Locations, incentives lure film crews to Georgia

Macon got The Crazies and Valdosta got the living dead in Zombieland .

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Actress and singer Miley Cyrus relaxes before filming a carnival scene for The Last Song on Tybee Island, Ga. Producers shot more than 26 films in 50 Georgia counties in fiscal 2009.

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Robert Redford's movie The Conspirator was filmed in Savannah last year.

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Director Robert Redford, during the production of The Conspirator. The movie was filmed in Savannah in 2009.

More than 26 feature films were shot in Georgia during the 2009 fiscal year. Some, such as The Crazies, Zombieland and the Oscar-nominated The Blind Side , were significant productions, mounted in full Hollywood style. Others were more modest.

"Last year we had productions in 50 counties in Georgia," said Bill Thompson, the deputy commissioner of the Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment office. "Typically, it has been Savannah and Atlanta, but now there's a real willingness to explore other areas."

So far, inquiries have been made, but no film crews are ready to set up shop in Augusta.

The last significant production that involved filming locally occurred in 2006, when the comedy Who's Your Caddy? spent one night shooting at the former Modjeska night club on Broad Street.

There have been several inquiries about filming in Augusta since then, according to Jennifer Bowen, the vice president for public relations at the Augusta Metro Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

"We have location scouts call every few months," she said.

She said a scout from an unspecified Dreamworks production recently looked at Sibley Mill. So far, she said, Augusta's rejection seems to have been for artistic reasons.

"We are actually very well positioned for film production," she said. "We don't require a lot of the licensing and fees that some communities have. There aren't some of the permits some cities require. It's relatively easy to have a street closed off if need be."

Much of the recent production boom in the state can be traced to the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, signed in May 2008. It grants film, television and video game productions a 20 percent tax credit when more than $500,000 is spent in a single fiscal year. An additional 10 percent is available if an official Georgia logo is embedded in the final product. Up to 8 percent in sales tax relief is also available to qualifying productions.

Thompson said Georgia also attracts filmmakers because of its temperate climate and diverse locations.

"We've actually been at this a long time," he said. "We've discovered silent movies that were shot in Georgia. In every decade, with the exception of the 1930s, there have been productions in Georgia."

Thompson said there are things a community can do to market itself to the film industry. He said having location reels available and experts on hand who can help sell a community helps. He also said there's nothing stopping a community from adding financial incentives on top of the state program.

"It's definitely all about the marketing," he said. "You have to get those filmmakers to your town to see what you have to offer."

Thompson said having an established film office helps. A Mayor's Film Office was set up during Bob Young's administration. The office never attracted a feature film here, and the program was closed for budgetary reasons.

The Convention and Visitor's Bureau addresses film inquiries. The CVB maintains a photo library of location sites and is developing a "Camera-Ready" designation package to promote its availability and ease of access to the film industry.

"In the end, I think it's really about being the right fit for the right production," Bowen said. "We just haven't had our lucky shot -- yet."