Hanna Brothers, goes beyond incentivizing their work force with traditional benefits by investing in their culture.
Japan is launching a highly anticipated production incentive programme to attract films, high-end TV and streaming projects to shoot in the country.
Georgia’s economy is rolling, stacked with diverse industries – like a mutual fund neutralizing risk, hedging against forces like inflation, interest rate fluctuations, and other slow down factors. At the core is the state’s investment over the years in the creative and entertainment space – film, digital production, music and gaming.
WABE is presenting the FREE one-of-a-kind community experience in partnership with NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest. The music festival is set for 2–8 p.m. on Sunday, June 25, at Calloway Plaza, Woodruff Arts Center.
Competing in esports is more than about racking up points and wins. For many members of Columbus State University’s esports program, their teammates and the broader competitive environment are their “circle.”
The impact of the Creative Economy is not just financial. In fact, some of the less obvious effects like social well-being, cultural definition, and quality of life are equally important outcomes of a robust Creative Economy.
Ghost Gaming, a premier gaming organization and lifestyle brand, and XP League, the premier youth esports league, are expanding their southeast regional partnership with a new XPL location in Atlanta and custom co-branded merchandise by Skullz.®
Atlanta’s best geek culture convention, MomoCon, will fill the Georgia World Congress Center Memorial Day Weekend 2023, May 25 through May 28, 2023 for four days of cosplay, gaming, panels, music, and vendors.
Gray Television, Inc. promoted Sandy Breland from Senior Managing Vice President to the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Sandy succeeded Bob Smith, who recently retired after a long career with Gray in various capacities.
Reopening as a sister cinema to The Plaza Theatre in the Poncey-Highland neighborhood, the Tara will present art house and independent films daily starting Thursday. The grand re-opening evening will include a brief afternoon ceremony followed by ticketed screenings of four films with nods to the venue’s history.
Universal’s Fast X has gotten off the starting blocks with an estimated $319M global opening.
The television star and her family bid adieu to Los Angeles and moved to Georgia, “The rural areas of Georgia have an amazing sense of community we were lacking in L.A.”
Join us June 17, 2023, as we celebrate the Columbus game and simulation industries. Check out the most recent games, try out new technology and meet other tech leaders in this fast-growing community.
Cobb County students learned about different career opportunities in esports, technology and gaming.
Like the esports industry itself, Columbus State University’s esports program has grown as competitive opportunities and the games at the center of those competitions have expanded.
Preview of the Spring Mash-up, an invite-only event for GEL member schools, an update on the GHSA High School Esports State Championship, and a recap of the successful Make-A-Wish, GA Stream For The Wishes campaign.
The Legislative Counsel Bureau, the nonpartisan staff serving the legislature, estimates the Nevada Film Studio Infrastructure Act could result in the state awarding nearly $4.9 billion in tax credits between now and 2048.
Riveting’s client list includes Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Drake, DJ Khaled, Chris Brown, Redman, Backstreet Boys, Diddy, Mary J Blige, Post Malone, G-Eazy, Nicki Minaj, Tyga, Usher, others.
Kellan Lutz (Twilight), Neal McDonough (Minority Report), and Mila Harris (No Exit) have signed on to star in The December Cross, with Archstone Entertainment securing world sales rights and Joshua Harris and Jon Gosier of FilmHedge financing.
In a note that just went out from Parks and Resorts boss Josh D’Amaro to Disney Parks, Experiences & Products employees just now, Disney is abandoning its plan to move around 2,000 staffers and their families to central Florida from California.
The latest project by Avondale Estates resident, Cara Consilvio, “For the Love of Friends,” a documentary chronicling activist Brent Nicholson Earle’s 10,000-mile run around the country in 20 months to bring awareness to the AIDS epidemic, will be airing for the first time on Public Broadcast Stations on June 1st.
