The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will partner with five International Sports Federations (IFs) and game publishers to produce the Olympic Virtual Series (OVS), the first-ever, Olympic-licensed event for physical and non-physical virtual sports.
Corporate compliance programs are an instrumental tool to prevent the fallout from infringement of applicable laws and regulations. Failing to comply with regulations, from local to international, can result in steep penalties and land your business in hot water with the government, so building out the best possible compliance program is critical.
The QA Tester will work closely with the QA Manager, Product, Engineering, and Design Teams to ensure mobile game software is of the highest quality in functionality, usability, and fun.
The Machine Group a minority based company developed by Alvin and Calvin Waters announced the launch of a new division to offer music services for film, television broadcasting and digital gaming needs being developed in the state of Georgia.
Founder Ryan Millsap announced Wednesday the sale of Blackhall Studios to Commonwealth Group, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, for $120 million.
With all eyes are on Georgia, please join EP’s Joe Chianese for a conversation with a dynamic group of producers and industry & incentive experts, as they discuss what’s happening in Georgia, including COVID-19 protocols & practical applications, digital production tools & solutions, the current audit process & pending agreed upon audit procedures, as well as a legislative update on the Georgia Incentive Program, and much more!
The new legislation is expected to attract greater production activity, especially smaller-scale productions, to the state and put Tennessee on a competitive footing with other states that offer tax incentives to the industry.
More than a decade after Georgia launched its production tax credit program, Marvel shoots its films and TV shows at the 18-stage Trilith Studios. In 2015, Tyler Perry converted Atlanta’s retired Fort McPherson Army Base into his 330-acre Tyler Perry Studios, the largest production studio in the U.S.
Y’all. I admit, when I heard there were murmurings of Hollywood boycotting the Georgia film industry again after Governor Kemp signed the egregious SB 202, I ignored them. Surely, I thought, these nice liberals from the West Coast haven’t forgotten our oh-so-recent history together.
SCAD says its Savannah Film Studios will include at 10.9-acre backlot, a new digital stage and three new soundstages. The first stage of the expansion will open this fall with the backlot completed by 2023. The project will also include a building for set design and costume design and classroom space.
If your company is part of a controlled group, you may still be eligible for the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). Being a part of an aggregated group of companies does not disqualify you as an eligible employer – it simply changes the rules.
After a long hiatus from live music in front of sizeable audiences, Savannah Jazz is back in action with their Circle of Friend’s Gig on May 14 at Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.
Beverly also help launch the career of Academy Award Nominee Abigail Breslin, casting her in her first leading film role in “The Ultimate Gift” which was followed by her critically-acclaimed performance in the film “Little Miss Sunshine”.
These projects total over $8.43 billion in new investments, representing a 67% increase in new investments compared to the first nine months of the previous fiscal year. Likewise, job creation is up 49% over the same period during fiscal year 2020.
The founder of TRICK 3D Studio, Chad Eikhoff, and the founder of Music Matters Productions, Aaron Soriero, today announced their partnership on Atlanta’s first extended reality (XR) stage using the game engine technology leveraged by Hollywood director Jon Favreau and others, Unreal Engine from Epic Games.
The report includes data from 161 feature films and 266 TV series, each of which used the Production Environmental Accounting Report (PEAR), created in partnership by SPA and the Producers Guild of America Foundation’s PGA Green committee.
Tyler Perry was one of the first producers to come up with a comprehensive plan to safely restart TV production in April 2020, just several weeks into the pandemic-related Hollywood shutdown.
According to Film Savannah, the beach filming will take place Wednesday, April 7 on the beach near 3rd Street. However, a set is being built weeks in advance of the shoot and 3rd Street will have to be closed for about 20 days.
Amid backlash to Georgia’s newly passed voting law, New Jersey is attempting to poach business from the Peach State. On Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy sent a letter to some of the major studios, including Netflix, Disney and Warner Bros
The cameras are rolling in North Carolina’s Hollywood East, also known as Wilmington. The coastal city has hosted a slew of film and TV projects over the years, from “Dawson’s Creek” to the in-progress series “Hightown” and upcoming space thriller “I.S.S.”
Always subject to change and often set before filming begins, here is the latest info on release dates for projects that filmed in Georgia.
