Made in Georgia
We are all exposed to the film industry in Georgia; whether it’s that Made in Georgia peach at the end of the credits or driving past Stranger Things’ Hawkins lab on Briarcliff road. But, we don’t always know why so much of what used to be Hollywood has become Atlanta. A large part of the filming location migration is due to a tax incentive offered through the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act. Incentives in Georgia were put into place in 1973 as a result of the positive economic impact on the northeastern region of the state caused by the filming of Deliverance. Through the incentive program, 30% of a film’s production expenditures can be transferred into tax credit. Along with benefiting from Georgia's tax incentives, productions also benefit from the diverse landscape of Georgia. From the rolling hills and cities of the piedmont region to the sharp peaks and rural communities of the Appalachian mountains. Use of these landscapes is seen clearly throughout film and T.V.. Deliverance utilizes the rural mountains while Baby Driver takes place in bustling Atlanta. Even the extensive Atlanta suburbs are used for filming like in Stranger Things
If a production requires a setting not naturally available in Georgia they can utilize the advanced film studios that have been built in Georgia. These studios, called sound stages, are large hangar-like buildings that are acoustically suitable for filming things like dialogue. Sound stages also allow for the use of elaborate set pieces and green screens to create a more fantasy or science fiction setting. Interiors of buildings are also often filmed in sound stages because the stage can be filmed as the interior of any building.
Filmmaking in Georgia not only benefits the production companies, but it also has an economic impact on the state. This is the reason Georgia incentivizes filmmakers to use Georgia locations. Growth in the Georgia film industry is not about just the star actors. Films bring large crews which spend money on hotels, food, and entertainment and provide jobs for many Georgians. The motion picture association of America reports that the film industry in Georgia is responsible for around 85,300 jobs and 4.2 billion dollars in wages. Even people who work for independent studios and sound stages benefit from the industry as studios are usually booked in the Atlanta area. Without the immense film industry in Georgia it is unlikely the state would be as important and prosperous as it is today to the number of television shows and movies being filmed in Georgia. Although most people find the Hollywood sign as a symbol of the film industry, the past years have seen a shift from California to our own home state. For us, that may mean seeing our favorite stars downtown or seeing our neighborhood in a show, but for the state, the shift symbolizes a much more significant economic growth.
By Jake Bogartz