Production is due begin in September in Georgia on the project, in which more than half of the characters in the ensemble cast will deaf and portrayed by deaf actors. Brothers Jevon and Delbert (producer) Whetter are from a multigenerational deaf family, while actors Harvard and Durant are also deaf.
Jon Gosier and the team at FilmHedge kicked off the Cannes Film Festival representing Georgia and its award winning creatives.
Filmmakers infused the photography of the action-packed feature with a considerable amount of colored lighting effects and specific design elements in addition to extensive VFX work.
The Georgia Latino Film Alliance (GALFA) is proud to announce the launch of its groundbreaking Career and Resources Center, a dynamic platform designed to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in the film industry.
Set designers, chefs and prop masters are out of work and growing anxious.
A champion for the development of infrastructure for the creative economy, Leon expects huge growth in Georgia.
The new stars of fashion debut cutting-edge collections live on the runway and in the multiversal realm of SCAD’s latest fashion film.
Due to the ongoing uncertainty and meaningful challenges that exist industrywide, Peabody has decided to cancel the 83rd annual Peabody Awards ceremony that was set to take place on June 11 in Los Angeles.
The developer is Bastrop Colorado Bend, led by Alton Butler, who also owns California-based Line 204 Studios — a company that provides stages and equipment rentals to the likes of Netflix, Hulu and the NFL.
Frazier & Deeter (FD), a Top 50 accounting & advisory firm, has been recognized as a “Best to Work for” in the 2024 Vault Accounting 25. FD placed 16th, moving up from 20th for 2023, and holds first place in Business Outlook and Compensation for Vault Accounting Quality of Life and Diversity
Entertainment writers are striking coast to coast. In the last decade, median weekly writer-producer pay declined 4%, or 23% after adjusting for inflation, according to the WGA.
As I sat next to George R.R. Martin chomping on hot dogs at the Braves Game and discussing the next collaboration between George and Moonshine Post-Production’s editor Patrick Perry, I was struck by a divine fly ball to the forehead, an epiphany, on how far Moonshine Post has come in the last 10 years to lead me to this moment of chillin’ with the man who brought Game of Thrones to our shelves and screens.
Business and entertainment professionals from all over Georgia attended the Columbus Film Commission’s quarterly meeting on Wednesday, May 10th. These events connect entertainment professionals, artists and local businesses together to hear from local officials and experts regarding the state of entertainment.
Today’s announcement recognizes filmmakers in 12 categories for their achievements and cinematic excellence.
This video was released a few hours ago. While the video tugs on emotional heartstrings of Texans – like how can we lose out to Oklahoma? Georgia and others? Those sentiments are only window dressing to rally popular support for current legislation.
What’s going on here? Don’t Texan politicians and economic development leaders know there’s no ROI from investing in incentivized spending on film productions? Don’t they know the direct beneficiaries of film credits generally are not Texas-based companies? Has the world gone crazy???
Olsberg SPI (SPI) has been commissioned by the Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition to undertake a multi-year economic impact evaluation of Georgia’s Entertainment Industry Tax Credit.
The biggest role of Georgia Production Partners now is to make sure legislators know the value of the state’s film tax incentives, and the impact on job creation for Georgians.
Multiple new sound stages are planned at Tyler Perry Studios in southwest Atlanta. Seven building permits were filed Monday in Atlanta, each calling for a 20,000-square-foot precast concrete building for a sound stage and two-story offices.
The worldwide distribution division will see Amazon originals and MGM library titles, which number 4,000 film titles and 17,000 TV episodes.
Kelsey Moore, Executive Director of Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition, released a statement regarding the WGA Strike. GSEC is closely monitoring the strike and its impact on Georgians and small businesses that support the state’s industry.
Bill Sanford, the National Director of Operations for Cinelease Studios, reflects on recruiting and retaining studio positions in a work culture of problem solvers with a singular focus – smooth and successful productions.
Disney/Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has rocketed to an estimated $282.1M global opening. The international box office weekend was $168.1M in 52 material markets.
