Reeve-Rabb said she attended the Sundance Film Festival premiere of the film, and was touched by the moment a number of SCAD faculty, students and alumni names came across the screen during the credits.
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.
“We are very well set up to work remotely,” showrunner Angela Kang tells The Hollywood Reporter about how the coronavirus has impacted work on the AMC zombie series.
Two months after state auditors highlighted shortfalls in Georgia’s Film Tax Credit program, lawmakers have approved a bill that would tighten the requirements for the incentive.
Following President Trump’s order for businesses and schools to participate in social distancing in light of safety practices against the coronavirus pandemic, several TV and film productions throughout Georgia have been temporarily suspended.
Melissa Sanders is the CEO of Tadpole Communications and part of the Georgia Entertainment PR Alliance. She talks to us about the integration of entertainment and how gaming, music and film collided in Georgia.
Drew Sawyer is CEO of Moonshine Post, a leading post production company based in Atlanta Georgia. Recently he spoke with us about connecting and collaborating with other professionals at events like the Georgia Entertainment 100 events.
Daren Tang of Singapore today won the nomination to be the next Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The following is a statement from Motion Picture Association Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin.
No Film School has been closely following the coronavirus and its impact on the population, film industry and industry events. Last week, SXSW was cancelled for the first time in 34 years.
The Atlanta Film Festival is honored to announce the Finalists in the 2020 Screenplay Competition. Chosen from just shy of 1,300 submissions, these screenplays represent those moving forward from our feature film, television pilot, and short film categories.
Always subject to change and often set before filming begins, here is the latest info on release dates for projects that filmed in Georgia. From Explore Georgia.
The South Georgia Film Festival set the scene Saturday both for movies made by national filmmakers and a meeting about the state of small town cinematography.
Disney and Pixar’s youthful fantasy flick Onward was the top finisher in this weekend’s exciting box office race. It opened wide in the US at 4,310 locations and took in a relatively healthy $40 million from its showings over the three-day Friday through Sunday period.
Okay, fine: Quentin Tarantino wrote, directed and produced Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. But if you’re an aspiring moviemaker, you may not want to emulate him.
Your safety is paramount. Whether it’s assuring that a set, studio or broadcast station is supplying members with ample soap and alcohol-based hand sanitizers, or working with productions which need to temporarily halt shooting due to concerns about exposure to the virus, your union has your back in advocating for a safe and healthy work environment.
It is the fifth semi-annual collegiate PantherLAN Esports Tournament, and the first time the tournament will last more than one day. The competition takes place March 28-29 at the University Club of Georgia State Stadium.
I spend the time in-between projects building my equipment and services company, The Savannah Location Company, developing content as a writer/producer, and working with students in our local schools as a certified special educator.
Georgia’s lucrative tax incentives for movie and television productions could soon expand to homegrown music recordings and international broadcasts of the 2026 World Cup as part of a bill that cleared a House committee on Monday.
California leads among the top international competitors when it comes to attracting US-based narrative feature films, according to a new study published today by FilmLA.
We were sorry to see that GDC was postponed, but our March GGDA meeting is growing into a much larger event than originally planned. We are taking precautions to ensure a safe meeting and will have a good supply of hand sanitizer on hand.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) hosted high school students from the District of Columbia for its inaugural “Film School Friday” -a new event series to connect students with industry leaders to learn about careers in creative fields.
Perhaps the biggest opportunity in esports is happening at malls. In 2019, Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG) announced it would become a shareholder in Allied Esports (NASDAQ: AESE). Its first dedicated esports venue will open at the Mall of Georgia.
So when the 28-year-old Atlanta native went back to his hometown for the first ever homestand for the Call of Duty League’s Faze from Feb. 21-23, he knew he had to show out and give back to the community.
“The music industry today is healthier than it’s been in more than a decade,” Josh Friedlander, the senior vice president of research at the Recording Industry Association of America, told CNN Business. “Revenues from streaming services are more than offsetting decreases in physical sales and digital downloads.”
The Elisabeth Moss – led thriller, an update of the horror classic based on the original H.G. Wells novel and its 1933 film adaptation, took first place at home but only managed second abroad with its $20 million debut hampered by virus fears in Europe and now Latin America.
“As this legislation moves through the process, our top priority is preserving the underlying policies that have a built a thriving new industry, attracted billions in investments and created thousands of high-paying Georgia jobs.”
A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 48-7-40.26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the “Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act…
Erica Lumpert is the founder and CEO of Security Associates of Coastal Georgia. The firm serves the entertainment industry across the state and Southeast. In this video, she talks about who needs security and what type of security is needed when having an event or production.
