Nurse. Construction Worker. Caterer. Throughout the state, real Georgians are benefiting from real jobs in the film industry.
There are so many examples of how the film industry is greatly impacting the people of Georgia. There’s Rome nurse Erika Crawford Gordon, who helped fund her daughter’s education at the University of Georgia as a baby nurse on film and TV sets. Fayetteville’s Rusty Brown took his trash and recycling business from a one-man operation to an enterprise that has worked with more than 400 productions. And Mary Louise Freeman ditched her struggling career as a Realtor for a job as a locations manager.
More than 92,000 Georgians work in jobs connected to the film industry.
“It allows my family to make decisions we didn’t know would be available to us,” says Mike Neal of Savannah, who turned his love of the water into a job as a marine coordinator for movies like “Gemini Man.”
Catering is one example of flourishing businesses. For example, Joy Merle moved her catering company from her Mom’s kitchen table to a $1 million enterprise with business from Georgia’s film industry. Box office hit Baby Driver spent more than $730,000 on local catering while filming around the state. Jumanji spent more than $1.4 million on catering.
On any given week, there are nearly 70 productions going on around the state.
“One day I was a fan of ‘The Walking Dead,’ and the next month I was a locations assistant on set,” says Darius Tucker of McDonough, a graduate of the Georgia Film Academy. “I’m really happy and excited that Georgia is the new hub for film. They’re hiring more and more Georgians on these productions. It gives me hope.”
So, what’s your story? We’re here to tell the stories of real Georgians around the state whose lives are greatly being impacted by the film industry. If you or someone you know has a story to tell, email us at GAStudioAlliance@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/GAstudioalliance/.