Film Georgia!!

Georgia Wins “Footloose” in Dance-Off

Staff — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 13:35:31 +0000

Memphis-based business journal “The Commercial Appeal” reported yesterday that Memphis, Tennessee, has lost their bid to play host to the remake of the 1980s hit film “Footloose” and that the production will instead be coming to Georgia. In an interview with the film’s director Craig Brewer (”Hustle & Flow”), Commercial Appeal describes how the Memphis package remained $1.6 million short of hitting Paramount’s $25 million budget for the remake, which has been rumored as “coming to Georgia” for at least a year.

Expected to begin filming in early August, Brewer’s script for Footloose (2011) is set in the fictional small town of Beaumont, Tennessee. No word yet on when pre-production will begin, but Commercial Appeal reports the film’s director as saying that the production will employ “400 paid dancers, 2,200 paid extras and 90 local crew members”.

Although Georgia emerged as the winner in this competition with Tennessee, it’s safe to say that our local production crews fully understand Brewer’s frustration at watching Tennessee-specific projects leave his home state. Georgia’s motion picture industry languished during the period prior to our more-competitive tax incentives, with many long-time crew members relocating out of state to follow the work.

Let’s do Tennessee proud.

Vampire Diaries to Rise Again

Staff — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:42:02 +0000

Ain’t social media grand? While everyone involved with Vampire Diaries has been confident that the Georgia-lensed hit show would be renewed it was still great to see Co-Executive Producer & Director Marcos Siega send out a tweet to his thousands of followers stating “Thanks to all our fans. Officially picked up for season two!” Who needs news sites when you can follow people on your favorite shows on your own?!! If you’d like to follow Marcos, head on over to his feed on Twitter!!

Teen Wolf to Challenge Vampires in Atlanta

Staff — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:17:47 +0000

Have we got some fun news for you!! But first: Have you ever seen the 1985 comedy Teen Wolf? It’s the story of Scott Howard (played by ~~Marty McFly~~… we mean, Michael J. Fox), a bland high school spud who discovers that he is descended from a long line of Werewolves and suddenly gets all the fame and adoration of his classmates due to his astonishing lycanthropic powers.

Now imagine what would happen if that movie were re-imagined along the vein of the very popular CW series “The Vampire Diaries” and that the pilot episode of this new series were to be produced in Georgia (specifically in the Atlanta area). Well kids, imagine no longer… Film Georgia is happy to announce that the pilot for “Teen Wolf” is a go for Georgia and is in fact at this very moment crewing up! MTV says that the star of the new series will be Tyler Posey, and that the series will be a dramatic comedy.

Set to direct the film is Russell Mulcahy, director of the 1980s cult hit “Highlander”. This won’t be Mulcahy’s first project shot in Georgia, as he shot the Kim Basinger bank heist film “The Real McCoy” in Atlanta in the mid-1990s.

Let’s see… Zombies, Vampires, and now Werewolves? How far off can it be before we see Dr. Frankenstein’s monster having lunch with The Mummy at a local Chick-Fil-A??

LA Times on The Blind Side

Staff — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:03:59 +0000

In today’s online issue of the LA Times writer Rachel Abramowitz documents the events leading to the production of the Georgia-lensed production “The Blind Side” in her article “The making of ‘Blind Side’ a real-life drama“. Inspirational on many levels, be sure to give it a read!

The Effect of Film Tourism on Georgia

Staff — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:15:17 +0000

Today we’re featuring a YouTube video by Craig Miller, co-President of the Georgia Production Partnership, owner of Craig Miller Productions, and Executive Producer of C Pictures. Craig’s video “Film Tourism in GA” neatly sums up what professionals in the motion picture industry have long known: the unsung “ripple” effect of the movie business is that it can (and does) help drive tourism to filming locations. In the tourism business this is known as “Film Tourism”; a type of tourism directly driven by a desire to visit real life filming locations seen in movies and television shows. For 70 years the film “Gone With The Wind” brought visitors from around the world to try and catch a glimpse of Tara. Craig’s video “Film Tourism in GA” discusses the economic impact of other Georga-lensed films, like “Deliverance”, “Fried Green Tomatoes”, and “Forrest Gump”.

