We all know that films are typically filmed or set in places like New York City or Paris. While films are not increasingly set in Georgia, within the last 15 years, they sure are filmed here.
In 2008, a state tax credit was signed into law, giving productions in the state up to a 30% tax break. Since then, films have turned to filming in Atlanta and Georgia as a whole.
Since the tax break, Georgia’s entertainment industry went from making 241 million to close to 9.5 billion in 2017. Furthermore, Georgia as a state itself, has a lot to offer.
“The temperate climate, allowing for year-round shooting, as well as the varied aesthetics of the towns, cities and mountains of the region, have been cited as the main reasons producers are choosing Georgia over anywhere else,” writes Cassam Looch for Culture Trip.
After the passing of the Heartbeat bill in 2019, a bill that bans abortion after 6 weeks gestation, Georgia was under fire by many actors and filmmakers. Actress Alyssa Milano led the charge against the bill. She created a petition for actors and filmmakers, a refusal to work in the state.
She tweeted, “To @BrianKempGA & Speaker Ralston: Attached is an open letter signed by 50 actors against #HB481. On behalf of the undersigned–as people often called to work in GA or those of us contractually bound to work in GA–we hope you’ll reconsider signing this bill. #HBIsBadForBusiness”
While this has been the biggest stir in the pot since Georgia’s film prominence, It did not waiver the state’s rising dominance. While it has traction in the United States, Georgia also is reaching a global audience.
Season 3 of Stranger Things is the most-watched original Netflix series ever. 3 of the 4 Hunger Game films were shot in Atlanta. The Walking Dead was shot in Senoia and The Vampire Diaries in Covington.
While all of these are significant, nothing quite compares to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From Spiderman to Captain America to Doctor Strange to Loki, Atlanta can proudly say we have seen them all.
Filming in Georgia is ongoing, with “Black Panther 2” filming in Brunswick, GA, last month.
Georgia has a strong presence in the current media landscape. From Brunswick to Atlanta, there are opportunities for anyone interested in film.
With such a global reach, Atlanta and surrounding counties are some of the fastest-growing places in the nation. It is time to break the myth that Georgia has nothing to offer.
As a college student, I felt I had to go far and wide to have success and opportunity. Being in Georgia can give anyone in the world a chance to be someone, especially in film.
