Page 17 - Clayton Newcomers Guide 2020

Clayton County

A Popular Destination for Film & TV

by Andrew Smith

or more than a decade, Georgia Film Clayton works with filmmakers including: Sleepy Hollow, Stranger Things,
F through numerous services including: 24: Legacy, The Walking Dead, and others.
has been the Hollywood of the
East Coast. Thanks to aggressive film
4scouting
This investment in marketing the county

industry tax incentives implemented in
2008, the state – including Clayton County 4pre-production research for support as a television and film location is supported by
– has become a hotbed for the production 4accommodations other entities in the county. Area businesses
of blockbuster movies and acclaimed 4production personnel regularly stock items frequently purchased
television shows. Georgia’s film industry 4state and local regulations by the film industry. In a different kind of
has a statewide economic impact of more 4assistance during principal photography to support, Southern Regional Medical Center
than $9.5 billion annually. include permitting and coordination of local has a long-standing connection to Atlanta’s
Offering a potential 30 percent tax break law enforcement and utilities requirements. film industry and parts of the hospital are
to filmmakers, less smog, and more charm Film Clayton staff members are on call
than its West Coast counterpart, Georgia during a production to address needs and often used in productions. The hospital
has hosted thousands of productions across issues as they arise. generated film revenue of nearly $500,000
the state, and much of that action has been The efforts of Film Clayton have resulted in 2019 and more than $550,000 in 2018,
in Clayton County. in our camera-ready community seeing which is used for special projects to support
Film Clayton, a division of Clayton County hundreds of films produced, including: The patient care initiatives. You can see Southern
Economic Development, was established in Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Spider-Man Regional in recent major feature films such
2009 to act as the community’s “sales team” Homecoming, Furious 7, Baby Driver, and
to bring productions to the county and to Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, as Venom; Shaft (2019); and What Men Want,
assist film crews to make productions smooth among others. Numerous television shows as well as in numerous television series.
and successful. have also been produced in Clayton County, The growth of the industry in Clayton
County is partly evidenced by the commitment
by local educational institutions to develop
the workforce that is skilled in the creative
industries. “Clayton State University is
participating in the Georgia Film Academy,
which formed to address the need for more
local crew to be educated and prepared
to staff the ever-increasing number of
productions filming in Georgia,” said
Tamara Patridge, executive director of
the Clayton County Convention & Visitors
Bureau and Film Office.
Patridge added that the Clayton County
School District has begun implementing
film-related training in its curriculum.

Clayton County Chamber of Commerce Community Guide • www.claytonchamber.org • 678-610-4021 13