Missouri wants to attract Hollywood back to the Show Me State. The Missouri Legislature has passed tax credits for the film and music industries.
We currently anticipate that construction on the Assembly Studios portion of Assembly Atlanta and much of the infrastructure for the entire project will be completed in the summer of 2023. Soon thereafter, we expect that the new facilities will begin ramping up revenue from both long-term and short-term leases of soundstages and related facilities to various content producers.
University of Georgia students Garrett and Xander Chiaramonte establish Clear Mountain Entertainment, a one-stop-shop for artist management, media services, band booking and event production. They knew Athens would be the heartbeat of CME and are committed to creating jobs for local creatives.
Broadway actor and voiceover artist Michael Stiggers Jr., a 2009 graduate of Columbus State University’s Theatre Education program, returns to his alma mater on Friday, May 12 as the featured speaker for its three commencement exercises. Among his credits are Broadway appearances in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” making him Columbus State’s first graduate to perform on a Broadway stage, and “The Lion King.”
The tax credit program has been one of the most successful economic development programs generating $9 of economic activity across the state for each tax credit dollar allocated.
This is the AMPTP’s first public pronouncement since talks broke off Monday night, when it said that had “presented a comprehensive package” of proposals to the guild that included “generous increases in compensation for writers as well as improvements in streaming residuals.”
The largest Georgia Entertainment 100 event ever was held at ICP Production Centre April 19th in Westside Atlanta. The invite-only affair hosted the who’s who of film, music, gaming and broadcast around the theme of workforce development and education.
Georgia Production Partnership (GPP) has a long history of dedication to the growth and support of the thriving entertainment industry in Georgia. The organization has effectively championed the Georgia Film Tax incentive that has been a crucial catalyst to the continuation of Georgia’s rich tradition of storytelling.
The issues writers face in 2023 that the Writers Guild are trying to redress in this contract directly relate to changes in the industry resulting from the new technologies that were only emerging in 2007.
So far, AI is all slick surface. That could push musicians toward warmer, more organic sounds. Will Rock Strike Back?
A CSRA native makes some noise in Hollywood this week.
“Our goal is to be an easily accessible, turn-key film & TV studio offering superior facilities, services, and a friendly, reliable experience for our production clients,” said Co-founder, Dan Rosenfelt.
“I have two studios in my district. They’re both doing well,” said Rep. Ray Garofalo, R-Chalmette, citing studies by the lieutenant governor’s office which say that the tax break generates $1 billion to $2.2 billion in economic activity in Louisiana every year.
While the film office has been highly successful in helping make Georgia a leading hub for movie and TV productions, it hasn’t been as successful with the music industry, said Mala Sharma, president of Georgia Music Partners, the state’s leading music industry advocacy organization.
Blade, the latest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is getting ready to start filming this month in Atlanta, Georgia. The project, which has faced no shortage of challenges in development, will film at Tyler Perry Studios.
News of the strike, which takes effect in a few hours, came late Monday after the guild’s negotiations with the AMPTP failed to reach an agreement on a new film and scripted TV contract. It’s the WGA’s first strike since the 100-day walkout of 2007-08.
Your WGA Negotiating Committee spent the last six weeks negotiating with Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony under the umbrella of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
MBA and MSBA students work to quantify key factors that make creative economies flourish.
Rory Walker is an independent business owner, award-winning creative, and most notably the celebrated CEO of Vividrich HQ, Atlanta’s creative hotspot. The pulse of Vividrich HQ has now been solidified in Georgia, with a commitment to unleash the potential of the independent creative.
Mala Sharma of Georgia Music Partners provides background and information regarding the formation of the organization and their role advocating for the music industry in Georgia.
With this worldwide feat, the video game movie adaptation scored other points. The Super Mario Bros. Movie became the fourth film to join the $1 billion club since the COVID-19 pandemic – Spider-Man: No Way Home, Jurassic World: Dominion and Avatar: The Way of Water.
