Written by Ali Grutchfield, Photo Courtesy of The Georgia Film Office
It’s common knowledge that New York and California are global hubs for filmmaking. Georgia, however, has recently risen to the top because of recently implemented tax incentives. This changes the game for SCAD students as it’s easier than ever to find on-set jobs and internships while remaining an on-campus student.
Beginning in 2002, Georgia shifted its economic focus and priorities to include job production within the film industry. This didn’t become very influential until 2005 when the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act was passed into law. This act predominantly rewarded large-scale movies, giving a 20% tax credit to any feature spending more than $500,000 on production and postproduction in Georgia. According to journalist Kenna Simmons, “Filmmaking had a $9,500,000,000 impact on the Georgian economy in the 2017 fiscal year.”
This tax credit drew masses of film production to Georgia because the more money they could save on overhead costs meant the more money they could spend on the actual production. Additionally, the $500,000 minimum could be generated from one project per production company or as a total from multiple.
Therefore, companies were further rewarded if more projects were done in Georgia because it was a lesser expenditure per project. This was especially beneficial for smaller production companies spending a fraction of that per project but it has the potential to add up across their entire roster.
Because Georgia surpassed California as the top state for film production in 2016, it revolutionized student jobs and internships here at SCAD. With the monetary incentives not going anywhere, many major production companies, such as Tyler Perry Studios, have opened permanent locations in Metro Atlanta and surrounding areas.
SCAD students have been able to get entry-level Production Assistant jobs on major films and shows such as ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘Baby Driver.’ Additionally, the close proximity to SCAD enables students to continue these positions into the school year or upon graduation, rather than as exclusively summer activities.
However, as Georgia becomes a better opportunity for professionals, it becomes worse for students because they are competing with massive production companies for a limited number of permits and location availability. Many student projects that would not have originally required fees or permits are now much stricter because Georgia film is under heightened scrutiny. As a result, students can no longer spontaneously film in iconic locations such as Forsyth Park without risking fines or possible legal action.
When projects are very small and just simply for class, students can typically snag some quick shots. However, it limits the success these projects can have because students would be held responsible if they reached festival circuits or generated profits with stolen shots.
In the big picture, these changes have greatly benefit SCAD students because having jobs after college is more important than fun weekend projects with friends. However, it does require that students be much more cognizant and informed when filming.
Luckily, the Savannah and Atlanta Film Commissions have plentiful resources that enable students to film to their hearts’ content as long as they follow the guidelines.
Please refer to the following sources for more information on permits, costs, film job boards, and more.
Savannah Student Filming Guidelines: https://www.savannahfilm.org/permit-information/student-filming/
Atlanta Student Filming Guidelines:
Current Projects Filming in Georgia:
https://www.georgia.org/industries/film-entertainment/georgia-film-tv-production/now-filming-georgia
