Actors Are Flocking to Georgia

Actors Are Flocking to Georgia

Read on to find out why…

You may have heard of Atlanta being referred to as the “Hollywood of the South”, but did you know that many actors are actually leaving Los Angeles and New York to move to the Georgia market?

According to Culture Trip, “The Southern state of Georgia is famous for peaches, Coca-Cola, and the city of Atlanta, which has the busiest international airport on the planet. But now it’s overtaken Hollywood to become the biggest film-producing market in the world”.

Credit Article: How Georgia Overtook Hollywood to Become the Film Capitol.

Operations Director, Elizabeth Alcaraz, and Coaches Kirsten Krehbiel and Jeanne Morales at Woodruff Park. Filming Locations include Zombieland and Black Lightning. 

Location, Location, Location...

But why is that? How did Georgia create a booming filmmaking market that overtook the two existing major markets, LA and New York?

 

There are MANY reasons that productions and creatives are moving to Georgia from the other markets, but let’s start with LOCATION.

 

According to AceYourAudition.com’s article on whether or not actors should move to Georgia for their career (Spoiler Alert: The Answer Is Yes), “the state of Georgia gives out more film tax credits than anywhere else in the world, except for the United Kingdom” (LINK).

 

Georgia has a variety of beautiful and diverse landscapes and cities, meaning that production crews can make it look like almost anywhere in the world with the right setup. Atlanta’s skyline is often a stand-in for the skylines of major cities like Los Angeles and New York. 

 

You can spot Atlanta standing in for New York in projects like Hawkeye and Spiderman: No Way Home, or Atlanta being ‘California’ in projects like Venom and Zombieland.

 

Not only can it look like almost any state (or other countries, as Netflix’s Ozark also shows Braselton, Georgia as a stand-in for Mexico), it is so easy for travelers from different locations to come to Georgia, since we have the #1 busiest airport in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Airports Council International).



Coach Jeanne Morales at The Marriot Marquis. Filming location of The Hunger Games.

In addition to taking the place of other major cities when it comes to shooting on-location, Atlanta also has HUGE sound stages due to the many amazing film studios that make their home here. To read more about some of the different awesome studios in Georgia, check out our previous blog on that HERE. Did you know that the neighborhood in WandaVision was actually all constructed within a soundstage at Trilith Studios (formerly Pinewood Studios)?

Georgia is such an amazing choice for filming locations due to the assortment of options offered by our various nature and city landscapes. If you need a beach, we’ve got Jekyll Island, Tybee Island, St. Simons Island, and more! If you need mountains, Stone Mountain is right near our capital city of Atlanta. Want a lake? Try Lake Lanier, Allatoona, Oconee, or one of many others! As far as cities go, Georgia is home to historic towns like Savannah and Augusta, as well as more modern/metropolitan cityscapes like Atlanta and Athens, which have amazing college campus locations! With multiple different city feels and diverse physical landscapes from farms to wetlands to forests, we’ve got any film crew covered.

 

For a comprehensive list of Georgia’s filming locations and projects you may have seen filmed here, check out Explore Georgia’s “Guide to Georgia Film Locations”!

Coach Kirsten Krehbiel and TAS Front Desk Assistant, Sadeja Carter at The Hub at Peachtree Center. Near filming location of Hawkeye and The Tomorrow War.

Show Me the Money....

Next up, any producer’s favorite part: MONEY.

It is well-known that Georgia expanded its tax credits for film productions in 2008, which became a financial incentive for studios and production overall to relocate here. The minimum expenditure threshold for projects to meet the tax credit is $500,000, which can be spent either on one project or over the entire 12 months of a particular tax year (Georgia.Org). While that sounds like a ton of money to the average Joe, for most projects in the film industry, that’s a rather small amount of budget, which makes it easy to qualify for our tax breaks. And, there are no limits or caps to the amount a production can spend in Georgia, meaning that a lot of projects will find a way to shoot as much as they can in Georgia to save money, whether that’s on-location or on a studio’s soundstage. 

Our favorite part at The Actor’s Scene is that the Georgia market is home to a lot of really amazing PEOPLE. One of the amazing people we’re talking about is TAS Coach Kristi Taylor, who finds her home in Atlanta after working in multiple other markets. We sat down with Coach Kristi to talk about how she ended up in Georgia!

So, Kristi, tell us about what made you want to come to Georgia for your acting career!

