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.

Ellenwood resident, Jeff Nix, found a way to use his expertise of reptiles and exotic insects to make a living in the film industry in Georgia. Over the past couple of years, he has built a business off supplying...
Jantzen Winnig, a Covington native, grew up with a passion for filmmaking. He also was very fortunate to have constant productions filming in his backyard of Newton County. This allowed him to meet many directors and...
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...
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...
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...
College Park resident Dwight Abercrombie credits the film industry for getting his life back on track. Before working in film, he worked “dead-end” jobs that all seemed to end the same. An opportunity at EUE/Screen Gems...
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...
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...
Recent movie production has drawn excitement from Macon residents. HBO has been filming off Cherry Street in downtown Macon, and city officials have been happy with the economic investment it has brought. Productions can...
Crafty Apes, a post production company, has grown from two employees to 65 in just 5 years. Co-founded by Chris LeDoux and his brothers Tim, Mark, and David, Crafty Apes has worked on numerous Georgia-based film...
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...
Atlanta Eats has been filming Atlanta's most delicious, interesting and one-of- a-kind restaurants for a decade. We take the approach that just because content is local, doesn't mean it can't be high quality and gorgeous...
Barbara Zagrodnik has always been on the front lines of the growing film community in Augusta. With each production in Augusta, Barbara sees the impact on crew depth, location logistics, and overall community development...
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...
Gwinnett Place Mall is transformed into an abandoned mall in "The Darkest Minds," where crew and actors spent days filming scenes for the series.
Met Clark is a Power Springs native from Thai immigrant parents, who never dreamed their son would be a medic on such productions as “Haunting of Hill House” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” In fact, Met retired early from...
Kayla Thomas thinks we could all use a little more humor in our lives.
What inspired her to get involved in the film? “It really started when I was in Georgia College my sophomore year. We had a film class and learned...
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...
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.
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...
Seth F. Johnson grew up in a world surrounded by creative minds. You could say it’s in his blood.
Growing up in Savannah, Lawson Bruen loved two things: the movies and the outdoors. He dreamed of working in the film industry and of becoming an environmental scientist.
Now 34, Lawson has accomplished the first with...
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...
