The gaming executive’s comments come as Georgia continues building on its reputation as an entertainment powerhouse, with industry leaders now working to extend that success from film and television into gaming and digital media.
Georgia stands out as having one of the world’s most complete esports infrastructures, spanning professional teams, game publishers, educational programs, and supportive policy. The state was pioneering in offering high school varsity letters for esports competitors and became the first to provide tax credits for esports broadcasting, helping attract major tournaments and events to Georgia.
Because us Atlantans are so used to Dragon Con and its presence, it can be easy to forget how much work goes into putting on a convention of this size. So, ahead of this year’s event, which runs from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1, Rough Draft Atlanta spoke with Renee Cooper, director of the Animation Track at Dragon Con, about how the sausage gets made.
Dragon Con, the internationally known pop culture, fantasy, science fiction, and gaming convention, returns to downtown Atlanta for the five-day Labor Day weekend, attracting some 75,000 fans from all 50 states and several foreign countries.
Randy Davidson, founder and CEO of Georgia Entertainment, spoke with Chuck Thomas in early August on the “Chattin’ with Chuck” podcast as part of Atlanta Film Chat.
The workshop brought together industry professionals and emerging creators to explore the possibilities of virtual production and real-time design.
Visionaries from the creator economy came together this week at Shadowbox Studios’ Stage 2 event in Atlanta, activated by Georgia Entertainment and attended by hundreds of creatives and influencers. A key realization they took away is this: now is the time to flourish in a seismically changing, opportunity-rich creative culture where Georgia is soundly a leading global player in all lanes of entertainment and monetization.
This year, the Southern Interactive Entertainment & Games Expo (SIEGE), the largest videogame industry trade show in the south, also joins Games Week Georgia, with SIEGE education content for game developers being integrated within the Esports Summit event and included in the All-Access Pass.
The at-capacity event addressed recent legislative updates and streamlined audit procedures that enhanced Georgia’s film tax credit program, making it more accessible for filmmakers and content creators. Industry experts provided insights on navigating these incentives to help productions maximize benefits while maintaining compliance.
Georgia is quickly establishing itself as a global hub for creative industries, attracting talent and opportunities across a broad spectrum of artistic fields. To thrive in the arts, it was once considered essential to move to cities like New York or Los Angeles, but creative professionals now find Georgia to be a major player, with a rapidly expanding workforce in film, music, digital media and more.