And more production companies have been bringing their film and TV soundtrack recordings to Nashville, including Netflix, Showtime, Sony and Focus Features, thanks in part to an incentive program enacted into law in last year.
Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog showed no signs of slowing down as their bright blue ball of lightning claimed a second world number one this weekend, after bringing in $64.6 million this frame.
The Georgia General Assembly issued Resolutions praising Georgians working in the state’s film and television industry, an honor that marks the release of a new book #WeAreGaFilm.
On December 5, the Atlanta Business Chronicle hosted their annual business of the entertainment industry event, which focused on the current state of the industry in Georgia and offered insights as to what the business and creative communities can expect in 2020 and beyond.
Gov. Brian Kemp vetoed a similar tax credit review bill last year, saying the examinations should be done by an outside auditor instead of a state agency to make sure the look is objective.
Georgia Southern University will open the fourth season of the Ogeechee International History Film Festival (OIHFF) on Thursday, Feb. 27 on the Statesboro Campus at the Nessmith-Lane Conference Center. The festival concludes on Feb. 29 at the Ogeechee Theater on the Armstrong Campus.
Dave Warner talks about the entertainment industry and how companies sometimes fall into a sales slump when they ignore the marketing and PR aspect of business.
Angela Wagenti is the founder and CEO of Vrooom, a marketing firm working with entertainment clients across the state of Georgia. In this video, she talks about SEO and why it is essential to be found on search engines.
Tax season can be an oftentimes-stressful experience for the average taxpayer, but for freelance performers, it can be especially … well, taxing. After all, the work of an actor, singer, dancer or stunt person is different from other occupations, and for many, practicing their profession is as much of an investment in time as it is in cost.
While generous tax breaks of 20% for local producers and 25% for foreign productions capped at $7 million were threatened to be stopped by the Italian government, the decision was reversed by a loud protest by the local industry.
Spielberg’s ’85 NBC series was inspired by historic Amazing Stories magazine, which was the very first science fiction magazine, created by writer and publisher Hugo Gernsback in 1926. Spielberg licensed the title of his television series from the magazine’s publishers.
Here’s a brief summary from IMDB which sounds like a spinoff of a Jason Bourne movie: “A hitman discovers his past has been wiped from his memory by a covert government agency.”
The ninth annual Evening of New York Jazz is coming to Augusta for one night only to benefit The American Red Cross Augusta Area and Sacred Heart Cultural Center.
A panel of experts will discuss why public relations and media are imperative. Attendees will learn how PR can build your brand, how to find the right PR, when to get a PR person on your team, and tips to get media coverage.
Mitch Leff is the co-founder of Georgia Entertainment Public Relations Alliance. He talks about how they work with communities to ‘stand out’ once a production picks the state of Georgia. The key is messaging and branding to the right people.
The Tribeca Film Festival on Monday unveiled plans to kick off its 19th installment with the world premiere of director Mary Wharton’s Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President – a rockumentary-style presidential portrait that shows how popular music helped propel the folksy peanut farmer from rural Georgia to the White House.
The Georgia Production Partnership (GPP) has announced March 7th as the date for the GPP South Georgia Regional Meeting, “Attracting Productions to South GA.”
The annual boutique festival will feature a powerhouse line up, including Old Crow Medicine Show, Galactic, Moon Taxi, Nahko And Medicine For The People, JJ Grey & Mofro, Spafford, The Vegabonds, Hedonistas, Voodoo Visionary and Webster.
When the deadline arrived, Belcher said, films were judged by an anonymous panel, which consisted of CMF employees and a few Georgia State staff. The short films were scored on a point system based on content, technical excellence and the overall quality.
The trade association Film Florida estimates that the $500 million in lost productions would have used more than 220,000 hotel room nights, produced 110,000 jobs, led to $1.3 billion in spending and increased tax revenues.
Think of Netflix’s show “Stranger Things,” which is based in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. They surely found one of the dozens of small towns across the state to film the series in, right?
Due for completion in early 2022, the new studio will offer physical production stages alongside digital media facilities tailored for special effects, augmented reality and animation, and will be located at the Thames Valley Science Park, a tech-hub 40 miles west of London.
“It’s time that we saw something besides a Georgia peach after a program,” said Steven Gorelick, executive director of the commission. “The people who live in New Jersey are extremely excited and proud about it. There’s a lot of pride seeing your town being captured by these great cinematographers and directors.”
“American Factory,” the local documentary that won an Academy Award on Sunday night, benefited from an Ohio tax credit program that has both its fans and critics.