COVID-19 has changed American culture in more ways than we could possibly address in this article, with a permanent impact reaching from education to healthcare and, especially, the workplace. One of the most radical changes many companies continue to reckon with stems from the rapid and lasting transition to remote work.
Last Wednesday, March 31 the legislature completed legislative day 40, the final day of the 2021 session, known as Sine Die. As Georgia has a two-year session cycle, any bill that doesn’t pass can be revisited during the next legislative session in 2022.
New event venue focused on creating exclusive, high-end occasions. From red carpet film and television premieres to celebrity events, the facility located on Atlanta’s fast-growing West Side will offer the top-tier amenities their clientele expects in a venue that is both private and easily accessible
This weekend Beast Beast will be playing at the PLAZA Theater in Atlanta! At lonnng last you get to check it out as it’s meant to be seen, on a big screen, with immersive sound and maybe some popcorn smells through your mask!
Atlanta-based esports companies Ghost Gaming and Skillshot Media together with the Georgia Film Academy have announced a new collaboration to create career development opportunities in the gaming and esports industry for Georgia’s workforce.
On Set early morning Fraturday with Adam Sandler. I was handing out water I went up to Adam and in my best Bobby Bushae impression I asked Him “Would you like some high quality H20.” He chuckled and in True Bobby Bushea form he replied. “Why Yes yes I would.” That’s right, I Bushea’d, Bobby Bushea.
In addition, Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter Bernice King wrote on Twitter: “Please stop the #BoycottGeorgia talk. That would hurt middle class workers and people grappling with poverty. And it would increase the harm of both racism and classism.”
The movie wrapped its month-long shooting schedule this week. Neon Highway was shot exclusively in Columbus, Pine Mountain and Hamilton, GA. A press conference was held Monday.
The legislature reconvened, Monday, March 29 for legislative day 39 and will work through yesterday for Sine Die. Sine Die is the final day of the 2021 legislative session, and the date by which a bill must be approved by both Chambers in order to be sent to the Governor’s desk for approval or veto.
Gray TV’s development partner, The Gipson Co.’s Jay Gipson, revealed more of the media giant’s plans Monday evening during a Doraville Downtown Development Authority meeting.
This is your last week to apply to speak at CIMFest June 12! The Columbus Interactive Media Festival (CIMFest) gets better every year, and grew even as we went virtual in 2020! This year’s event will be hybrid, with most of our sessions happening online, but with Columbus State University opening to a 50-person socially distanced event on site.
Business owners and entertainment professionals from Columbus and beyond attended the Focus Film Columbus GA virtual event on Wednesday, March 24th. The event, usually held live, connects entertainment professionals, artists and local businesses.
The surge in the digital entertainment market helped partially offset the decrease in the global box office caused by theater closures during the pandemic. The global theatrical and home/mobile entertainment market, in turn, reached $80.8 billion USD last year, representing an 18 percent decrease from 2019, further reflecting the pandemic’s impact on the industry.
Including three previously announced titles, there are 170 total works currently scheduled to play at ATLFF 2021’s virtual, drive-in and in-person screenings. There were a record-breaking 9,400 combined films and screenplays submitted to the 2021 festival.
The American Rescue Plan provides absolutely essential economic relief for workers in the American creative community who continue to face an uncertain path back to work due to the pandemic. This legislation’s extension of CARES Act and Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation benefits into early September, as well as critical tax forgiveness for the first $10,200 of unemployment insurance claimed in 2020, will provide much-needed certainty for creative community workers and their families.
We said from the beginning that the severity of this health crisis demands decisive action from our federal government. Saying this shouldn’t be a partisan statement. It was true a year ago, it was true during the November election, and it is true today.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) announced that Tina Lilly will be the new Executive Director of Georgia Council for the Arts, effective immediately. Lilly has served Georgia Council for the Arts for the last 14 years, most recently as director of the organization’s $2 million grant program.
Lawmakers in Georgia are looking to extend the state’s sales and use tax to digital goods and services. If House Bill 594 is enacted as written, audiovisual works, electronic books, video games, and a host of other digital products and services would be subject to sales and use tax starting July 1, 2021.
“Nomadland” was the big winner, taking home four awards including Best Picture, Best Director for Chloé Zhao, Best Adapted Screenplay for Zhao and Best Cinematography. “Promising Young Woman” received two awards—Best Actress for Carey Mulligan and Best Original Screenplay for Emerald Fennell, who also won the Breakthrough Award.
