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.
Helming the movies are James Mangold (Logan, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Ahsoka), and Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel, Saving Face).
The film about the world’s most famous plumber, voiced by Chris Pratt, who is transported to an alternate world, grossed $204.6 million and $377.5 million domestically and globally, respectively. That set the worldwide record for the biggest debut ever for an animated film.
Like composing their own big screen soundtrack for the city, Atlanta cinephiles and historic preservation enthusiasts affirmed their support for Tara Theatre to the tune of $50,637.25, just over the initial $50,000 goal.
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has been named one of MovieMaker’s 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee in 2023, celebrating festivals that serve moviemakers and audiences in some of the best destinations in the world.
I have been hearing about South Georgia Studios for a while and plans to build a large studio around the Valdosta area. So I traveled to Quitman, Georgia to learn more. (Quitman is just off of I75, outside Valdosta, 3 hours south of Atlanta). I met with Honnie Korngold and was also introduced to Lisa Folsom, Film Liaison, South Georgia Film Office.
While Atlanta screenwriter Brian Egeston was learning how to fly a plane in 2014, an instructor played an actual flight traffic controller recording of a civilian with minimal flight experience who landed a King Air twin-engine turboprop in Florida after the pilot died midflight on Easter Sunday in 2009.
Ringgold resident Jamison Braly’s fascination with movie-making began when he was a child watching films like “Star Wars,” “Back to the Future” and “Indiana Jones.”
“Are you a musician, or are you in the music business? Because there is a difference.” This quote, attributed to the American rock band Kiss, resembles the direction that the South Georgia Entertainers networking group has taken in serving South Georgia’s entertainment industry.
In the middle of the pandemic, Keith Roush took a literal leap of faith to bring his family and company to Georgia from Los Angeles. Roush Media, a high-end post production firm, now serves both Los Angeles and Georgia. Showing his commitment to Georgia, Keith dissolved his corporation in California and is now a Georgia-based corporation fully committed to the state.
“Our festival depends on the amazing films and filmmakers sharing their work,” said Jason Brown, South Georgia Film Festival Director. “As the industry continues to grow here in Georgia, we are working to nurture those native and independent voices along with shining a light on how those in our community can be involved.”
Mark talks about a misconception many have about who’s benefiting from the direct spending that is facilitated in Georgia via the film tax credit. From his perspective the tax credit benefits Georgia families and Georgia businesses.
The Creative Conference serves to educate, entertain, engage, and enlighten festival-goers by pulling back the curtain on film and television production, giving audiences a behind-the-scenes look at how projects get made. While covering a wide range of topics, this year’s programming will focus on community, craft, and the future of filmmaking.
Great Point Studios, a media-focused company specializing in film and television infrastructure, today announced it has signed a third deal with global content leader Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) and is currently building a major new production facility in Atlanta, Georgia.
Greenspoon Marder attorneys Sandra Brown, Alan S. Clarke, Jerry Juste, and Kendall Minter have been named to Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers List for 2023. Billboard Magazine editors annually select a class of attorneys, nominated by their firms and peers, that are an essential resource for the music industry’s rising artists, songwriters and superstars alike.
The University of Georgia Entertainment and Media Industry Club, more commonly known as The Industry, is hosting its second annual Backlight Student Film Festival on April 13 and 14 to celebrate student filmmakers and their creations.
Also an affirmation that toys and video games are good sources of franchise fodder, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves may be the start of a new movie series for Paramount Pictures if the John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein-helmed action adventure fantasy keeps its opening momentum.
In our survey, you asked for GGDA meetings with bigger impact, and we are delivering. Our April 11 meeting at Hi-Rez Studios includes…
Game Tech Hub focuses on new companies making technology for game developers. Tools like the Unreal Engine, Unity 3D, Discord and others have shown the massive potential of these companies, but traditional accelerators do not cater to or understand their needs.
Kennesaw State is rolling out the red carpet for two former students who helped create one of the highest grossing films of all time, “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
This is a significant step in the negotiations between the WGA and AMPTP as there was a planned two-week break starting from the end of today, with the original idea to come back to the table for eight days beginning on April 17. However, sources have told Deadline that there seems to be a willingness to keep discussions going, in some form, after some common ground was found between the WGA and AMPTP.