“If you look at where we started or at least where we were when the film office became a part of SEDA and where we are today, it’s been a great steady growth projection.”
True or not, Savannah remains committed to historical preservation: Walking through town you’ll see architectural styles ranging from Federal to Georgian to Colonial to Gothic and Greek revival. If you’re shooting a script that requires a stately old courthouse, welcome to paradise.
The province needs to step up with its incentives and approval system or miss attracting some of the billions of dollars being spent on new content in North America.
The Savannah College of Art and Design’s (SCAD) economic impact on Georgia has reached an all-time high. According to a study conducted by Tripp Umbach, the leading national consulting firm for not-for-profit, arts, and tourism sectors, SCAD generates $766.2 million in annual economic impact for the state.
Macon-Bibb Mayor Robert Reichert: “I’m delighted we have such a great team with Visit Macon, our departments, and many others to market our community and help make these productions happen.”
“GAMEMASTER takes the love of gaming and elevates it to a whole new level through the first immersive, multi-platform, head-to-head competition for both casual and diehard gaming fans,” said show creator and executive producer John Colp
Mark Wofford is the General Manager of PC&E. The firm recently announced their purchase of the Bolt X, bringing creative possibilities for directors to capture new and unique footage. Mark explains why they made the purchase and other details of the Bolt X.
“The Beltline has a breadth of locations that would make it conducive to productions shooting there,” said Baxter, associate vice president of economic development at Columbus State University.
Georgia maintains representation in 12 strategic markets, including Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Europe, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Peru, and the United Kingdom. These representatives play a critical role in facilitating international connections that generate economic success. Approximately two-thirds of Georgia trade involves markets where the state has representation.
Escalante joined SCAD in 2018 and has been working as the university’s director of eSports. He added that he enjoys keeping his players physically active as if they were apart of a football or basketball team because reaction times and quick movements are as essential to playing esports as it is running a fourth quarter offense.
It appears most studios are full right now with a mixture of TV series, films and reality TV. Demand remains solid.
The state ended its incentive program in 2013. The last film to receive a tax break from the state was “Gone Girl.” The 21st Century Fox film was shot largely in Cape Girardeau.
Although films including “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” and the Georgia-filmed “Avengers: Endgame” and “Richard Jewell” failed to win top categories, other films, including “1917,” “Marriage Story” and “Toy Story 4,” did. All the aforementioned films included SCAD alumni and students working on them behind the scenes.
“When I realized I needed a new direction, I thought about what I loved to do,” says Ben Lambeth, co-owner of Cinder Lighting & Grip. “I turned to a hobby of mine –– filmmaking.”
Working in conjunction with experienced intimacy coordinators, we developed a framework for the use of these specialized professionals. Intimacy coordinators bring safety and expertise to the set when our members are performing hyper-exposed work such as nudity or simulated sex.
Speaking of the Economist Intelligence Unit: It ranked Atlanta the second-most livable U.S. city, behind Honolulu, and the 33rd-most-livable city in the world.
Berkmar High School will house the district’s Film and Digital Arts program. An addition will be built to accommodate the new space required, said Steve Flynt, assistant superintendent for school improvement and operations during a presentation at the January Board of Education Work Session.
After more than a decade since its implementation, the economic effects of the Georgia film tax credit are felt in every corner of the state. That’s why a geographically diverse collection of Georgia media outlets have spoken out to tout the program’s success – and what it means for their region.
Several key individuals gave brief testimony including Peter Stathopoulos, Mike Adkins, Dr. Richard Baxter and others. Below, see Stephen Weizenecker’s talking points from his comments. We are very encouraged by the progress being made on all fronts.
Variety reports Hart will play “a fictionalized version of himself who is tired of being a comedic sidekick.” His dreams lead him to meeting a famous director, played by Travolta, who will hilariously teach him how to become an action star.
Akins told committee members that the film tax credits have stimulated a 1,300 percent growth in his membership. The union chapter has grown from 400 members in 2008 with $8 million in wages to more than 5,000 members with $300 million in wages in 2019, most of whom are Georgia residents.
Frazier & Deeter, one of the largest public accounting and advisory firms in the United States, announced the expansion of its services via the acquisition of boutique consulting firm Arch + Tower. Arch + Tower offers a variety of consulting services focused on Customer Experience, Employee Experience, and Operational Excellence.
(Long story short: Drew flys back, the crew roams downtown Park City, Melissa wins $1K at an HBO McDonalds Documentary event, JP and Hannah do not win $1K, but do hang out with an owl).
