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.
After losing her job in special education, Jessica Lowry capitalized on the popularity of productions filming right in her backyard of Covington. She created Hollywood of the South Tours to take “Vampire Diary” fans...
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...
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...
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...
When he entered the University of Georgia as a freshman, Kyle Hamlin had decided opera was his future.
"I thought I wanted to be an opera singer," he says. "I realized that was not the path for me, so I switched to...
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...
HBO's "Sharp Objects" filmed entirely in Barnesville, Georgia."We hope when this production company leaves they sing the praises of Barnesville."
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.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
“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...
Nora Clark did a bit of a zigzag on her way to a film production career in Savannah. But now that she's there, she envisions staying put.
"I came to Savannah to teach dance," she says. "I was finishing a class when a...
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.
Veteran Jason Benton started Great Dane Production Services in 2016 to help “solve problems” encountered by production companies filming in the state. His company, which employs 12 employees, provides air quality testing...
Working in sports TV production, Rachel Fry found it difficult to raise a child and continue with extensive travel affiliated with her job. The Georgia film industry provided her with the stability to settle down and...
Makeup artist, Travis Pates, has witnessed firsthand the explosive growth of the film industry in Georgia. And with this growth comes greater experiences and responsibilities for those in Georgia film production industry...
BPS Companies of East Point reinvented itself during the recession to cater to the growing entertainment industry in Georgia. The 64-year-old company with 95 employees initially focused on auto parts distribution and...
After moving to Georgia from Puerto Rico to work in production rigging, Manny Rivera saw an opportunity to start his own business. Grip It Good was founded in 2015, and it supplies rigging equipment to TV and film...
Myles-Anthony Johnson, age 17, asked all the right questions, and that’s exactly the point:
• How do I get involved?
• What degrees would help me get into the entertainment industry?
• What are some of the jobs that...
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...
