With a mission to put Georgians to work in all aspects of the state’s multi-billion-dollar entertainment industry, all across the state, the Georgia Film Academy (GFA), in coordination with Georgia Tech-Savannah, recently announced plans to offer a course in Savannah that would introduce students to on-set film production. Georgia Tech-Savannah will host the course on its campus on Saturdays, beginning February 13, 2021.
“After the success of our first foray into Savannah this fall, we’re thrilled to offer this game-changing initiative with Georgia Tech-Savannah,” said GFA executive director, Jeffrey Stepakoff. “Students of all ages and backgrounds can gain real-world experience, which leads to jobs in Georgia’s film and entertainment industry. Affordable, accessible, and public, the GFA is fast becoming the state’s entertainment arts conservatory.”
This course is the first of an 18-credit hour certificate program that will introduce the skills used in on-set film production, including all forms of narrative media, which utilizes film-industry standard organizational structure, professional equipment and on-set procedures.
In addition to topical information, the course will include demonstrations of equipment and set operations as well as hands-on learning experiences. Students will learn film production organizational structure, and job descriptions and duties in various film craft areas as well as the names, uses and protocols related to various pieces of professional on-set film equipment.
Students will also learn, through lectures and exercises, how the various film crafts relate to each other on a working set, as well as how and why they all must operate in coordination. In addition, students will learn crucial skills related to networking and self-marketing.
This course is the pre-requisite for all GFA courses and one of the classes required to earn a Georgia Film Academy Production Certification. It is part of the GFA’s collaboration with the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia, created by state leadership to meet education and workforce needs for high demand careers in Georgia’s film and creative industries.
According to the Savannah Economic Development Authority, the Savannah region has been home to 185 productions, generating $125.6 million in direct spending by entertainment companies.
“We are very excited about this new collaboration with the Georgia Film Academy. It’s clear the film industry is a major economic driver in our region, and the opportunity to train our local workforce for a career in this dynamic industry is a win-win for Savannah and Georgia Tech,” said Diane Lee, executive director of the Georgia Tech-Savannah campus.
Georgia Tech-Savannah is following all guidelines, including all those related to the response to Covid-19, outlined by Georgia Tech for the overall safety and wellness of students, faculty and staff. For more information and to register for this course, visit: https://pe.gatech.edu/courses/gfa-introduction-set-film-production For more information on the Georgia Film Academy, visit https://georgiafilmacademy.edu/.
For more information on the Georgia Tech-Savannah campus, visit https://pe.gatech.edu/savannah.
