The film industry in Georgia, as of 2016, is the most productive in the United States by the number of feature films produced.
Atlanta is home to Turner Studios, Tyler Perry Studios, and EUE/Screen Gems Studios, which are all essential components of the Georgia film business.
The Georgia film industry has benefited considerably from tax incentives established in 2002 and 2008. According to industry estimates, the tax incentive expenses the state $141 million (2010), while just in the fiscal year 2017, film and TV production had an economic impact of $9.5 billion in Georgia. Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (2008), Life as We Know It (2010), Contagion (2011), and a slew of Marvel Studios productions, including Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, as well as Ant-Man and the Wasp and Black Panther, are all examples of films shot in Georgia. Since then, the state has continued to be a popular filming destination, with productions such as Stranger Things and Ozark setting up shop in Georgia for extended periods.
The tax incentives have become controversial in recent years, due to their high cost to the state and the perception that they mostly benefit large movie studios rather than small businesses or individual filmmakers. Nevertheless
What is Georgia ranked in the film industry?
Georgia surpassed California in 2016 as the state with the most feature films produced overall, according to Box Office Mojo.
Why is Georgia a great location for film production?
In 2002, Georgia became the first state to offer a sales and use tax exemption for purchases made at point-of-sale. In May 2005, Georgia enacted the State’s second and most progressive tax incentive, the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act. The bill created a 20% transferable income tax credit for qualified film and television productions investing $500,000 or more in the state.
In May 2008, Georgia enacted the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act of 2008, which increased the tax credit to 30%. The bill also allowed for a 20% tax credit on all wages paid to Georgian residents working on qualified productions, as well as an additional 5% tax credit if the production uses post-production services, music scoring, or music tracks created in Georgia.
In July 2008, Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law a bill that doubled the amount of money the state offers in tax breaks to film and television productions, from $10 million to $20 million a year. The new law also increased the maximum tax credit that can be claimed on wages paid to Georgians working on film and television productions from $500,000 to $1 million.
In June 2010, the Georgia General Assembly passed House Bill 658, which extended the 20% transferable tax credit to include live theatrical productions. The bill also increased the annual cap on tax credits to $50 million.
In December 2014, lawmakers in the Georgia General Assembly approved a bill that would provide an additional $5 million in tax credits for film and TV productions shot in the state. The bill also raised the maximum amount of tax credits that can be claimed on wages paid to Georgians working on film and TV productions from $1 million to $1.5 million.
Why are film businesses attracted to Georgia?
The Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office reports that more than 700 feature films, TV movies, TV series, single episodes, and pilots have been created in the state of Georgia since 1972. In the year 2017, film and television production had an economic impact in Georgia of $9.5 billion.
According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development:
- Georgia (Atlanta) has more than 5,000 individual technicians and other employees
- On a medium-budget feature film, the average number of local personnel is approximately 150-175.
- There are about 200-250 local workers on a larger budget production.
- The average feature film budget is $41.7 million.
- The overall (below-the-line) proportion of feature film budget spent in a state is typically 60% to 70%, with local productions receiving a greater share.
Facilities
Atlanta has evolved into a hotbed for film and television production, with the presence of Turner Studios, which creates material for the Turner Broadcasting family of stations; since 2008 the Tyler Perry Studios in Southwest Atlanta; and since 2010 the EUE/Screen Gems soundstages in Lakewood Heights, south Atlanta, as well as facilities used by Georgia Public Broadcasting. Film and digital entertainment production have grown rapidly in the state of Georgia, with more than 1,800 film and television productions shot in the state in 2017.
Atlanta is a popular filming location for films and many well-known TV shows such as The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Tyler Perry’s series, and Family Feud (2011 to present). Under GEDC tax credits, Floyd County Productions produces The FX sci-fi comedy program Archer and several Adult Swim animated programs. In 2014, Pinewood Studios opened a spacious film studio in Fayette County, Georgia. Films such as Ant-Man and Captain America: Civil War has been produced at the facility.
Productions in Georgia
In 2009, the state produced 348 films. These film industries may be completely or partly funded by producing feature films, television movies, series, pilots, and miniseries; commercials, music videos, documentaries, and still pictures.
In the fall of 2019, Tyler Perry completed Tyler Perry Studios on pre-Civil War muster grounds, temporary Confederate Army barracks, and US Army Ft. McPherson from 1866 to 2011. Since then, it has served as a filming location for several major films.
Films shot in Metro Atlanta.
Films shot in Atlanta include Little Darlings (1980), Sharky’s Machine (1981), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Outbreak (1995), Tyler Perry‘s Meet the Browns (2008), Life as We Know It (2010), Contagion (2011) and Baby Driver (2017)
Covington, in metro Atlanta, has been the location for a slew of film and television productions, including the top-rated TV series The Vampire Diaries and In the Heat of the Night. The city of Atlanta has long served as a filming location for various genres of films, including action, drama, and comedy. The New York Times recognized the city’s horror and zombie-themed film production in 2011.
Films shot outside Metro Atlanta.
- Crawfordville has been host to more than eight feature films and television movies, including Get Low, Sweet Home Alabama, The Neon Bible, Stars and Bars, and Coward of the County.
- Savannah has been host to dozens of feature film and television projects: The Last Song, The Conspirator, The Legend of Bagger Vance, Forrest Gump, The Gift, Glory, Forces of Nature, The General’s Daughter, and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.
- Columbus hosted The Fighting Temptations as well as We Were Soldiers, Survive the Night, and The Green Berets
- Rome hosted Sweet Home Alabama and Remember the Titans, The Mule, and Black Widow.
- Americus was host to the TV movie To Dance with the White Dog.
- The small town of Juliette was revitalized when Fried Green Tomatoes was largely shot there.
- Sherwood Pictures produced the Christian theme films Flywheel, Facing the Giants, Fireproof and Courageous, all filmed in and around Albany.
- The American post-apocalyptic zombie comedy Zombieland amusement park scenes were filmed at Wild Adventures theme park in Valdosta.
Television Shows Filmed in Georgia
- The Walking Dead is shot nearly entirely in Georgia. The first season used many locations in and around Atlanta, and subsequent seasons have moved to a 120 acres (0.49 km2) lot outside of Senoia and additional locations nearby.[20][21]
- Stranger Things was principally filmed in Jackson as a stand-in for the fictional Hawkins, Indiana, with other nearby areas serving as other sets.[22]
- A number of Adult Swim series, such as Lazor Wulf, Squidbillies, and Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell, are produced out of Atlanta; the FXX animated series Archer is also created in Atlanta.
2019 Georgia film boycott
In response to the heartbeat bill being signed into law, some production companies and individuals announced that they would be boycotting Georgia entirely. In contrast, others said they would continue filming in the state but donate money to organizations fighting the bill. Disney, Netflix, WarnerMedia, AMC Networks, and Viacom are among the boycotters. Some production companies that have announced they will continue filming in Georgia and donate money to organizations fighting the heartbeat bill include Sony Pictures Entertainment and NBC Universal.
, while just in the fiscal year 2017, film and TV production had an economic impact of $9.5 billion in Georgia. Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns (2008), Life as We Know It (2010), Contagion (2011), and a slew of Marvel Studios productions, including Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, as well as Ant-Man and the Wasp and Black Panther, are all examples of films shot in Georgia. Since then, the state has continued to be a popular filming destination, with productions such as Stranger Things and Ozark setting up shop in Georgia for extended periods. The tax incentives have become controversial in recent years, due to their high cost to the state and the perception that they mostly benefit large movie studios rather than small businesses or individual filmmakers. Nevertheless){kind=link}