Studio Space Atlanta opened a warehouse space in Smyrna, featuring...
Retired sheriff’s deputy, Ben Payne, started Risk Management Associates of Georgia to address the security challenges on production sets and studios. He now employs 50 full-time employees, with many of them being on-call...
Local companies are opening all over the state to support the growing film industry, but the University of Georgia recognized there was a gap in the coverage.
"We realized what we were missing was the training of...
WaterMan Spring Water in Athens has been delivering water to film crews throughout Georgia. Founder Greg Reece used to work for the city of Athens but now has shifted to working full time for his small business that...
Scott Nickelson left Georgia after high school only to return 20 years later to work as a communications technician within the film industry. Now living in Rome with his family, Scott is part of Exchange Communications...
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...
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.
Every year hundreds of commercials are filmed in Georgia, capitalizing on the crew, actors and infrastructure shared by the booming film and television production industry, and playing an important role in the careers of...
