Are you planning on producing film and video projects in Atlanta or Georgia? Are you curious whether a Georgia based production is right for your next project? Heard a thing or two about Georgia Tax Credit maybe?
If your doing episodic TV or movie production the first place you should stop is the Georgia Film and TV production website. Here you’ll find resouces on how to file and qualify for your Georgia tax credit. The tax credit applies to all production and post production but you must spend at least $500,000 in the state of Georgia.
Things you should know about working in Georgia. The talent base for crew has gotten much larger and more professional over the years. Since 1971 over 800 major film and television projects have been produced here. And it’s not uncommon to hear of people who left Georgia to work behind the scenes in LA or NY returning to Atlanta because there is now more opportunity for them here.
This goes for talent in front of the camera too. The pool is rising dramatically. Many people from around the country still go to LA or NY to get discovered but more and more are choosing to stay in Atlanta or move here to launch their careers or where there’s actually more production and less competition than they might find in La La land. Ten years ago, it could be difficult to cast a television commercial campaign without compromises in Atlanta. Now it’s a snap.
The Georgia production community also has more resources than ever. Companies like Panavision, Paskal Lighting and Paramount now offer the same equipment and services here that used to only be available in NY or LA. Plus there has been an increase in specialty vendors providing everything from catering to reptile wrangling.
So is producing film and video in Georgia just like Hollywood now? We’re getting there. While the quality of resources has gone up dramatically since the introduction of the Georgia tax credit, the talent base is close to catching up with some pretty insane demand. If you’re planning a large shoot it may take a longer to staff than in LA or NY but calls to the local unions and service providers should get you taken care of. For our projects with our long term relationships, we have yet to have a problem finding the appropriate crew, cast and equipment locally.
The majority of production we produce is for commercials, indies, TV entertainment, ENG, web video, corporate branding and non-profit projects and we’re finding that it just gets easier and easier to find great talent locally.
Are there good reasons to travel to Los Angeles for production? Yes, if your script is set in LA. Also, if you’ve really been wanting to stay at Shutters on the Beach and eat at Nobu in Malibu. And heck, you may even want to bump into Brad at the supermarket.
In all seriousness, there are enormously talented professionals working in Los Angeles and New York. We’ve done plenty of work in LA and love the city. You can not go wrong shooting there but we urge your to give serious consideration to working in Georgia and with us and our talented crews. Just drop us a note.
Yes, you don’t need to be a Georgia resident to qualify for a tax credit. You just need to spend the minimum amount required in the state of Georgia on production or post-production to quality.
The tax credit covers films, TV shows, commercials and music videos that are distributed outside the State of Georgia. The company must spend at least $500 in the state on production and post-production.
There are no caps or sunset clauses.
You can save 20% on all production and post-production expenses spent in the State of Georgia plus an additional 10% when a logo is embedded in an approved project.
A tax credit is an offset owed on taxes in the State of Georiga. Don’t owe any taxes in the state of Georgia, no problem, plenty of people do and will pay you for your tax credits.