Governor Predicts More Growth for Georgia’s Film Industry

Please take a moment to read the following passage from Governor Deal’s final State of the State address “Orchards of Opportunity”, delivered to the Georgia General Assembly yesterday morning. Our members should be aware that we have supported the Governor and his efforts throughout his administration and are looking forward to a very prosperous 2018 thanks to the staunch support of Governor Deal and our state legislators. As the Governor stated, we expect to break new records this year, and that’s just good for Georgia.

Thank you,

Mike Akins, Business Agent IATSE Local 479

2018 State of the State Address

[the following is an excerpt from Georgia Governor Nathan Deal’s State of the State address, “Orchards of Opportunity”, delivered on January 11, 2018]

“As we consider the achievements of their respective dedicated teams, we should also take note of a tree we “re-planted” – you might say – which has taken deep root in recent years and borne greater and greater harvests with each passing year. I am referring to the film production industry.

Just ten years ago, this industry generated $241 million in economic impact for the state. This past fiscal year alone, it generated $9.5 billion in economic impact. That’s quite impressive growth for this tree of opportunity.

So great have our gains been that in 2016, Georgia was named the No. 1 filming location for the most successful movies.

Our growing Georgia Film Academy and list of studios in the state will also ensure that this year’s production industry impact will break even more records. In just two years, roughly 1,900 students have utilized Film Academy courses and a further 625 students are currently enrolled for this semester. So effective is this program, which now spans 13 University and Technical College System partners, that it has quickly become known as the “gold standard” in film and television production workforce training. In fact, when other states and countries around the world seek out guidance on building their own film production workforce, the Motion Picture Association of America now directs them to the Georgia Film Academy.

That same association tells us that the film industry is responsible for more than 92,000 jobs in the state. These are high-quality jobs, with an average salary of nearly $84,000 – 75 percent higher than the average salary in the nation.

More than 200 new companies have located in the state to support this blossoming industry. These businesses and the infrastructure they build are what create permanent jobs for costume and set designers, electricians, camera operators, actors and other skilled industry professionals.”

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