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Georgia Shoots Take Off - Aggressive Incentives Draw High-profile Pics

Georgia shoots take off
Aggressive incentives draw high-profile pics
By Jack Egan

When it comes to deciding where to shoot these days, many producers will tell you they have Georgia on their mind.

Recent high-profile film releases lensed in the Peach State include “The Blind Side,” starring Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock, “The Last Song” with Miley Cyrus and Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married Too?” Set for the cine-plexes later in 2010: “The Conspirator,” directed by Robert Redford; “Lottery Ticket,” starring Ice Cube and Bow Wow; “The Killers,” with Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigel; and “Due Date,” starring Robert Downey Jr.

Productions have come flocking to Georgia ever since it boosted its film incentives to 30% in 2008. The hike made Georgia competitive with Louisiana, New Mexico and a handful of other states that have effectively used hefty tax breaks to lure shoots from Hollywood. More than 26 features were shot in Georgia in fiscal 2009, compared with only a couple two years earlier.

“We’re definitely in the top five states when it comes to film and television production and No. 1 in our region,” says Bill Thompson, deputy commissioner of Georgia’s Film, Music & Digital Entertainment office. Production spending has increased by more than 150% since the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act was signed two years ago, according to Thompson, who projects that total outlays could approach $1 billion in 2010.

Georgia provides a basic 20% incentive tax credit for film, television and videogame productions that spend at least $500,000 in a single year. An additional 10% is available if a production includes an animated State of Georgia logo in the titles or credits or some similar product placement within a film. On top of that, there is a sales tax exemption, worth up to 8%, on spending within the state for equipment or services.

“Our incentives are the easiest to use in the country,” Thompson says. “There is no sunset clause on the legislation, no limits or caps on Georgia spend, no limits or caps on the amount of tax credits that may be earned, and both residents and non-residents working in Georgia are treated the same,” he observes.

Because the financial incentives come in the form of credits, they have to be sold to a company or an individual that has Georgia taxable income, which usually is done through a broker intermediary.

“The value generally ranges between 85 and 90 cents on the dollar but can go up to 92 cents on premium credits, usually from large studios,” says Denise Elsbree, head of Georgia Film Credit Consultants. Since 2008 the business “has exploded,” she notes. “We feel we’ve become the go-to state, under consideration for just about any location that we even remotely resemble.”

Georgia’s tax benefits are leveraged against the state’s other attractions to filmmakers, from generally mild weather to a diverse topography that includes mountains, forests, swamps and 100 miles of seashore. Locations range from teeming urban environments to rural hamlets. Georgia also has a number of historic towns boasting unique period architecture.

Coastal Savannah, with its well-preserved streets and planned squares that hark back to its 18th-century founding, is where Forrest Gump sat on his bench and recently served as the period setting for “The Conspirator.” Disney’s “The Last Song” was shot at nearby Tybee Island.

“Making a movie in some of the neighborhoods can involve a lot friction,” says Jay Self, the long-time tourism and film services director for Savannah. “My job is to find a way to accommodate a production that is also good for the city.”

Atlanta is already a major media and entertainment complex with a music sector that registers annual revenues of about $2 billion. The city has become a center for hip-hop recordings, spawning stars such as Outkast and Ludacris. It is also the headquarters for Turner Broadcasting with its many cable networks.

It’s estimated that more than 25,000 Georgians owe their livelihood to some entertainment-related enterprise. Most important to production companies, Georgia has a deep and experienced film and television crew base that tops 6,000. “We can handle up to 10 film and television productions simultaneously,” Thompson says.

Broderick Johnson, one of the producers of Alcon Entertainment’s “The Blind Side,” says the positive experience of shooting in Georgia drew the company back to do “The Lottery Ticket,” which hits theaters in August. In addition to offering creatively appealing locations for both films, “The magnitude of Georgia’s tax break is one of the best, if not the best, in the country,” he says. Georgia trumps other states with attractive breaks because “it has such a mature crew base you can hire almost everyone locally, so the value of the credit is bigger.”

A strong testament to Georgia’s incentives appeal to filmmakers is, indeed, repeat business. “Everything about shooting here was tremendous,” says Marc Fischer, executive producer of “Hall Pass,” directed by the Farrelly brothers and starring Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis. The pic recently finished shooting in and around Atlanta.

Georgia served as a substitute for New England, and it was both more economical and easier to shoot the film in Atlanta instead of Boston, Fischer notes. He also praises the city’s amenities. “There’s a Morton’s, a Palm and amazing shops,” he says. “Our wardrobe people from Los Angeles were able to find everything here.”