Raine Harkins always had an affinity for film production. Inspired by the classics like “The Godfather” and “Pulp Fiction,” his desire to create and tell stories began at a young age, but Harkins’ path to the industry was not linear.
“With the best in class infrastructure and world-class crews – as Georgia-based creatives – we are uniquely positioned to establish the next phase in transforming the nation’s top production industry into a bona fide film industry, complete with writer’s rooms and the ability to not only create from script to screen but to finance, package and secure distribution; the power to green-light, all from right here in Georgia.”
Doug Steiner, the chair of Steiner Studios — which runs 30 sound stages in the Brooklyn Navy Yard — said the state needs to keep boosting a growing industry. “The pilot that reaches 30,000 feet, he doesn’t turn off the engine,” Mr. Steiner said.
Company 3 Senior Colorist Jill Bogdanowicz recently completed work grading John Wick Chapter 4. She has handled grading duties on the John Wick series since Chapter 2, which also happened to be when Dan Lausten joined as cinematographer.
Georgia State University’s School of Music hosted a weekend of all things Sync, the art of combining songs with moving images, featuring some of the top music supervisors in the industry.
Georgia continues to be a hub for movie and TV productions, but most of these are filmed in Georgia and developed outside the state. The Atlanta Film acknowledges and showcases Georgia’s home-grown filmmaking creativity, while also focusing on features and shorts from around the world.
A celebration of Columbus’ own legendary blues singer, Ma Rainey, is happening on April 26 in the Fountain City. It’ll be held at the historic Ma Rainey Home on 5th Avenue.
We were excited to see the announcement this week from Lt. Governor Burt Jones and Speaker of the House Jon Burns announcing their appointees to review Georgia’s film tax incentive. Remember the Governor, Speaker and Lt. Governor wisely announced the review during the heat of this year’s legislative session.
Today, Lt. Governor Burt Jones and Speaker of the House Jon Burns announce their respective appointees who will work on behalf of the Georgia General Assembly to review all Georgia tax credits, including Georgia’s film tax credit. Announced last month, this review is intended to support Georgia businesses while ensuring a significant return on investment for Georgia’s taxpayers.
Dozens of statewide legislators, entertainment executives, advocacy leaders and other government officials attend to network with peers around the theme of continuing Georgia’s leadership in job creation and education in the creative industries.
New Mexico has recently approved an increase in their film tax credits. On April 7, Governor Grisham approved portions of an omnibus tax bill that saw increases to many credits including those offered to film and production.
As of 2022, 35 U.S. states offer some form of incentive to the film industry to encourage production activities within their borders. Nonetheless, while various markets enjoyed brief periods of boom, including Arizona and Missouri, few were able to sustain that success – let alone expand upon it.
Red Earth will have its world premiere at the 47th Atlanta Film Festival, to be held at the historic Plaza Theater in Atlanta, April 20-30th. The film will screen as part of the feature film program, where it was nominated for the festival’s ‘Best Cinematography’ award and will screen at the Plaza Theatre on Saturday, April 28 at 10:00pm.
Set in a speakeasy in Atlanta, “Twenty” is a feature documentary about fifteen young people making it through 2020. The film is an observational time capsule that lays bare the raw reflections of a group of people surviving a year that will be seared into our generational memory.
Every spring, our 11-day festival presents approximately 150 to 175 local, domestic, and international works selected from over 10,000 submissions (consisting of 7,900+ films and 2,100+ screenplays) representing approximately 40 countries.
Episode 6 of The State of Esports is here! We inch ever so quickly toward summer, but the updates in the collegiate esports space aren’t stopping. This episode…
“Filmhedge is sponsoring the Marche du Film’s International Film Finance Forum as well as a number of other events at Cannes like the Producer Forum, where many films land lucrative distribution and sales deals,” said Gosier. “These events comprise the top echelon of the entertainment industry.”
