Like so many others working in the Georgia film and television production industry, Gee Gee Smith kept working at something she loved and turned it into a career in film. You won’t see her on the big screen, but you’ll definitely see her work.
After graduating from Decatur High School, Gee Gee attended Virginia’s Hampton University to study Business Management. It was a time when Georgia’s production industry was just a blip on the radar, drawing little attention from people like Gee Gee. Little did she know, her long-time love for fashion and her business skills would lead her to the industry. “I knew you had to go to Los Angeles to work in the film industry,” says Gee Gee, who has worked on a host of Georgia productions, including “Stranger Things” and “Cobra Kai.” “Now the great opportunities are right here in Georgia.”
While in college, Gee Gee was offered the opportunity to learn one-on-one with a specialist in costume design. “No one talks about being a Costumer growing up,” Gee Gee says, “but I saw a real opportunity there to live my passion.”
Until the film scene became more established in Georgia, Gee Gee was forced to find other jobs, working at a car rental company and even in banking to get health insurance, she says, eventually settling into a job she loved at a luxury retail store in Atlanta. While there, she continued to develop her fashion sense, and at the same time more and more productions started coming to the area.
Costume designers frequented the store where Gee Gee worked, and she began to build relationships that turned into a job opportunity as a Production Assistant in costuming. Her second job was with “Instant Family,” a 2018 drama starring Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne. This is where she realized all her Hollywood Dreams could be a reality right here in Atlanta.
Eager to learn, she soaked in what it took to make a production great and planned her next steps. Her work would evolve to become a Principle Set Costumer where she would help prepare the costumes and prepare cast members to be on screen. She credits her background in hospitality for being able to create one-on-one relationships that are essential with the Cast.
Gee Gee has recently taken on dual roles. Not only working as a Truck Costumer but also stepping into a Supervisor role for “The Wonder Years” Reboot. With a Resume of other productions including “Jumanji,” and “Wanda Vision" under her belt, Atlanta's not slowing down, and neither is she.
“I always let people know that there are so many niches that can evolve into a film opportunity,” says Gee Gee. “Follow your dreams and create your opportunity.”