Nora Clark did a bit of a zigzag on her way to a film production career in Savannah. But now that she's there, she envisions staying put.
"I came to Savannah to teach dance," she says. "I was finishing a class when a production crew entered the dance studio. I went into full-tilt badger mode to find out all that I could, including if they needed production assistants.."
She was hired for his next commercial.
The Vermont native and lifelong dancer went to college in Chicago thinking she would study management and oversee the careers of dancers like herself but found that did not interest her.
A guidance counselor suggested she take electives to help her figure out her next move. The History of Television was the class that showed her the way.
"I switched my major and got a degree in writing and producing."
After a few projects in Savannah, Nora moved to New Orleans to work. Yet she kept getting calls about projects in Savannah, so back she went.
"That opened up a world of opportunities for me," she says. "I have celebrated a lot of career firsts in Savannah."
Like many, she started as a production assistant and now has worked her way up the ladder to production supervisor on a series for Sony Pictures Television.
"I hope my example of climbing the ladder will convince others to consider a career in film," Nora says.
And she hopes that producers will keep Georgia – and Savannah – top of mind when choosing locations.
"Filming touches just about every local industry,” says Nora. “You need so many people: janitors, furniture rental, dry cleaning, food. When you say 'film production,' people automatically think: 'Oh, actresses.' But it's more than that. We represent real life."