As a slow year for film and television production comes to a close, Georgia’s largest film industry trade association has elected a new set of leaders.
Brennen Dicker, executive director of the Georgia State University Creative Media Institute has been named the new chair of the Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition with Michael Clark, the general manager at Eagle Rock Studios, to serve as vice chair.
Founded in 2018, GSEC is a lobbying group representing stakeholders in Georgia’s film industry, including soundstages, production companies, regional film commissions and key vendors. During last session, GSEC was at the state Capitol lobbying against the legislative effort to rein in the state’s film tax credit program. The most recent state audit to examine the credit — released in December of last year — said the industry will recoup $1.35 billion worth of credits this fiscal year. But the credit has come under fire in recent years with critics calling it a burden on taxpayers.
The industry says it’s responsible for about $4.4 billion a year in direct spending in Georgia, and it estimates 92% of the film work done in the state wouldn’t occur without the ability to receive tax credits. But the December audit found the industry creates far fewer jobs than supporters of the credit say, and the tax credit costs taxpayers $59,455 per job.
The measure to put added controls on the film tax credits, which would’ve added more hurdles to receive the maximum 30% tax credit and limited how many tax credits could be transferred in a given year, did not pass. It’s unclear if a similar effort could return this coming session.
GSEC has a big challenge to navigate this year: the total recalibration of the film and television industry. Production is down from a peak that drove a significant boom in studio construction in Georgia over the past five years, leaving many owners and operators with empty soundstages. Tentpole productions that have kept many stages in Georgia busy over the last few years seem to be moving to Europe. Even Francis Ford Coppola, who shot his buzzy “Megalopolis” feature in Atlanta last year and rehabbed a hotel in Peachtree City to house his family (and, now, film buffs everywhere) during its production, is shooting his next feature in London.
Production is not at a standstill in Georgia. Features, television series and reality shows are still actively filming, even this month, when production begins to calm during the holidays. But whether projects will resume at a pace next year that keeps soundstages more than halfway occupied, allows vendors who depend on the industry to stay afloat or leaves both crew members and actors with steady work is anyone’s guess.
GSEC, which is affiliated with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, streamlined its leadership from two levels to a single board this year. As the organization grew, having two boards became convoluted, Executive Director Kelsey Moore said. The changes ensure the organization can operate more efficiently.
Dicker, the new chair, succeeds Gannon Murphy, the general manager of Cinelease Studios, and Clark replaces Beth Talbert, the vice president of studio operations at NBCUniversal at Assembly Studios.
GSEC also added several members to its board of directors, including Lee Thomas, the deputy commissioner of the Georgia Film Office; Bill Sanford, the manager of division operations for gear rental company Cinelease and Michael Scott, the director of community and industry relations for Cinespace Studios, among several others that previously served in leadership positions.
With the restructuring came the creation of three committees that will focus on ensuring “the Georgia film industry can thrive for the long term,” Moore said. These include policy and political engagement, which is a committee that will monitor Georgia’s legislative, business and regulatory environment for changes that could impact the industry, along with one focused on furthering Georgia’s brand and reputation as a filming location. The third is focused on forging partnerships across the industry.
The areas of focus were pulled from interviews GSEC conducted with its members, legislators and other stakeholders, where they discussed concerns they had as the industry resets itself, Moore said.
Moving into next year, Moore said GSEC wants to make sure elected officials understand the economic impact the industry has on the state, and that the film business at large understands the state has the infrastructure and crew base to support productions. The organization plans to launch a new strategic plan in January.
“Even if you don’t see a movie crew on your street, we want them to understand that doesn’t mean that film is not impacting your community,” Moore said. “The caterer or restaurant down the street may be serving the industry, or the lumber mill might be sending timber outfits to the studios.”
As the industry in Georgia recovers, it needs to protect what it’s built, Moore said.
“The posture that we should be moving into this session is that we’ve done this really incredible thing, and there’s countries and states trying to copy what we’ve done,” Moore said. “We need to protect it.”
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