We’re obviously big cheerleaders of the motion picture industry and honestly hope that every citizen of the state of Georgia will support the work of our state’s motion picture professionals! Be sure to view Craig’s other videos and give them 5 stars!

Vampire Diaries Draws Blood at People’s Choice Awards

Staff — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:59:43 +0000

Congratulations to the Writers, Producers, Cast & Crew of the Georgia-produced television series “The Vampire Diaries” after their win for “Favorite New TV Drama” at tonight’s 36th Annual People Choice Awards, held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. It’s well known in Atlanta’s motion picture community that the cast and crew of Vampire Diaries work long, late hours due to the show’s “vampire” theme and while this award won’t change their shooting schedule it is an encouraging sign that the show has legs for a second season. The other shows nominated for Favorite New TV Drama were FlashForward (ABC), The Good Wife (CBS), NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS), and V (ABC).

Farrelly Brothers Give Georgia “Hall Pass”

Staff — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:12:18 +0000

We’ve been aware since late November that the Farrelly brothers (pictured above), famous for comedies like “Dumb & Dumber” and “There’s Something About Mary”, were likely to be bringing a new project to Georgia and yesterday Variety took the news public that “Hall Pass” would begin production in late February (consult the Variety link for details on the premise of the film).

Variety’s article confirmed scuttlebutt that popular comedic actor Owen Wilson would be in the film, adding that Jason Sudeikis will co-star along with Wilson. No news on possible shooting locations yet, and per our standing confidentiality policy we will not publish details about projects in production without authorization from the publicist.

Photocredit : David Shankbone

Georgia Refining Entertainment Tax Incentives

Staff — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:21:20 +0000

The Georgia Department of Economic Development has given public notice that it plans to officially adopt a new chapter (159-1-1), under the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, entitled “Film Tax Credit”, which shall provide guidance, definition and general clarification and refinement to the code section concerning the motion picture industry in Georgia. The proposed additions are up for public review and comment until January 29th and may be made in one of three ways:

Email: regcomments@georgia.org

Fax: 404-962-4053

Mail: Bill Thompson
Deputy Commissioner, Film, Music & Digital Entertainment
Georgia Dept. of Economic Development (GDEcD)
75 Fifth St., NW, Suite 1200
Atlanta, GA 30308

It should be noted that the 2008 amendment to the state’s entertainment tax incentives program spurred a burst of production work which continues to this day. From the zany zombie-infested comedy “Zombieland” to the Oscar-buzzed Sandra Bullock picture “The Blind Side”, the hit comedy “Drop Dead Diva” to the cult hit “The Vampire Diaries”, Georgia has been covered up in work and indications are that more productions will slam into the state over the next four months.

The Film Georgia Store is Here!

Staff — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 23:12:06 +0000

This evening we’re rolling out the new “Film Georgia Store” on Zazzle.com. Our first offerings include a few hats featuring a special version of the Film-GA logo, a couple of shirts, and our new line of “2nd Meal Mugs” (more on those below). The Zazzle store items can also be viewed right here at Film-Ga.com by going to the STORE link at the very top of this page (look up^^).

The 2nd Meal Mugs Collection features irreverent sayings related to various departments and jobs found only on a movie set; from camera assistants to background extras we’re hoping to eventually celebrate every person who contributes to the art of filmmaking. Our first batch of new mugs include these sayings:

EXTRA: I put a little into every scene I walk through.
CAFFEINE: It’s more important than checking the gate. Seriously.
FEMININE MYSTIQUE: Just because I’m wearing a walkie doesn’t mean that I don’t have it.
CONTINUITY: Yes, that scene was as badly directed as the last one. Totally matched.
UPM: Destroyer of Kit Rentals – Don’t piss me off.

More are on the way, so stop by frequently to see what’s new, and follow us on Twitter for all the latest!

Little Trolly

Staff — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:13:29 +0000

Oh no!! Driver X, our favorite new-to-the-film-business trucker is taking liberties with grip department equipment this time around!!

“Driver X” is a fictional long-haul truck driver who’s new to the motion picture industry and “just cain’t seem to get the hang of workin’ on these durn movies”. The Driver X series is just a part of the original entertainment you’ll find on Film-GA.com – enjoy!