Because of the positive experience with “Hall Pass,” the next two films Marc Fischer is working on are also set to be filmed in Georgia. “Walter the Farting Dog,” based on a children’s book of the same name, will begin filming in August. And the much-anticipated “Three Stooges” project — tentatively starring Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro and “very possibly Jim Carrey,” according to Fischer — starts prepping in Atlanta in January. “We’ve really found a home here,” he says.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118019132.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com.

Movie Studio Planned for Atlanta

Footloose, Florida Hurricane Movie, Gillian in Georgia

Florida hurricane movie to be filmed in St. Marys, Ga.

Florida hurricane movie to be filmed in St. Marys, Ga.
Florida Times-Union
By Gordon Jackson

Less than a year after a new St. Marys film society announced a goal to persuade producers to make a movie in the region, it announced it has landed one.

“Eye of the Hurricane” will be filmed in St. Marys in August, the Coastal Georgia Film Society announced Tuesday.

“Initially, we were looking for a location that could match the Florida Everglades,” movie producer Susan Johnson said, “but once we saw St. Marys, the possibilities were endless.”

After producers toured the city, Johnson said the script was rewritten to film at locations throughout St. Marys and beyond. One scene will be filmed at the U.S. 17 bridge spanning the St. Marys River to Florida. That will require special permits from both states.

Producers describe the movie as a family drama about members of a small Florida Everglades community struggling to put their lives back together after a devastating hurricane.

Campbell Scott, who has appeared in more than 20 movies, will play the leading role. Scott is the son of movie icon George C. Scott.

Jose Zuniga, who appeared in the hit movie “Twilight” and in starring roles in TV shows such as “Law and Order,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” and “Ghost Whisperer,” will also play a lead role in the film.

Doug Vaught, the film alliance’s chairman, said the movie will be a “real economic coup” for local businesses.

“Besides the hundreds of room nights in our hotels and bed and breakfasts that the production will provide, the cast will be eating in our restaurants, shopping in our shops and patronizing numerous businesses for various services needed,” Vaught said. “There will even be opportunities for locals to work as extras on the set.”

The production company’s Web site lists the movie’s budget at $850,000. Janet Brinko, director of the St. Marys Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the economic impact to the city will be felt long after the production is finished.

“People love to visit places where movies are filmed,” she said. “After the filming of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” in Savannah, their area tourism soared. Having ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ filmed here will be like having a two-hour picture postcard for St. Marys distributed all over the world.”

Writer and director Jesse Wolfe said it was more than the city’s beauty that led to the decision to film in St. Marys.

“I originally wanted to shoot the film in Florida, as it is a story based in Florida,” he said. “But from the moment we drove into St. Marys, I knew I would change my mind. Potential locations leapt out at me each time we turned a corner, and the hospitality, enthusiasm and charm of the townsfolk sealed the deal. I will be making my Florida film in St. Marys, Ga.”

Alliance members secured permits and found housing for the cast and crew within a week after producers toured the city.

Barbara Ryan, the alliance’s founder and vice-chairman, said the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act that provides a tax credit up to 30 percent was an added incentive for producers.

“Entertainment productions in Georgia have increased 400 percent since the state introduced the tax credit package in 2008,” she said. “More than 100 feature films, television series, specials and pilots have been produced in Georgia since then, helping catapult the state into the top five in the nation for film and TV production in 2009, and landing it in the top spot in the Southeast.”

Wolfe said the potential for more movies filmed in the region is “enormous.”

“The resources in this area are vast,” he said. “There are thousands of stories waiting to be told on screen and hundreds of filmmakers chomping at the bit to apply their craft here. I believe ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ can be a pioneering movie in this endeavor.”

http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2010-04-27/story/florida-hurricane-movie-be-filmed-st-marys-ga

GA Emerges as a National Leader in Digital Entertainment

Movies Filmed In Georgia Gross $415 Million At Box Office

Movies filmed in Georgia have grossed over $415 million at the box office so far this year, cementing the state’s position as a leading location for filming.

Both “The Blind Side” and “The Crazies” are still in theaters and have grossed a combined total of more than $325 million at the box office.

“Why Did I Get Married Too?” was released on April 2 and has grossed more than $48.5 million, including a fourth-place finish in last week’s totals.

“The Last Song,” filmed mostly at Tybee Island and starring Miley Cyrus, opened March 31 and has grossed $42.4 million. “The Last Song” finished fifth in box office proceeds last week, placing two Georgia-made films in the top five.

At least three high-profile productions filmed in Georgia are slated to hit movie theaters in the next few months, including “The Joneses,” starring Demi Moore and David Duchovny, opening today.

