Georgia has long been known as the Hollywood of the South or, affectionately, Y’allywood. But now… things are starting to change, and not necessarily in a good way for Atlanta or Georgia as a whole.
Why was Georgia such a hub for filming?
In 2008, Georgia expanded its production tax credit to a a maximum of 30%, making it one of the most generous and lucrative in the entire world. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Unlike other states, it didn’t put a cap on the program, so producers could be sure they’d get back nearly a third of the money they spent.”
In other words, film production companies flocked to the state to make their films. For the past nearly 20 years, it seemed like Georgia, and Atlanta in particular, might even surpass L.A. for film production.
Which film companies shot in Georgia?
Huge-name film companies came from all over to set up shop in Georgia. Lionsgate famously shot The Hunger Games here, and Universal shot the Fast & Furious film franchise here.
Of course, everyone who’s lived in Georgia knows we also had Netflix’s Stranger Things and AMC’s The Walking Dead as well.
And then, famously, Marvel moved into the state and completely changed the film game. Trilith Studios, a thousand-acre, 34-stage studio facility housed Marvel (and other productions), and it was, according to the Wall Street Journal, “frequently full.”
So what’s going on now?
So what’s the problem? Well, production companies are packing up and going to Europe to shoot. The Wall Street Journal says,
In the U.K., that number [the number of films and series] grew by 16%. Its tax credit is similar to Georgia’s, but workers there are generally paid less, and studios don’t have to cover their health insurance.
The problem isn’t necessarily with the lead actors or even big-name directors, of course. It’s with the local crew. Hundreds of Georgians have previously been employed by production companies… and now the jobs are just gone.
This doesn’t mean there isn’t still plenty of indie filmmaking staying in the ATL and in Georgia.