Wamba Screens Tester at Woodruff

Staff — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:33:10 +0000

Saturday night the producers of the independent film “Wamba” held a well-attended test screening of a rough cut of their project at the Rich Auditorium in the Woodruff Performing Arts Center in midtown Atlanta. Attendees included many Kenyans now living in Atlanta, a member of the Atlanta Film Festival organization and Miss Kenya, who looked quite sexy in her competition sash.

Here’s a synopsis of the film from Takeover DJs:

This film takes place in 1990 and follows the life of Wamba and his group of friends who live in California – a suburban slum of Nairobi. When Wamba’s family deals with the devastating effects of a new and unknown disease in AIDS, the whole community is torn apart and threatened. Wamba must make choices and search out the knowledge in order to empower his community over the AIDS/HIV epidemic of the 1990s.

Despite a significantly delayed start due to technical issues, the crowd remained patient and sincerely interested in watching a film which explores the superstition and lack of education which existed in Africa during the burgeoning AIDs crisis of the early 1990s. Filmed entirely in Kenya, “Wamba” has strong ties to Georgia including Director of Photography Alfeo Dixon, who explains that the film was shot digitally on a Canon 5D DSLR, the type of camera normally associated with professional stills photography.

Fox Announces 2010 Schedule

Staff — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:06:28 +0000

This week Fox Broadcasting announced its 2010 mid-season replacement schedule, putting an end to the speculation over the fate of the series “Past Life“, shot in Atlanta this past summer. This time-tripping, past-life-regressing crime drama will air on Tuesdays at 9pm, the slot currently held by “Fringe“, J.J. Abrams’ increasingly popular inheritor to the X-Files crown. What is unclear is whether “Past Life” stands a chance of making it out of the tangle of new programming which always grows thick during mid-season.

“Past Life” was one of two series brought to Atlanta this summer by Warner Brothers’ Bonanza Productions (the other series being the wildly popular “Vampire Diaries“), however the production of “Past Life” was unexpectedly wrapped with two months left to go in the stated shooting schedule, leaving many to theorize that the show had tested poorly and was being quietly shelved.

In mid-October Fox Broadcasting issued a statement explaining that the real reason they reduced their initial order was due to sufficient backlog of material for the 2010 mid-season (see “Fox scales back ‘Past Life’ order” at The Hollywood Reporter).

The news that all seven of the completed episodes of “Past Life” will be airing in 2010 begs the question “If the show performs well and gets picked up will it make a return to Atlanta?”

And will “Fringe” return to Tuesday nights? What, are you crazy?? Of course it will… it has to come back!! Fox would be mad to cancel a cool Sci-Fi show!!

Wardrobe Truck Malfunction

Staff — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:16:00 +0000

Driver X is back again!!! This time our favorite bumbling trucker hits us with a company move disaster!! What happens when you don’t tie your truck down right before you roll out? Comedy Gold!!

Robert Redford Conspirator Caught in Savannah

Staff — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:44:03 +0000

Here’s one we missed! Last month Savannah’s local NBC affiliate WSAV Channel 3 reported that the Robert Redford film “The Conspirator” had become an irresistible attraction to tourists and townsfolk alike and that Jay Self, longtime film commissioner for the city, believed the film project would infuse upwards of $10 million to Savannah’s economy.

The film is based on the events surrounding the trial of Mary Surratt (played by Robin Wright Penn), one of four people charged as conspirators in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, and from what we gather the shoot should be completed before the end of the year. {link to Wikipedia article on Mary Surratt – warning: SPOILERS}

Other actors include: Evan Rachel Wood, Stephen Root, and Kevin Kline.

Ben 10 Alien Swarm Premieres

Staff — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:58:07 +0000

Earlier this year the downtown streets of Atlanta howled to the sound of motorcycles, race cars and marauding aliens as crews filmed the second live-action movie based on the popular Cartoon Network series Ben 10, the story of a boy who discovers an alien device which allows him to temporarily transform into various alien creatures.

This made-for-cable movie debuts in just two days, Wednesday at 7pm EST, on Cartoon Network and features Ryan Kelley as our hero, Ben Tennyson. During a visit to set this past winter it was quite evident that the crew were in great spirits, despite the chilly nights with constant street wet-downs. The recurring theme was “I hope these guys come back again”.

