Georgia is a global production hub: In 2024 alone, film and TV productions spent $2.6 billion, sparking economic growth in cities and towns statewide.

The Georgia Film Office’s Camera Ready Communities program, which helps communities showcase their unique locations to productions, is at the heart of this success. The Georgia Office launched the Camera Ready Communities program in 2010 to train and certify Georgia counties to work effectively with production companies and provide local, one-on-one assistance in every aspect of production, from location scouting and film permits to traffic control, catering, and lodging.

Each of Georgia’s 159 counties have a Camera Ready liaison, connecting productions to hidden gems far beyond Atlanta or Savannah.

“There are challenges to drawing productions out of metro areas…but it can and is being done,” Stacey Dickson, president of the Lake Lanier Convention and Visitors Bureau and Camera Ready liaison for Hall County, told Georgia Cities Magazine. 

Promoting Local Assets: Local leaders can use the Georgia Film Office’s location database to upload pictures and descriptions of potential locations in the area. From pig farms to theme parks to prisons, offbeat locations can be the biggest draw for productions. 

Connecting with the Georgia Film Office is just one way communities can increase their production appeal.

• Streamline permitting: Making it easy and efficient for film crews to get permits goes a long way to show hospitality and preparedness, and helps communities track productions. 

• Be a good partner: When a community works together to welcome and accommodate filming, from emergency services to small businesses to public works, it helps to ensure that productions are safe and disruptions are minimal. `

Georgia’s film industry isn’t just entertainment – by becoming film-friendly, local leaders can attract productions, create jobs, and foster economic growth, proving that when productions come to town, everyone wins. 

Curious about how to harness the benefits of filming in your town? Click here to read the full article featured in Georgia Cities Magazine!