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.
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...
After moving to Georgia from Louisiana more than 30 years ago, Patrice Kelly worked many jobs and wore many hats. Housing manager. Sales support. Administration roles. She grew tired of her path through Corporate America...
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...
For Boise Cascade, a wholesale distributor of building materials for residential and commercial construction markets, Georgia’s film industry is a consistent and reliable channel for the company that fills gaps during...
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...
Like a lot of people, Alexander Kane wanted to become an actor in the movies. Against all odds in south Georgia, Kane made that dream come true. And then, like the countless working actors before him, Kane wanted to...
Tucker native Daren Gayle and his wife Karen are burnishing Georgia’s image one gift basket at a time. They saw an opportunity with the influx of cast and crew coming to Georgia to film. Since then, Georgia Gifts and...
Production Sound Mixer Kevin Strahm found his way to Savannah after working in Augusta, Charlotte, and with his family’s mission in the Philippines. He had always had a passion for the audio visual industry, observing...
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...
As the setting of the HBO series “Sharp Objects,” Barnesville went through a dramatic transformation that brought jobs and economic opportunity. Production crews shopped in stores, hired locals for various set projects...
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...
To put in perspective how high and how fast Natalia Temesgen has climbed the ladder of Hollywood writers, you simply need to know the plan this Columbus State University associate professor of English has to watch her...
Merritt Sullivan was a trained horticulturalist and loved everything about plants. But a few years after college, she was frustrated by the limited opportunities in nurseries and landscaping.
Local talent agencies supply actors to productions large and small, but first you’ve got to get your foot in the door.
When 9-year-old Lila Jane Meadows of Roswell heard an agency, the one that gave Chandler Riggs of...
Georgia’s film industry is growing so fast, that Cinema Greens has had to expand multiple times. Started in 2013 in Hampton, the company dresses set, production sound stages, and event spaces with plants and decorative...
Working in the film industry is a family affair for Justin Bernhard. The Marietta resident watched his grandmother run a talent agency and his father perform as a child actor and stuntman. Today, Justin is a rigging grip...
Location Manager Matt Chamberlin knows firsthand the economic impact a film production can have on a local economy.
"Most people are happy to have us in town," he says. "We can have a serious financial impact on a...
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...
HBO's "Sharp Objects" filmed entirely in Barnesville, Georgia."We hope when this production company leaves they sing the praises of Barnesville."
“I've really seen the market boom in the past few years thanks to Georgia’s film industry.” Chad Casey founded Casey Corporate Transportation in 2003, and he now employs five drivers that fulfill the transportation needs...
Set lighting technician Colin Luke moved to Georgia from Louisiana to join the thriving film industry in the state. As a skilled lighting technician, Colin works with the director of photography to light sets and...
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...
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...
“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...