Charles “Bo” Bowen of The Bowen Law Firm focuses heavily on the entertainment business in Georgia. He discusses the process of starting a new entity and how you can ensure more success by doing things right early.
It’s a new year, which means new movies and television programs filming in Atlanta. While we’re still in the slower part of the year, there’s no shortage of projects filming around the city. Here’s what we saw to start off 2020
Senate Bill 302 comes after a scathing set of audits the state Department of Audits and Accounts released last month that found Georgia’s film tax credit has been poorly managed while being touted as having more economic impact on the state than it actually does.
Etowah Film Festival will be back in 2020 for their second year at the Historic Canton Theatre in Canton, GA. From May 28-31, the festival will screen a mix of local, country-wide, and international short and feature films along with film industry panels, Q&A’s, a Friday night party, and a Sunday morning brunch.
As much as we all love using Unity to make games, it is also finding a home with governments and businesses that value its strength and versatility.
MomoCon is one of the fastest growing all ages conventions in the country with fans of Japanese anime, American animation, and games coming together for four days of entertainment. This year, the event moves to Hall B at the GWCC, doubling in size with room for more gaming, panels, and events.
Jeff Hudson is the owner of The Hudson Financial Group based in Columbus, Georgia. He talks about the amazing film activity in Georgia and how Columbus has benefited from this growth and the film tax credit.
Jill Schaeffer is a Producer at Eclipse Creative. She comes from international TV production companies and now being in Georgia she discusses the amazing growth of their company, local talent and the industry in general.
If you are not on Moonshine Post’s email list, you missed an incredible notation and documentation of the work the company performed in 2019. We especially like the image at the top of this special newsletter – The Look Back. We asked them if we could link and share the newsletter here. Take a look.
Mitch Glazier, Chairman & CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), released the following statement today in response to release of the text of Phase 1 of the U.S.-China trade agreement:
Always subject to change and often set before filming begins, here is the latest info on release dates for projects that filmed in Georgia. Courtesy Explore Georgia.
Governor Brian P. Kemp announced Georgia earned the top ranking for workforce development in the South Atlantic Region, according to Site Selection Magazine’s 2020 Workforce Development Rankings.
Yeah, it’s pretty quiet so far. Searchlight Pictures just bought “The Night House” in the first major on-the-ground deal. It’s a thriller – great scares. I spilled my cocoa during a bunch of the jump scares.
As a small festival in a college town, the Athens Jewish Film Festival has the ability to capitalize on the tight-knit community and build stronger bonds with local businesses and organizations.
But just because fewer productions are choosing to film in Florida doesn’t mean the Sunshine State has been absent from the silver (or small) screen – it just means another state has stepped in to the role of fake Florida.
Shelbia Jackson is the Director of the Dekalb Entertainment Commission. In this video, she speaks about the process they went through to determine a strategy to propel the region forward as it relates to film and entertainment.
“As the film industry continues to grow in Georgia, we are making a major investment in the latest technology by adding the Bolt X to our equipment line. This is a true game-changer in the Georgia film industry for all of our clients on film, tv or commercial shoots,” said PC&E General Manager Mark Wofford.
Representatives from Playa Azul Media (PAM) Studios, LLC, a Latina-owned studio and media company, attended an important event for Georgia filmmakers at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Jan. 26.
Representatives from the University of Georgia, Berry College, Chattahoochee Technical College, the Georgia Film Academy, and Reinhardt University were also at the student summit to provide guidance on pursuing a career in communications, film, and multimedia.
The reality is, the influx of movie and television production work and the billions generated by its presence in the state have spurred new career paths and business opportunities that did not exist a decade ago. We need to build on that reality, not endanger it by overreacting to what should be remediable tax collection problems.
John Grace, Film Instructor with Savannah Technical College, discusses the amazing opportunities their students get and how it prepares them for the industry.
The exciting New Urbanist community in Fayetteville, Georgia, meets these criteria. Pinewood Forest is just 23 miles south of downtown Atlanta and is an environmentally friendly community with many of the amenities people would now like to have in just walking distance.
Mayor Lori Henry spoke at the State of the City about the strides the city has been taking to improve Roswell as a filming location. Henry created the Mayor’s Movie Task Forces, which she said is partnered with the city of Roswell, Visit Roswell and the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce.
In mid-2018, the startup Akili Interactive Labs asked the Food and Drug Administration to let it do something that’s never been done before: market a video game that physicians would prescribe to kids with ADHD.
Sony jumped into a strong lead over the long Martin Luther King Day weekend with their action-comedy Bad Boys for Life taking first in the US with $73 million during the three-day weekend. It had the second biggest release for January of all time after American Sniper.