Lights, Camera, Atlanta!

Baby Driver, Spider-Man Homecoming, The Hunger Games, and Identity Thief all have one thing in common: they were all filmed in Georgia. These blockbusters are just a few of the big name productions that have come out of Atlanta in the past decade. According to FilmL.A., the film industry in Atlanta, as well as the rest of Georgia, is now ranked above every other market, including California (Hollywood), the United Kingdom, and all of Canada. This makes Georgia the number one filming location in the world. Governor Nathan Deal recently stated that the film and television productions industry generated $9.5 billion in economic growth in the past year.

Production is at an all-time high. With production companies like Marvel Comics, Netflix, and AMC, studios and hotels are booked months ahead of film time. If you drive around even the suburbs of Atlanta, it is no surprise to see a film crew with equipment and producers. The most common production base near our very own high school is in the East Side Baptist Church parking lot. AMC, the production company of The Walking Dead, has been filming a new series, Halt and Catch Fire. This show reflects upon and dramatizes the computing boom that occurred in the United States during the 1980s. The show is set in Dallas, Texas; however, the show is filmed in local neighborhoods and downtown in Atlanta. Atlanta’s tallest skyscraper, The Bank of America Plaza, is set as the Westgroup Energy headquarters in the film. In order to achieve the 80’s style home, they have also filmed in some of the neighborhoods off of Terrill Mill Road. Adam Duffy(10), when asked about the film industry in Atlanta said, “I don’t know, we filmed The Walking Dead here, that’s all I know.” This isn’t an uncommon view from most people not interested in the industry.

This great influx of television and film production in Atlanta has lead to an equivalent influx in jobs, not limited to soley production. In an article in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Kris Bagwell, Screen Gems Studios Executive Vice President, states, “There are jobs in the production business in almost every occupation, from cook to security guard to driver to construction. This job creates tens of thousands of well paying Georgia jobs. And it’s here to stay thanks to the pro-jobs agenda of Gov. Deal.” The opportunities for jobs and internships in Atlanta are constantly growing. With more production companies coming to Atlanta, there is no better time to look into getting a job in this field.”I’m seeing a big influx in jobs happening right now,” said Trish Taylor, co-president of the Georgia Production Partnership (GPP), a nonprofit group of individuals and companies involved in the industry. “GPP members are very excited to hear this news. We’re just thrilled to see how Georgia is flourishing.”

The average Feature Film has a budget of approximately $42 million. This is taking into account one hundred and fifty to two hundred employees, hotels and studio cost, and other expenses (props, actors, equipment). Some of the larger productions, for example Captain America: Civil War (also filmed in Atlanta) budgeted $250 million. This movie does have a long list of big time actors and actresses and about the best special effects you can get to this day; however, even the Spider-Man Homecoming movie had a budget of nearly $200 million. These films create insane economic growth in Georgia and help pay for city infrastructure. When asked about the booking film industry in Atlanta, M.J. Locke (12), another audio video student at Wheeler, said, “I think it is really great Atlanta is getting recognized as a great production location. I find it very cool that big production companies like Marvel have come to Atlanta to film some of their movies.”

As always, as the big name movies come into town, so do the big name actors. Celebrity sightings in Atlanta have become more frequent throughout the past couple of years. Ryan Gosling was in Atlanta filming The Nice Guys in 2016, as well as Chris Pratt, filming Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2. Some of the popular celebrity hang out spots include Ponce City Market, The Georgia Aquarium (Jennifer Lawrence was spotted here), and Lenox Square shopping mall.

When asked about the booking film industry, Zachary Halfacre(12), an audio and video student said, “I like it, it creates lots of opportunities for young people like us to get into a very interesting field of study… I think of Atlanta as the Hollywood of the South.” Ultimately, Atlanta has become the same production hotspot that Hollywood has been known. Judging from the way this industry is going now, we can expect only great things to come.