“The present slowdown in production notwithstanding, Los Angeles cannot afford to lose its competitive edge when it comes to sound stages and other production infrastructure,” observed FilmLA President Paul Audley. “Local studio expansions and the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program are prerequisites for sustaining the high level of production we have in LA, and for growing it further.”
Films were judged by film professionals included Mavro Diamanti (Development Assistant at Tyler Perry Studios & Writer/Producer of Rockstar Brothers) and Javon Johnson (currently starring in Tyler Perry’s hit tv drama “The Oval”). Johnson took the stage to congratulate the students at the film festival and encouraged them to keep their peer networks as that’s how some great partnerships get formed.
The State of Esports Update: This week’s episode covers women in esports, an update on the Peach Belt Conference competition in Aiken, SC, highlights Kennesaw State’s & UGA’s success and Collegiate Valorant.
As Cinelease continues to expand in Georgia and beyond, company leaders discuss the connection with their parent company Herc and how this connection is part of the first class experience productions can expect. (Gannon Murphy, Jessa Grazioplene, Derek Elkins and Mark Lamberton)
Eclipse Creative, an Atlanta-based team of full-service storytellers, is proud to announce the April 1st launch of the third season of its hugely successful creation, “Homegrown,” on HBO Max, Magnolia Network and Discovery+.
The Minard Wong Foundation intersects with the entertainment industry on many levels. Tim is CEO of Eclipse Gaming Systems headquartered in Duluth, Georgia. The company focuses on select commercial gaming markets blending experience and agility to create captivating slot games. Besides being an award-winning keynote speaker and best-selling author, Didi is also a film and TV producer and financier.
Alabama took center stage at the 95th Academy Awards with Birmingham native Daniel Scheinert’s big wins for the movie he co-wrote and co-directed, “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
When David Kramer landed his first full-time job, two years after graduating from UGA and fresh out of film school at the University of Southern California, he started at the bottom.
Keanu Reeves and his hunted assassin alter ego accomplished what only a few succeeded to do. On its fourth and supposedly adieu installment, John Wick: Chapter 4 demolished – just like how opponents are vanquished in the film – its predecessors’ opening records and also dealt a blow to its competition.
The 47th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference (ATLFF) today revealed key programming highlights, including the opening night presentation and the full lineup of selected works from nearly 10,000 submissions.
There has been so much happening in the commercial real estate space related to film and entertainment in Georgia recently. Raulet Property Partners sold Eastside Stageworks, Gray’s Assembly Studios prepares to open in June 2023, and Patrick Millsaps reportedly wants to build a film production campus double the size of Trilith and quadruple the size of Tyler Perry Studios.
If you get Dr. Sharon Welburn talking about team dynamics, scouting competitors, watching national rankings and preparing for upcoming competitions, you’d be quick to ask her which of Columbus State University’s 13 NCAA Division II sports teams she coaches.
The popular 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 political leaders and government officials acknowledging their role facilitating Georgia’s digital entertainment economy.
Apple Inc. plans to spend $1 billion a year to produce movies that will be released in theaters, according to people familiar with the company’s plans, part of an ambitious effort to raise its profile in Hollywood and lure subscribers to its streaming service.
One of my original goals before graduating college in 2020 was to complete my certification at the Georgia Film Academy (GFA) and be placed on a set through GFA to get more production experience. However, due to the pandemic, I had to shift my intentions since productions were shut down.
The terms and conditions involving rights to digitally simulate a performer to create new performances must be bargained with the union. In addition, any use or reuse of recorded performances is limited by our collectively bargained contract provisions, including those requiring consent and negotiation of compensation.
Streaming grew 7% to $13.3 billion, and comprised 84% of revenues in 2022. The number of paid subscriptions to on-demand music services grew 10% to reach a new high, averaging 92.0 million in 2022, versus 84.0 million the prior year.
According to the report, tourists inspired to visit the home state of the fictional Dutton family spent an estimated $730 million in 2021 and helped generate more than 10,000 jobs across industries like food, hospitality and entertainment.
If Newsom’s plan is passed by the Legislature and signed into law, California’s film tax credit program would become “refundable” in 2025 — meaning that on top of giving qualifying film and TV productions credits that wipe out their state tax liability…