Who
knew a couple of inbred hillbillies would play such a large part in Georgia’s
economy?
Georgia’s
Rabun County and Chattooga River was the setting for the 1972 Burt Reynolds
thriller, “Deliverance.” Before the
movie was released, only hundreds of people were visiting the river and after
the release, that number rose to the tens of thousands and rafting is now a $20
million industry in the county.
Then-Governor Jimmy Carter noticed the
positive impact that “Deliverance” had on Georgia’s economy and established the
Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office in 1973 to help market
Georgia as a location for future projects. Georgia is now one of the top five
production locations in the United States.
Georgia
is an ideal filming location with a high-quality transportation infrastructure,
diverse geographical landscape, skilled film crews and modern facilities. Film
production teams have taken notice and by 2007 the Georgia Film, Music and
Digital Entertainment Office recruited 555 major projects.
The
Georgia General Assembly approved legislation in 2001 that exempted the
television and film industry from sales and use taxes on production-related expenses.
In 2005, the Assembly passed the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act,
which made 20 percent income tax credits for filmmakers working in Georgia
available. Including an animated logo promoting Georgia earned filmmakers an
additional 10 percent credit.
The
Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act resulted in an increase in
revenue from $124 million in 2004 to $475 million in 2006.
In
2012, direct economic benefits of film production in Georgia totaled a
staggering $3.1 billion and filming in Georgia has impacted thousands of
businesses ranging anywhere from hotels, hardware stores, schools, grocery
stores, restaurants and more throughout the years.
Thanos
Skouteris, a recent University of Georgia graduate, often works as an extra in
locally produced movies for extra income.
“It’s really easy to do. There are
dozens of different companies that post on Facebook and other websites all the time.
There is potential to make some decent money but it’s more supplemental than
anything in my case,” Skouteris said.
Decatur
High School was the setting for several scenes in the 2011 television movie
“Mean Girls 2.” The school system was paid $24,000 for seven days of filming.
“Vampire Diaries,” that films in Covington, Georgia, spent $23,240,748 for five
months of filming. Expenses included catering and food as well as local hires
for carpenter and electrician positions.
Over
25,000 Georgia residents are employed in the entertainment industry and 11,000
of those residents are involved in full-time equivalent positions.
