Georgia Entertainment, in partnership with AMA Atlanta, hosted the inaugural SEAT: Sports, Entertainment, Art, Tourism Converge conference at Assembly Studios on April 22 presented by Universal Production Services and Discover DeKalb. The event also served as the opening VIP night of the Atlanta Film Festival.
SEAT brought together leaders from across industries to reflect the creative convergence taking shape in Georgia.
Watch the official reel on Instagram
“What’s Working Creatively in Georgia”
The creative industry in Georgia is booming. A panel of speakers who conduct business in the state explored why, including Paul Carpenter, AMA Atlanta; Dawn Musser-Sepanick of Three Point Capital; Brandon Rochon, chief creative officer of Notorious 111; Chad Tennies, executive producer of Resolve and Jared Kozel, chief creative officer of Super Nice. They offered insight on what separates Georgia from other creative industry hubs, from its talent and crew base to its global reach and generous incentives.
Rochon said, “The creative industry is only as creative as the people in it, so we are building the pipeline and the infrastructure to keep the creatives here.” On investment, he added: “We are putting our money where our mouth is,” noting that “everyone in Atlanta is not only trying to eat but trying to feed others.”
“Lights, Camera, ROI: How Commercial and Film Production Infrastructure Turns Culture into Brand Value”
With Georgia’s creative infrastructure in full swing, how can it best serve the world of branding and marketing? Panelists included Honnie Korngold, Georgia StoryLab; Jonas Barnes, CEO of Pixie USA; Marshall Manning, founder of StoryBacked; Michael Quigley, co-founder of QVH and Megha Parikh, head of strategy at VML.
Quigley described what he sees as the next wave of advertising: “Brands need to think of themselves as mini media and content studios. It’s about constantly making a connection with their audience, keeping an open dialogue, and courting their trust.” He added that every ad should be treated not as a nuisance but as a “story that resonates.” Parikh echoed the sentiment: “In advertisement and art, our goals are the same. We want an audience. We need to blend our mediums, and the more we accept and embrace that, the better off we’ll be.”
“When the World Comes to Georgia: Sports as Cultural Economy”
With the FIFA World Cup coming to Georgia this summer, sports represent more than widespread fandom. They are a distinct culture with a distinct economy. Panelists included Julian Fitzgerald of Cxmmunity Foundation; Peter Provost of Provost Studios; Delores Burgess of DeKalb Arts Council and Dr. Greg Ramshaw a professor at Clemson University.
Provost drew a clear line: “Sport is culture, culture is sport. You can’t separate the two, but my hope is that the storytellers take the opportunity of the World Cup being here to tell something great, something authentic, finding Atlanta in the sport to share a story with the world.”
Atlanta Film Festival
SEAT served as the VIP kickoff event for the Atlanta Film Festival’s 50th season. Atlanta Film Society executive director, Chris Escobar and board chair, Josh Harris, spoke about the milestone and legacy. Their appearance was paired with a special director’s cut screening of the “Idiots” trailer. The film features Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Peter Dinklage and was screened in full during opening night of the festival at the Plaza Theater.
The event closed with a networking reception featuring live entertainment by Kate Garnes, hors d’oeuvres and specialty cocktails.
SEAT was presented by Discover DeKalb and Universal Production Services in partnership with AMA Atlanta. Additional partners included CineFi, Ramo Law, Quixote, Resolve Media, ABS Payroll, Classic Tents, DoubleA Productions, DJ Kate Garnes and others.
Official red carpet photos | Courtesy of Shootworks
Photos and reel by Purplesky Media, Elise Nation, Crizz Quinn and Jennifer Reynolds.
