By Carol Badaracco Padgett
Fresh off the film tax review meeting in Athens on October 4th, the Georgia Unscripted roadshow in Middle Georgia comes at an opportune time. One filled with mountains of advantageous developments on the horizon – and coming fresh out of the WGA strike. RSVP here
The time is prime to talk Middle Georgia, with the region being a film and television white-hot firebrand since film production first surfaced in Georgia. Middle Georgia has provided fertile production grounds for more high profile films than most realize, going all the way back to Smokey and the Bandit in 1977.
Since then, these recent titles are just a sampling of acclaimed films lensed in the region, which includes cities like Warner Robins, Macon, and Perry and counties Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, and Twiggs: Black Widow (2021); Green Book (2018); The Fate of the Furious (2017); Fast Five (2011); Ron Howard’s Hillbilly Elegy (2020); and The First Lady (2022).
According to Middle Georgia Times, the top two films alone that were shot in the region, Black Widow and Green Book, generated $268 million at the box office.
Now, Middle Georgia is setting the stage for another film and entertainment industry sellout — Georgia Entertainment’s sixth stop in the Georgia Unscripted roadshow on October 18, 2023. RSVP here, because the Middle Georgia roadshow installment, held at the Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB just outside Warner Robins, will deliver late-breaking, industry-critical intelligence and insight.
Along with its role in bolstering Georgia’s entertainment industry today, Middle Georgia rests within the unique pull of the Macon-Warner Robins Combined Statistical Area which has an estimated population nearing 450,000. It is a geographic jewel that mixes forests with smaller-town settings and is home to powerful forces with industry relevance such as the Macon Film Commission and Film Macon. Both are partners in helping Georgia Unscripted roadshow in Middle Georgia speak to the area’s film and entertainment industry concerns and its important role in the state’s broader picture.
Middle Georgia is also the home ground of the Warner Robins Chamber of Commerce, a Georgia Unscripted supporter and catalyst for entertainment activities in the region.
Another major Middle Georgia player is the Macon Film Festival. The independent, immersive festival has its headquarters and a box office in The Grand, Macon’s historic opera house listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As a high-impact performing arts center today, The Grand is the nexus of arts activities for Mercer University, the South’s well known private research university. Mercer is also home to a robust School of Music – a breeding ground for Georgia music professionals to bolster this entertainment industry element that lends a $5 billion economic impact to the state.
Another player in entertainment-related education in the region is Middle Georgia State University in Cochran, Georgia, less than 40 miles from Macon and a participating institution with the Georgia Film Academy. The not-for-profit GFA in Atlanta delivers an entertainment arts program that gives Georgians the skills they need to build strong careers in the entertainment industry and fortify the state’s creative economy from within. The university also offers a production track under its Bachelor of Arts in Music program that includes courses in studio recording and mixing.
Entertainment industry businesses in Middle Georgia include Mayhem Productions LLC, the studio of record for numerous independent film festival nominees and winners, including those screened in the Macon Film Festival.
Other production facilities and industry-related businesses in the region include Bright Blue Sky Productions, with a focus on digital content creation, as well as rental business Macon Productions LLC.
Film set design, too, is happening in Middle Georgia, with construction businesses like Perry’s Parrish Construction Group – a local roadshow supporter – designing and building sets as part of its services.
In Georgia Unscripted roadshow’s sixth stop in Middle Georgia, a sought-after collection of creative visionaries, business executives, talent, educators, government officials and elected leaders will enlighten attendees on Georgia’s creative economy, its continued opportunities and growth strategies.
RSVP to save a spot in Middle Georgia.