The 14-min. film uses audio interviews of mothers, doulas, and birth professionals alongside a visual exploration of cabbage birthing myths and fairytales throughout history in order to investigate the modern-day cabbage patch fairy tale and its connection to the lack of candid discussion about birthing in our society.
The legislature reconvened Monday, March 22 for legislative day 36 and will work through Thursday, March 25 completing legislative day 38. Wednesday, March 31, will be Sine Die, which is the final day for a bill to be passed by both chambers before being sent to the governor’s desk for approval or veto.
Steve Mensch, who oversees operations at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, says just a few months into the pandemic last year, the studio started quarantining hundreds of cast and crew members in on-site housing.
This year, the judges also recognize one filmmaker as a Rising Filmmaker – JACOBE LOVE with his documentary A DANGEROUS SILENCE, about domestic violence in Columbus, GA.
Camera crews filming a big screen movie is not a common site in the little town of Waycross. Yet, the town’s charm was enough to convince a director as the right place to make his movie.
The Columbus Film Commission is inviting those interested to attend the next Focus Film Columbus GA event. This virtual event will take place on March 24th at 2:00 PM and will be hosted via ZOOM.
Calculating Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness and the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) might be complex, but maximizing your benefit doesn’t have to be.
“We are proud to be a part of the evolution of Blackhall Studios as their expansion brings economic growth opportunities and quality jobs to our County,” said DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond.
The Georgia Film Critics Association (GAFCA) has announced their slate of nominees for the GAFCA Awards celebrating the 2020 year in film. Founded in 2011, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the awards program for the critics group. GAFCA is made up of 40 film critics from around the state, representing print, television, radio and online media.
Carol Gertjegeders was just a child when her mother, Ophelia DeVore Mitchell, opened a charm school in 1946 in New York City. Her charm school, Grace Del Marco Models, was a stepping stone for black women who wanted to be in the entertainment industry.
The agreement will make Peach Maria Productions — producers of the upcoming reality competition series, GAMEMASTER, with host Wil Wheaton — the largest Reality Engine virtual production operation in the world by the end of 2021.
Like festivals all over the world – from Sundance to Oxford, MS – the South Georgia Film Festival will include virtual programming! You can watch over 100 films this year from the comfort of your home through your Smart TV, laptop, or phone!
At a meeting of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents Committee on Real Estate on Tuesday, Sandra Neuse, the University System of Georgia’s vice chancellor for real estate and facilities, presented the board with plans to convert the campus into a major production studio, in partnership with Georgia Film Academy.
Awards-show season is in full swing, and it kicked off with the Golden Globes on Sunday night. Central Georgia had a hand in one of the award-winning movies. Sacha Baron Cohen took home Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for the Georgia-filmed ‘Borat’ sequel.
During the month of March, we will be sharing this history, amplifying women’s voices, and honoring the magnitude of their influential work and unyielding dedication to the union and entertainment industry.
MomoCon, the fan-favorite Atlanta event celebrating gaming, pop culture, and animation, will not hold its in-person event originally scheduled on May 27-30, 2021, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The House passed a resolution for the legislature to reconvene, Monday, March 1, for legislative day 25 and work Wednesday and Friday completing legislative day 27 on March 5. Monday, March 8, will be Crossover Day, which is the deadline for a bill to pass out of either legislative chamber in order to be considered this session.
No Address depicts the criminaliza4on of homelessness and how communities across the country can implement proven practical solutions to address this epidemic.
Larry Elmore is one of the most recognized names in game art, and his SIEGE workshop was our most popular. Join us 2 pm EST March 9 for a character art demo as Larry lets us join him to complete his Women of Dragonlance painting. GGDA members can join us in Discord to get their questions answered.
Stathopoulos has extensive experience practicing in the areas of state and local taxation and economic development incentives, with an emphasis in entertainment tax incentives. He helped draft a portion of the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act of 2008, which has made Georgia one of the leading U.S. destinations for film, television and digital entertainment productions.
Oklahoma’s film production sector, which the state has designated an essential business, has continued building on growth that has some industry watchers comparing it to Atlanta as a top U.S. filming destination.
