MOVIE Hotspot The ATL

The Next Big Hotspot for Making Movies Is Not New York or Hollywood Image (And while you are reading remember that this article was written back in 2013. Georgia has done over 150 movies/TV shows since then) Begin here!

Hunger Games' fans, Panem is real. Or at least, parts of it are. President Snow's mansion, District 12 and even the arena for the 75th Hunger Games can all be found in and around Georgia — the state known for its peaches and now an increasingly booming film industry.

In 2001, four movies were made in Georgia; in 2013, that number shot up to 142. This upswing didn't happen by accident. Thanks to a 20% tax credit for productions spending over $500,000 in state, Georgia is quickly becoming its own little Hollywood — a good shake up for the status quo. In total, Georgia's film industry generated an estimated $3.3 billion in economic activity in 2013, a figure that puts it firmly on the map as a film location destination.
High-profile films shot in Georgia over the last two years include Fast & Furious 7, Dumb and Dumber To, 42 and The Internship — which used the Georgia Institute of Technology as a stand in for Google's campus.

Wander over to the south side of Atlanta and you'll find the site of the Hunger Games Quarter Quell — which in real life was home to the 1996 Olympics volleyball tournament. Head over to Turner Field where Clint Eastwood shot Trouble With the Curve. Or walk through downtown Atlanta which was used for high-speed chases in The Fast and the Furious, while the small town of Senoia was the backdrop for AMC's zombie-filled series The Walking Dead. Georgia landmarks are quickly becoming Hollywood mainstays.

Atlanta's doing so well as a city-double that it can even pass itself off as Los Angeles. Recent scenes from Liam Neeson's Taken 3 were set in L.A. but shot in Georgia's capital.
So what kind of threat does Georgia present Los Angeles? In a nutshell: No industry is immune from disruption, and Georgia has more going for it than a discount. It would be a challenge to unseat the Hollywood throne, but it wouldn't be impossible.
The chinks in L.A.'s armor are already showing. Film L.A. announced a massive slump in the number of top 25 blockbusters shot there — down from 64% in 1998 to 8% in 2013. END

Give yourself the respect and the chance to actually have a shot at working for a living in something that you love. Prepare yourself. Do some 'real' research and find the agency that is best for you. Be realistic and know that to move up the ladder of success, and not only being an extra. Listen to those that are actually IN THE INDUSTRY and not just fiends and neighbors. You cannot do all this on the computer; you are going to have to be pro active
Good luck to all of you.

William Reynolds