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.
For Ginger Steele of Columbus, Georgia's film and TV production industry provided a new career path in her 40s.
Ginger, now 51, was working in radio when Columbus State university began offering its associate degree...
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...
Movie stars such as Bruce Willis and Luke Wilson have been seen around Tifton, but the excitement around filming in this community extends far beyond celebrity sightings. The economic impact to Georgia’s “Friendly City”...
Austin Arizpe had dabbled in stunt work enough in Texas and New Orleans to know that he liked it. In fact, he decided to make it his next career, after an injury had ended his time as a dancer, with classical ballet...
Dallas resident and electrical contractor Rick Harris started Harris Diversified as an electrical equipment rental company catering to the film industry. What began as a family operation, quickly grew to 14 full time...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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.
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...
Hollywood productions often call for specific, elaborate set decorations. Take the show "The First Last," for which Myers Carpet of Dalton produced three 38-foot oval rugs for the Oval Office sets of different...
The Savannah Economic Development Authority (“SEDA”) facilitates business attraction, retention, and expansion in Savannah, operating various divisions including the Savannah Regional Film Commission (“SRFC”). The film...
Navy veteran and Snellville resident, Kent Roland, always had an interest in film. He had various jobs in Atlanta after leaving the service. But it wasn’t until he took advantage of the resources with VGIFT (Veterans of...
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...
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...
Michael Monty grew up in Georgia, went to college in Florida, then planned to head to California to start a career in film... Only to discover there were more jobs back home.
"The infrastructure in Georgia just led to...
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...
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...
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...
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...
If you love to shop, you’d love Amanda Cornell’s job. She buys most of the stuff that winds up on a movie set. Actually, it’s more than shopping.
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...
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...