“What attracted me to the ATL acting/filming/music/theatre market, was that it is so different from the Texas, Oklahoma, Los Angeles, and New York markets in my opinion.  We literally have everything here in GA for filming, music, theatre and so forth.  The amount of talent, professionalism, and sheer determination to make a top notch product is present everywhere you turn.”

We agree! It's awesome that you mention the variety of projects taking place here in Georgia, can you tell us more about what actors should expect in terms of what types of projects they can be considered for?

“I think it’s important to keep in mind that there are plenty of Union and Non-Union productions that are constantly being filmed in Georgia, especially in the metro ATL area.  We do things by the book here and in return make great connections, set ourselves up for future work, and create awesome material.”

Amazing! We love hearing about how Atlanta can hold its own when it comes to the quality of productions in addition to the large quantity of projects! Do you have anything else to say to someone who might be considering moving to Georgia for their film career?

“I also feel that GA is a little more welcoming to those who may be a tad newer to the industry as well.  Not only do GA productions break the barriers by offering tax incentives, but they also tend to use local talent before reaching out abroad.  This is great for those who are seasoned and green to the industry.  There is also an abundance of acting jobs ranging from background to Lead/first team talent with a smaller pool of population to pull from. And not to mention, the amount of crew positions!”

Thank you so much for your time, Coach Kristi.

Coach Sanna Erica chilling out at the Fountain of Woodruff Park. Filming location of Avengers: Infinity War and The Change Up.

Many actors are worried about the Atlanta market being “too small” or “not having enough opportunity” in comparison to the other markets, but Acting Career Center’s Kurt Yue shuts those ideas down with this quote: 

 

“First of all, if you’re still worried that Atlanta is too small of a market compared to say, New York or LA, even though I just gave you that huge list of movies and shows shot here, if you’re still worried that Atlanta doesn’t have enough opportunities for actors, let me put that to rest right now. 

The amount of opportunity here is not just good, it’s actually kind of mind blowing. The sheer volume of auditions I started getting when I first moved here was… it was actually a bit overwhelming at first” (Should You Move To Atlanta For Your Acting Career?)

With an exciting amount of productions, whether they came to Georgia for tax reasons, our beautiful locations, or for the new amazing market we’ve created, comes an exciting amount of opportunity for actors, new and seasoned alike!


We hope that this article helped you see that not only is Georgia competing with LA and New York (and holding our ground!), but we are making a market all our own. So instead of referring to Atlanta as “The Hollywood of the South”, make sure you just call it Atlanta. Film is here. Start your acting career with us! For more information on our offerings, click HERE. To get started with a private or career coach to launch your acting journey, click HERE.

You’ve got this!

Ready to get started? Reach out today!

TASFRONTDESK@GMAIL.COM

678-313-7798

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR CLASSES
SIGN UP TO AUDIT A CLASS FOR FREE
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR CLASSES

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About The Author

Molly Pass

Molly Pass is an Atlanta-local actress, acting coach, and wedding videographer who loves to help new and seasoned actors alike find their purpose and passion through performance. She holds her bachelor’s degree in Film and Media Studies from Georgia State University and enjoys discussing movies, shows, and all things new media. Her favorite part of working at The Actor’s Scene is being able to inspire folks to pursue their dreams and helping them to gain confidence in themselves along the way. When she is not acting or working in the digital media realm, she enjoys reading murder mysteries and desperately trying to keep a garden alive. 

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Student Highlight: Javian Brown

Student Highlight: Javian Brown

Get to know TAS Student,  Javian Brown. Javian recently signed with an agency and has been booking ever since!

Periodically The Actor’s Scene likes to reach out to students and chronicle their success in the industry. Case and point: Javian “JB” Brown. Here’s what JB has to say…

Hey JB! We are so excited to speak with you! Let's start at the beginning, tell us what made you want to become an actor?

I did not want to become an actor initially. I took classes to help me with speaking in front of people in my class. I did not take it seriously until agents showed interest in wanting to represent me. Now that I have worked on a couple of projects, my interest in the field is growing.

That is exciting! So have you had any cool on-set experiences yet that you would like to share?

One cool on-set experience that I had came during my very first project, when I was shooting a commercial in the same neighborhood as the elementary school that I attended. It was nostalgic.

What do you really love about acting? What drives you to stick with it?

My drive to stick with acting is built by the excitement of seeing myself on TV or movies, and other people seeing me as well. It’s also really cool and rewarding to be able to step into different characters.

What is something that surprised you about working on a set?

One thing that surprised me was the number of takes it requires to get the perfect one. I was also surprised that there were so many craft options on set. They had just about any and every snack you can think of wanting.

