Local 479 Partnering With Georgia Film Academy In 2016

The Georgia Film Academy is a collaborative effort of the University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia supporting workforce needs of the film and digital entertainment industries. The academy will certify workforce ready employees in needed areas, connect students and prospective employees with employers, and offer a unique capstone experience for top students that will provide them a path to employment in Georgia, and they will be partnering with IATSE Local 479 and its members to educate and train Georgia’s future workforce for the television and motion picture industry.  The Georgia Film Academy offers a two-course certification program specifically designed to provide students with a basic level of on-set film production skills, knowledge and experience with film-industry standard organizational structure, professional equipment and on-set procedures.

The Georgia Film Academy’s (GFA) pilot certification program will consist of two semester long courses, the first of which is primarily classroom-based, the second is primarily set-based. Together, the courses equal 18 hours which may be applied toward associates and bachelors degrees. Courses will be taught at various campuses around Atlanta as well as at Pinewood Studios Atlanta.

On Dec. 7, the Georgia Film Academy announced that it would begin enrolling students for its spring 2016 semester. The first course will cost $750, the second course will cost $1,500, however the Academy will currently be subsidizing half of the cost of the program to hasten the adoption of the program. These classes are currently being offered to current students of the University System of Georgia as well as current students of the Technical College System of Georgia, though non-students may also apply. It is important that Local 479 participate in our local community to educate future technicians of the benefits of a labor union, such as collective bargaining and health & welfare.