“I signed the 2008 Entertainment Industry Investment Act to support of our efforts to recruit film, music and digital entertainment projects to Georgia,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “These industries are thriving, growing and employing thousands of Georgians. Georgia’s diverse landscape, from the coasts of Savannah to the mountains of North Georgia, makes our state a prime location for film production.”

Entertainment productions in Georgia have increased 400 percent since the state introduced an aggressive tax credit package in 2008. More than 100 feature films, television series, specials and pilots have been produced in Georgia since then, helping catapult the state into the top five in the nation for film and TV production in 2009, and landing it in the top spot in the Southeast.

“Our ability to provide a variety of astounding locations, a highly-skilled workforce, significant infrastructure and cutting-edge tax incentives makes Georgia an extremely desirable place to film,” said Bill Thompson, deputy commissioner of the Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “Georgia offers everything production companies are looking for, which has enabled us to attract projects ranging from TV series like `Vampire Diaries’ and `Drop Dead Diva’ to feature films such as `The Blind Side,’ `Zombieland’ and `The Joneses.’ We’re excited about the opening of `The Last Song’ and look forward to a successful run of all of these Georgia-made movies.”

The Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act provides an income tax credit of 20 percent to qualified productions, and an additional 10 percent tax credit to productions that embed a Georgia promotional logo in the titles or credits, or as product placement within the content of the production. The tax credits may be awarded to not only traditional feature films, television series, commercials and music videos, but also to innovative new industries such as video game development and animation. Since Georgia increased its competitiveness in mid-2008, the program has generated more than $950 million dollars in direct investment, yielding an overall economic impact of over $1.6 billion to the state.

Filmed on Tybee Island and at the Georgia Aquarium, “The Last Song” is a coming-of-age drama film written by Nicholas Sparks and starring Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, Kelly Preston and Liam Hemsworth.

“We’ve had a very positive experience with `The Last Song’ filming on Tybee Island,” said Lindsay Fruchtl, marketing coordinator of the Tybee Island Tourism Council. “The Georgia Department of Economic Development has been very supportive and helpful along the way and we welcome production companies to film on Tybee Island. The Georgia coast has such a unique ecosystem and what makes Tybee Island so special is that we’ve got five miles of beach to work with and our close proximity to the Savannah area.”

Written and directed by Tyler Perry, “Why Did I Get Married Too?” is a comedy-drama film about four close couples gathering in the Bahamas for an annual one-week reunion. Tyler Perry Studios is located in Atlanta. Perry has filmed all his movies in Georgia, as well as his TV shows “Meet the Browns” and “House of Payne.”

Scheduled for release this summer are “Killers” and “Get Low.” “Killers,” starring Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl and Tom Selleck, was filmed in Atlanta, Douglasville, Buford and at Riverwood Studios in Senoia. Heigl’s character, Jennifer Kornfeldt, falls in love and rushes into marriage with Spencer Aimes, played by Kutcher. The two enjoy a picture-perfect marriage until they find out they are targets of a multi-million dollar hit job in the action comedy film.

“Get Low” is an American folktale and real-life legend about the mysterious, 1930s Tennessee hermit who famously threw his own funeral party. The cast includes Robert Duval, Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek, Lucas Black and Bill Cobb. The film was shot in locations in Georgia that have changed little over the generations, including the small town of Crawfordville, the Gaither Plantation in Covington, a beautiful old church near Sparta, and Pickett’s Mill Battlefield near Dallas.

Coming to the big screen in November of this year is “Due Date,” a comedy film starring Robert Downey, Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan and Jamie Foxx. Downey plays a highly-strung, father who finds himself on a cross-country road trip with an aspiring actor. The film was shot at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Hampton and Gainesville.

More than 700 film and television productions have been shot in Georgia since 1972, including “Driving Miss Daisy,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “My Cousin Vinny,” “Forrest Gump,” “Fireproof,” “We Are Marshall,” “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” the Emmy Award-winning HBO film “Warm Springs,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “The Dukes of Hazzard.” These projects have generated $5 billion dollars in economic impact over the last 38 years. Entertainment fans can expect to see more Georgia scenery and actors on movie and TV screens as the state’s aggressive entertainment incentives, ability to provide a variety of settings, temperate weather, and excellence in customer service attract the world’s top productions.

About Georgia’s Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Division

The Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Division conducts extensive business development, sales, marketing and promotional activities in order to attract entertainment projects and businesses to the state. The division’s team also assists the local, national and international entertainment industries with information, expertise and resources. It is a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), the sales and marketing arm of the State of Georgia. For more information, please visit http://www.georgia.org/fmde .

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