Georgia filming continues apace in February, with at least 52 known active productions, the most since The Atlanta Journal-Constitution began monthly tracking in June 2019.
Along with over 100 films, the fifth annual South Georgia Film Festival will feature a live podcast recording from the nationally recognized AFC Indie Filmmaking Podcast.
Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that the State of Georgia ranked among the United States’ Top Ten exporting states in 2020 for the first time. Georgia merchandise exports reached 215 unique countries and territories and experienced the lowest rate of export contraction among all top ten states, despite headwinds from a global pandemic.
In South Carolina, Erskine and Newberry Colleges offer scholarships. In North Carolina, it’s Belmont Abbey, Barton and Lees McRae colleges, while in Virginia, Marymount and the University of North America have gaming programs. And, institutions in Georgia such as Georgia State University also offer esports scholarships.
Barry Jenkins released another beautiful teaser, In Aeternum, for the upcoming The Underground Railroad series. In an online article from IndieWire.com, his motivation behind the unique perspective of this latest teaser is explained. A large portion of the production was filmed in the Savannah Region and in other parts of Georgia. The limited series will debut on Amazon Prime in 2021.
The legislature reconvened Monday for legislative day 20 and work through Friday, February 26 completing legislative day 24. We are approaching Crossover Day, the deadline for a bill to pass out of either legislative chamber in order to be considered this session, which takes place on the 28th legislative day.
In 2020, Moonshine mixed, colored, or edited over 75 Episodes and Feature Films—including Netflix’s The Liberator (GA’s first posted Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, HDR original series) and Oscar-shortlisted / MTV Distributed documentary 76 Days—on top of a full plate of international ad work. Despite global hardships, 2020 was a successful year in post for Georgia and our team.
In this episode of EXPOSED, we talk with attorney Charles “Bo” Bowen. Bo’s firm is located in Savannah Georgia but serves clients throughout the country on matters concerning entertainment, film and music. Bo discusses legal strategies and trends including the impact COVID has had his consultations in 2020 and 2021.
Brian Egeston (Perfect Harmony) wrote the screenplay which is being produced by Roma Downey and Autumn Bailey-Ford. Mark Burnett will executive produce the project.
“As a life-long Fango fan and horror hound, it’s a great honor to be hosting the Chainsaws, especially in light of the difficult year that we’ve all faced together,” said Dastmalchian in a statement. “The isolation of 2020 was devastating and the amazing horror films of the past year helped many genre fans to endure the lockdowns as well as unifying the horror community in a wonderful way.”
This February, re:imagine/ATL launched the EMERGE: Apprenticeship Program, a workforce development program for youth ages 18-24. During this program, 14 students will participate in a paid nine-month training program that will prepare them for a full-time career in Georgia’s $34 Billion creative media industry.
Join GPP on Tuesday, March 2nd at 12 pm EST and learn more about the exploding possibilities of working in Visual Effects in Georgia! An insightful panel of VFX Artists from the Georgia Section of the Visual Effects Society will discuss pre-production, production, and post-production.
Starring Melissa Saint-Amand (“Ozark”), Tara Ochs (Selma) and William Gregory Lee (“Mentalist”), the Mysterious Southern Drama Arrived in Theatres on February 12 and DVD & Digital HD on February 16 from Indican Pictures.
The measure, sponsored by Sen. John Albers, would allow the chairs of the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committee to each request an economic analysis of up to five tax credits every year. The bill easily cleared the chamber Monday with a unanimous vote and now heads to the House.
Film and TV producers currently are working on 37 projects in the Peach State, up from 23 at this time last year, Lee Thomas, the state Department of Economic Development’s deputy commissioner for film, music and digital entertainment, told members of a Georgia House committee Monday.
The Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS) is pleased to announce the first wave of films programmed for the upcoming 45th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference (ATLFF), slated for April 22 through May 2, 2021. Each year, this first wave announcement acts as both the earliest glimpse at the upcoming festival as well as a representation of the exciting programming choices to come.
The Digital Creators Coalition (DCC), a broad and diverse group of associations, companies and organizations united in actively advocating for strong protections for our creative communities, launched its inaugural website.
Always subject to change and often set before filming begins, here is the latest info on release dates for projects that filmed in Georgia.
This letter is to formally offer the White House COVID Response Team and FEMA our infrastructure and labor in the effort to build or convert vaccinations sites across the country.