How awesome! What has been your favorite set snack?

My favorite set snack is seaweed.

What are some of your favorite acting moments?

One of my favorite moments was arriving on set for my first commercial. I was really nervous but the production crew walked me through everything and I had a blast. My next favorite moment was flying first class to California for my third project. There I was on a real set inside of a huge studio. It was surreal.

My Coaches at TAS and the directors I have worked with have reminded me to be mindful of what I am doing at all times because the camera picks up everything. I’ve also been told that practice doesn’t make perfect but it sure prepares you!

-Javian Brown on the best acting advice he has been given

Tell us JB, what makes you feel confident?

I feel confident when I am booking roles. Each booking increases my confidence and confirms that this acting thing is really working out for me.

Understandable! What about in-between bookings? How do you help yourself become confident before an audition, or in the cases when things don't turn out the way you hoped?

In between bookings I remain confident because I trust that my agency is going to secure auditions for me to hopefully book future roles. If I don’t get a role, I keep it moving forward and don’t dwell on the past, because I believe that I will eventually book something.

What would be your dream project?

My dream project would be a recurring role on a TV show, like The Wonder Years

Tell us about your upcoming projects.

 I have a Chevy commercial currently running, and I am waiting on an indie film, a Showtime drama, and an anthology period drama to air!

Finally, what advice do you have for young actors who are just getting started?

I would advise young actors just getting started to not get down about auditioning and not booking the role, because you will get other opportunities.

-PARENTS CORNER-

We are super honored to hear from JB’s amazing parents, Jamie and Niccolla Brown. We asked Niccolla to share some of her best advice for parents of young actors. Here is what she has to say:

Hey Niccolla, thank you for taking the time to speak with us! What advice do you have for parents of new young actors just getting started?

We would suggest that parents are ready for the number of auditions that might come in all at one time, and the financial responsibility that comes with that. We would also suggest doing your research and finding a good agent.

That is practical advice! How did you find an agent for Javian?

To find JB’s agent we interviewed with 5 – 7 representatives and included him in the interviews. We were looking for a good match with an agency that we could trust and would have JB’s best interest in mind. After the interviews, we did our online research and asked other people we knew in the business for their feedback about the agencies we were interested in. Luckily, we had a family friend whose daughter was with the agency we decided on.

Is there any system, tool, or advice that you have found to be especially helpful? 

We find that using Google and the SAG-AFTRA websites to research things that we do not know to be very helpful and informative. We have also found the Actors Access site to be helpful in finding details about potential projects, and to upload auditions.

That is awesome. What about rewards? Do you have any stories about JB experiencing a feeling of success? Yes. We have two experiences where JB’s acting talents were rewarding for both of us as parents, and him as an individual. The first has to do with his football coaches showing his first project (a commercial) to the entire football team. It was cool to see JB beaming knowing that his teammates were impressed. The other experience is the amount of money that he has earned in such a short time. We have allowed him to purchase a couple of things that he wanted, and it has been rewarding for us to see how prideful he is about earning his own keep.

Tell us what makes it all worth it? Why do you keep going, even when things get hard?

The fact that he loves doing it makes it all worth it and encourages us to keep going.

 

You can follow Javian!

Check out his:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

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The Actor’s Scene: 2022 Recap

The Actor’s Scene: 2022 Recap

January 2023

2022... What a year!

The Actor’s Scene has so much to be thankful for. 2022 was a major success thanks to the endless dedication of our team, coaches, students and families. Join us as we celebrate the highlights of 2022! 

What do we consider 'Success'?

Before we get into specifics, let us be clear on how we define ‘success’. Since we opened our doors in 2003, The Actor’s Scene has been blessed to witness thousands of students go through our award winning programs. We have seen students of all ages place with agencies and management, then go on to book work in film, TV, and commercial for major networks and production companies, walk the red carpet at premier events, and even work on projects internationally. 

While we strive to provide these opportunities for our students, and work tirelessly to give up-to-date information and real world training- this is actually NOT how we define success. 

At TAS, we are CONFIDENCE MAKERS. We believe that success is a byproduct of confidence. We know that actors need more than knowledge and to-do lists; they need someone to believe in them. A community of like-minded individuals to go on the journey together. They need opportunities to test their wings, and a safety net to walk them through every experience. We don’t believe in stereotypes and competitive based learning; we teach that it is your unique traits that make you stand out in this industry. 