I recently met with Joel Harber, Athena Studios CEO in Athens after learning they had just received the certification of occupancy for the studio. When I arrived late in the afternoon, there was one vehicle I could spot – Joel was there. It would be a memorable moment for me as he and I were about to walk the property virtually alone, buildings purposed built, massive studio walls towering over us – we were in that “space between” – the space between creation and activity.
Jon Gosier is Co-founder and CEO of FilmHedge. He says trust is the primary problem investors have with putting money into films. FilmHedge was started to help address the trust issue and open up capital for filmmakers.
There’s something to be said in favor of the post-credits scene boom, in that it encourages people to actually watch the credits. Those names scrolling by are real people who did their part in creating the art that we all love, everyone should sit and appreciate them.
“The studios need to really demonstrate a lot more results before we can move forward with any further tax credit,” Ting told Variety in an interview on Wednesday. “We may need to wait a year… California provided the money, but they didn’t provide the jobs to a diverse group of Californians.”
“Citadel will become our biggest relocating TV series so far in terms of qualified spending, while a project like True to the Game affirms that our tax credit program also addresses the needs of smaller-scale yet still very impactful TV projects.”
Southern Entertainment, the producers of Carolina Country Music Fest, the Barefoot Country Music Fest and Greenville Country Music Fest, has partnered with TRZ Management and JRM Management Services to bring country music stars to Cobb County.
“A lot of people have asked me over the years why I didn’t take my skills to Atlanta and work with that rich bed of talent there. But if I leave, what would be left in our community? It’s not like there aren’t other places to record in Atlanta. There, I’d have just another studio. I stay to provide a service to the people of southwest Georgia.”
WABE, Atlanta’s choice for NPR and PBS, is ramping up its staff as it continues strengthening its investment in local journalism, original, Atlanta-centered video, and podcast content.
The Between the Rivers neighborhoods are about to be costars in an upcoming Netflix production believed to be the action/comedy “Back in Action” featuring Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz and Glenn Close.
“We are excited about the return of the IMAGE Film Awards Gala and proud to honor this esteemed group of individuals who have made vast contributions to Georgia’s film industry and community,” said Chris Escobar, ATLFF Executive Director.
This curation commemorates a larger community offering, led by the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeastern United States, in support of Israel’s official independence which occurred 75 years ago this April.
Chipper, a short film directed by Shaun MacLean and executive produced and starring Jayson Warner Smith, will be screened at The Atlanta Film Festival on April 27th at 7pm. Now in its fourth decade, the Atlanta Film Festival, one of only two-dozen Academy Award® qualifying festivals in the U.S., is the area’s preeminent celebration of cinema.
The Columbus Film Commission has announced that Scott Votaw, executive director of the Georgia Film Academy (GFA), will be the featured speaker at the next quarterly meeting on May 10th.
The largest Georgia Entertainment 100 event ever will be held next week in Westside Atlanta. The evening affair will host the who’s who of film, music, gaming and broadcast around the theme of workforce development and education. The invite only gathering is also an opportunity to honor elected leaders and government officials acknowledging their role facilitating Georgia’s digital entertainment economy.
Jay Rabbit is Founder and CEO of ICP. The company has been Georgia’s go-to source for professional audio production solutions for over 40 years. Today, Jay talks about the challenges companies have retaining employees and finding great people.
The Georgia Music Foundation announces it has awarded more than $230,000 in Georgia Music Grants for 2023. Fifty-six schools and non-profits across the state from Dahlonega to Donalsonville have received grants to support their music programs.
“Our category-defining platform will continue to empower advertisers to reach our sought-after, young moviegoing audiences with scale and measurability. Today’s transactions will position us to deliver the strong results our advertisers and cinema partners have come to expect from us today and well into the future,” said Tom Lesinski, CEO of NCM Inc.
“Union professionals in the arts, entertainment, and media industries remain committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said DPE President Jennifer Dorning.