Ben 10 : Alien Swarm – don’t miss it!! ….. but if you do, its Wikipedia article indicates that the movie will be released for purchase on DVD and Blu-Ray a mere six days after televised premiere!! (no citation provided)

Mo’Nique’s Rising Star

Staff — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:05:11 +0000

Actress Mo’Nique, best known as Nikki Parker from the UPN network sitcom “The Parkers”, is currently taping episodes of “The Mo’Nique Show” at Turner’s TBS Studios in downtown Atlanta. Shot in front of a live studio audience, the show currently airs weeknights on BET (Viacom) at 11pm EST, 10pm Central. Tickets are available by request from the program’s official website (link to tickets).

For the show’s October 5th premiere Broadcasting & Cable reported an audience of 1.5 million viewers, over half of which represented the coveted 18 year old to 49 year old demographic. This strong interest in a late night television program, combined with the speculation that Mo’Nique might be in the running for an Academy Award for her work on the film “Precious”, are spinning Mo’Nique up as a hot property on the Hollywood Stock Exchange (HSX:MNIQU).

For an up-to-the-minute idea of who’s going to be on MoNique’s program just follow the show’s tweets over on Twitter (link to Mo’Nique Show’s Twitter page) or better yet, follow @FilmGeorgia/productiontweets as we add other productions who participate on Twitter.

We’re excited to have “The Mo’Nique Show” in production in Georgia and hope to play host for years to come!

Film-GA License Tags Are Back!

Staff — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:10:51 +0000

They’re Back!!! Due to popular demand we have revived the Film-GA license tags and will begin bringing them to a set near you as early as next week. This newest batch of tags have been printed with UV resistant inks, covered with one of the strongest laminates available and mounted to tough aluminum license tag blanks. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the price, these little guys are still just $20 per tag and for the time being the only place you can buy them is on the set of a film or television production in Georgia.

(note that we’ll be having a one-time-only “half-price buy-back” program for anyone with a vintage Film-GA license plate that needs replacing… be ready to surrender your old tag at the time of purchase. Certain defective tags from past printings will be replaced at no cost.)

Jezebel has Interview with a Vampire

Staff — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:26:31 +0000

Be sure to grab the November 2009 issue of Atlanta’s luxury living magazine “Jezebel” for an interview with “Vampire Diaries” star Kayla Ewell, who talks about life as a vampire, living in Atlanta, and answers questions about the widely-publicized “flashing” incident from earlier in the year. Even though her character died in the Halloween episode you’ll certainly hope that the show’s producers figure out a way to bring her character Vicki back after seeing Kayla in this very sexy photoshoot!

This “interview with a vampire” was coordinated by Editor-in-Chief Beth Weitzman, photos by John Russo, story by Bret Love. This vampire edition of Jezebel is available on newstands now for $3.95 in the USA and $5.95 outside the states. We’re hoping that our staff can get invited to one of Jezebel’s sexy parties one of these days! Call us, Jezebel… we’ll trade you for a Film-GA tag!

Lottery Ticket Wraps

Staff — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:08:11 +0000

The feature film “Lottery Ticket” is set to complete principal photography later this week, wrapping up its 6-week shooting schedule in the city of Atlanta. Set for distribution with Warner Brothers in 2010, Lottery Ticket stars Ice Cube and Bow Wow in the tale of a young man who is unfortunate enough to have his scheming neighbors in the projects find out that he holds a winning lottery ticket worth several hundred million dollars.

Locations for the film included the Five Points MARTA station, a recently-depopulated housing project on the west side of Atlanta, and some of the city’s most popular shopping centers. (note: video included here is by SmartPlay international, one of several manufacturers of real lottery machines)

Precious Builds Buzz

Staff — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:07:39 +0000

In its second week of limited release “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” moved from 12th place to 4th place, more than tripling the gross revenue of its opening weekend as more screens were brought online to show the film [source: BoxOfficeMojo.com].

Critical reception of the film has been overwhelmingly positive, with RottenTomatoes.com currently reporting a 90% Fresh rating. While Precious wasn’t shot in Georgia, it was lofted to national prominence in part by Atlanta’s own film/television legend Tyler Perry, who championed the film alongside Oprah Winfrey.

Last month, the Defamer (Richard Rushfield) over at Gawker.com explored the twisty road to Oscar gold that Precious must negotiate, citing the tendency of Hollywood to rail against films which are “foisted” upon it by celebrity backers (like Winfrey and Perry).