And when we hear that a student is meeting their goals- whatever those goals may be- THAT is what gets us excited. So read on! We are proud to share our highlights and figures with you, but know that every person who invited us into their story this year was a success to us. We believe that confident actors are successful actors.

2022 TAS Showcase:

Showcase is always a highlight of our classes. It is when all of our students get to take the knowledge and skills they have been building through the year to perform in front of real Industry Professionals. While we do not guarantee results, our students commonly go on to sign with top agents and book work in TV, film, commercials, and more from this event.

This past year The Actor’s Scene featured a virtual showcase, and the results were fantastic!

The 2022 Showcase included:

-214 performers!

-A panel of the top Casting Professionals, Agents, Directors, Managers, and more from all over the country!

-A 98% callback rate!

Student Success 2022

This is just a small look at our overall student and alumni success stories. We are super proud of all of our student WINS throughout the year!

TAS Givesback: 2022 Charity:

We, at The Actor’s Scene, make giving our priority. We want to give back to the community who has given us so much. This year, we supported 3 charities, and we could not have done it without your generous contributions:

The Joy House: Supporting restoration for Georgia families and loving care to struggling teens.

Compassion International: This year we provided African families in need with the lifegiving gifts of a pig, a chicken and a fruit tree! 

The Salvation Army: Angel Tree. This year we sponsored 8 local children and 2 elderly with Christmas wishes. We were even able to provide additional items, thanks to your generous giving. Look at how our Christmas donation bin was overflowing!

Thank you for helping us make a difference throughout the year!

Social Media Success:

Did you know that The Actor’s Scene is on TikTok? You should check us out by clicking HERE and join our community of over 2000 followers. 

We are proud to have built up our following, and even created some viral videos with almost 50k likes and over 400k views this past year. Why so many? Because our media team work together to create content that is educational and relatable for today’s working actor! 

You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram.

New in 2022- TAS Blog!

This year The Actor’s Scene was proud to launch a new tool for actors, the TAS blog!

Each month we offer an article with relevant advice for working actors, highlights of student success, and an in-depth look at our acting coaches. 

Some examples of blogs you will find are:

  • Healthy mindsets for actors
  • The film studios of GA
  • Updates on GA’s film industry
  • How to become film-literate
  • And more! 

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for alerts on our latest blog articles and highlights!

These students celebrated the end of our classes with personalized awards highlighting their strength and growth through the 2021-2022 class year!

Here is what you can look forward to in 2023:

Guess what? In August of 2023, we will celebrate 20 YEARS of business! And we are the kind of people that like to celebrate all. year. long... Our staff has been busy at work planning special events, promotions, and industry opportunities of all kinds. Make sure that you follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with the latest news! 

We are taking our coaches on a cruise! That’s right! We couldn’t fully celebrate 20 years of success without rewarding our TAS family for their hard work!

The film industry is growing in 2023, and we want to help you be a part of it. But hurry! Deadline to register is January 27th.

Ready to jump into the action? Now is the perfect time. Zig Ziglar famously said, “Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation” So what are you doing to prepare?

Now is the time to sign up classes. Acting students spend their time:

  • Working on scripts, and tapings. Each student receives personalized feedback every month along with quarterly assessments.
  • Building audition proficiency. 
  • Learning about the latest news and expectations of the film industry.
  • Find out what casting looks for in an audition, and how to stand out from the crowd. 
  • How to get an agent and maintain good agent relations.
  • How to be proactive in your acting career to build your resume and skills.
  • On-set etiquette.

And much, much more! You do not have to go on this journey alone. Make sure that you partner with a team that will provide you with knowledge, training, and ongoing feedback to help you identify and achieve your dreams.

Face it, there has never been a better time to be an actor in GA. The whole world is coming to us to make the most talked-about productions. Don’t get left behind!

Ready to get started? Reach out today!

TASFRONTDESK@GMAIL.COM

678-313-7798

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR CLASSES
SIGN UP TO AUDIT A CLASS FOR FREE

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About The Author

Elizabeth Alcaraz

Elizabeth has been a member of the TAS family since 2004. She is honored to have served in many roles at TAS; including: Acting Coach, Marketing Director, Syllabus Coordinator, and now TAS Operations Director. She has a passion for building confidence and purpose through the arts, and is grateful to be a part of a team of Confidence Makers. Elizabeth finds her greatest joy in her faith, her husband, and her daughter (and to be honest- a bowl of creamy mac and cheese). She lives by a simple motto which has served her well over the years: Aim for Excellence, Work with Flexibility, Reflect with Grace. 

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