“A GFA education is the quickest and most cost-effective way to enter the state’s $10 billion film and entertainment industry,” said GFA executive director, Jeffrey Stepakoff. “We provide real world experience in a relatively short period of time at a low tuition cost with a guaranteed internship.”
The DreamHack Open is part of the ESL Pro Tour (EPT) for CS:GO, which combines multiple, previously unconnected ESL and DreamHack tournaments into dedicated circuits that build towards grand championships each year.
Pedro Correa (The Middle), Booboo Stewart (X-Men: Days of Future Past), Raymond Cruz (Breaking Bad), Simon Rex (Scary Movie franchise) and Steven Bauer (Scarface) will star in My Dead Dad, a coming-of-age indie drama
In this episode of EXPOSED, we speak with Crafty Apes co-founder Chris LeDoux. He discusses how VFX and post production have evolved in the pandemic era. He also discusses trends he sees for moviemaking in Georgia and beyond.
Governor Brian P. Kemp, in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), today announced that more than 16,000 jobs were created across all regions of the state by economic development projects in Georgia during the first half of fiscal year 2021, generating nearly $6 billion in new investments.
Frazier & Deeter, a Top 50 accounting and advisory firm with offices in the US and the UK, announced today several changes to its senior leadership team. The firm has added new roles of Chief Strategy Officer and National Service Line Leader, while also separating the CFO and COO roles.
ESL Gaming, the world’s largest esports company, has unveiled an overview of its 2021 planning direction for esports tournaments and DreamHack festivals, providing a full list of dates. Included is DreamHack’s first live, in-person festival since the pandemic began.
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) proudly announces the initial lineup for the 2021 SCAD aTVfest. Now in its ninth year, the university’s annual signature event celebrating all things television and streaming will be a virtual experience taking place Feb. 4-6, 2021.
COVID-19 critically halted the film industry cancelling all productions planned in Augusta after March 2020. The good news is interest in Augusta as a film production center grew. As the film industry had time on its hands, FILM Augusta saw inquiries and requests for information increase over 2019.
Fangoria is expanding its genre-driven empire with Fangoria Studios. The entertainment and publishing company is teaming with Circle of Confusion for the newly launched banner to develop and produce film, television, and podcasts using the Fangoria, Starlog, and Gorezone brands with a focus on sci-fi and horror projects with global appeal. Circle of Confusion is set to represent them in all areas.
At this year’s annual Georgia Chamber Eggs & Issue Breakfast, Speaker David Ralston was asked about support in the General Assembly for Georgia’s film and digital entertainment industry. Georgia’s industry was hit hard by the pandemic, but has become a global model for returning to work safely and has been credited for leading Georgia out of a pandemic related recession.
The play is a fictionalized portrayal of the recording of Rainey’s song of the same name and part of Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle, a series of ten plays that tell the stories of African Americans throughout each decade of the 1900s.
Georgia-based game developer Hi-Rez Studios revealed several major content updates for its three competitive esports titles Rogue Company, SMITE, and Paladins.
Pharaoh’s Conclave (PCX), Georgia’s leading organization for diversity and inclusion in competitive video gaming, and the Thomas Family Fund are proud to announce a contribution of $160,000 to Morris Brown College in honor and memory of the family patriarch, Ronald Floyd Thomas (MBC 2002).
Florida is the only state in the Southeast without a program to compete for film and television projects, which puts us at a major competitive disadvantage. Our regional neighbors included the film and television industry as part of their post COVID-19 economic recovery.
Columbus State University’s “drive-in” commencement ceremony wasn’t the university’s only first in its history. The Dec. 12 ceremony also celebrated its first two graduates of its new Film Production nexus degree program, which was approved by the University System of Georgia in 2018.
IATSE joined the AFL-CIO and working people across the country Friday in praising the appointment of our union-brother and Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh, to serve as Secretary of Labor in the Biden Administration.
The two-day Summit, presented by NBC Universal, was virtual, immersive experience for viewers to enjoy panel discussions, keynote speakers, one-on-one sessions, and networking opportunities covering presentations from some of the brightest minds in film, music, and gaming.
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’s legislative session began, with 36 freshman legislators and new leadership in several key committees. While the calendar seems to still be up in the air due to COVID, passing the budget and addressing voting rights are the main issues of focus.