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.
Jordan Tyson followed in his father’s footsteps to become a lighting technician. Born and raised in Macon, he saw how his father made a 15 year career in lighting and gripping countless productions in the state. Jordan’s...
Athens resident Danielle Rusk is a key assistant location manager who sees the film industry’s impact on small businesses every day. In her role she must coordinate business relationships with tent companies, equipment...
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...
“After being shut down for months, it felt good to give the people in our community jobs,” says Savannah native Mark McCullough, writer and director of “A Savannah Haunting.” COVID briefly shut down production in Georgia...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
Stacy Milner remembers having to explain the acronym to her peers.
The longtime entertainment industry professional was discussing helping students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) break into her...
Jason Hanline always knew he wanted to be a filmmaker in some way.
From binging his favorite movies to making his own low-budget pieces, he has had a passion for film since he was a kid. But when it came time for...
David Nash was a struggling remodeling contractor who decided to try his hand at set carpentry in the film industry. Today, he is the owner of his own studio, Wilder Studios, which has been fully booked since it opened...
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...
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...
Georgia.org Content: Chelsea Lockhart graduated from SCAD with a Masters in Production Design and began her career as a production assistant. Because of the booming film industry in Georgia, she quickly was able to use...
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...
Beth Castro and her catering company, Elizabeth’s Catering, specializes in custom cakes. Word quickly spread in the film industry, and she was hired to do wrap parties and production catering. What started as an...
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...
As the film industry continues to explode in Georgia, local colleges and universities are adjusting their programs in an effort to give students and alumni a voice in show business.
Whether they want to be in front of...
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...
Like so many others working in the Georgia film and television production industry, Gee Gee Smith kept working at something she loved and turned it into a career in film. You won’t see her on the big screen, but you’ll...
HBO's "Sharp Objects" filmed entirely in Barnesville, Georgia."We hope when this production company leaves they sing the praises of Barnesville."
Atlanta native Ariel Kaplan grew up watching her mother run an antique store. Now, she is the one looking for unique items as prop master and set decertor in the film industry. Ariel loves researching the periods for...
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...
