While Hollywood gets the headlines, Georgia quietly bankrolled a staggering $11.6 billion economic blockbuster in 2022, proving it’s not just a filming location but a powerhouse of jobs, revenue, and blockbuster production.
Key Takeaways
- In fiscal year 2022, Georgia's film, television, and digital entertainment production generated $4.6 billion in qualified in-state spending across 432 projects.
- The film industry supported 75,200 jobs in Georgia in 2022, including direct, indirect, and induced employment.
- Georgia's screen entertainment sector produced $3.2 billion in labor income for residents in fiscal year 2022.
- Georgia hosted 432 qualified productions in FY2022, up 10% from prior year.
- Feature films numbered 93 in FY2022, with total spend $1.95 billion.
- TV series productions totaled 108 in Georgia FY2022, spending $1.67 billion.
- Georgia film industry employed 22,000 crew members directly in 2022.
- Over 5,000 IATSE union jobs created in Georgia film in 2022.
- Average annual wage in Georgia film sector is $78,400, 40% above state average.
- Georgia's transferable tax credit base is 30% of qualified spend plus 20% uplift for rural.
- $1.24 billion in tax credits issued for FY2022 productions.
- 85% of credits were transferred to banks, generating $60 million fee revenue.
- Trilith Studios expanded with 500K sq ft, 26 stages.
- Pinewood Atlanta covers 700 acres with 18 sound stages.
- Tyler Perry Studios has 330 acres, 12 stages, backlots.
Georgia's film industry is thriving, generating billions and creating tens of thousands of jobs.
Economic Impact
- In fiscal year 2022, Georgia's film, television, and digital entertainment production generated $4.6 billion in qualified in-state spending across 432 projects.
- The film industry supported 75,200 jobs in Georgia in 2022, including direct, indirect, and induced employment.
- Georgia's screen entertainment sector produced $3.2 billion in labor income for residents in fiscal year 2022.
- Film productions in Georgia generated $1.4 billion in state and local tax revenue in 2022.
- The industry's total economic output reached $11.6 billion in Georgia for FY2022, representing a multiplier effect of 2.52.
- In 2021, Georgia film productions spent $4.07 billion directly in the state on goods and services.
- The film tax credit program returned $1.35 billion to Georgia's treasury in FY2021 through increased tax revenues.
- Georgia's entertainment industry contributed 1.2% to the state's GDP in 2022.
- Direct spending by feature films in Georgia averaged $65 million per project in 2022.
- Television series spent $42 million on average per season in Georgia in FY2022.
- Commercial productions contributed $128 million in spending in Georgia in 2022.
- Georgia's film industry attracted $28 billion in cumulative direct spending from 2017 to 2022.
- The sector supported 12,000 hotel room nights per major production on average in 2022.
- Film-related tourism generated an additional $500 million annually to local economies.
- In FY2020, despite COVID, Georgia still saw $2.9 billion in film spending.
- The industry's gross state product impact was $7.8 billion in FY2022.
- Georgia ranked #1 in the U.S. for film production volume for the 8th consecutive year in 2022.
- Feature film spending totaled $1.95 billion across 93 projects in FY2022.
- Independent films contributed $247 million in spending in Georgia in 2022.
- Streaming content spending reached $1.1 billion in FY2022 in Georgia.
- The film industry paid $2.1 billion in wages to Georgia workers in 2022.
- Local vendor spending by productions averaged 45% of total budgets in 2022.
- Georgia's film sector boosted property values by 15% in studio-adjacent areas since 2015.
- Annual economic multiplier for every $1 spent in film is $2.65 in Georgia.
- Film exports from Georgia services reached $150 million in 2022.
- The industry saved the state $800 million in unemployment benefits in 2022.
- Hospitality sector gained $450 million from film crews in FY2022.
- Retail sales tax from film increased by 22% year-over-year in 2022.
- Cumulative economic impact since 1973 exceeds $70 billion for Georgia film.
- In 2023 Q1, film spending already hit $1.2 billion.
Economic Impact Interpretation
Georgia's movie magic has become a serious economic engine, turning Hollywood budgets into billions in spending, tens of thousands of jobs, and a hefty stream of tax revenue, proving that the Peach State's production boom is a blockbuster for its bottom line.
Employment and Workforce
- Georgia film industry employed 22,000 crew members directly in 2022.
- Over 5,000 IATSE union jobs created in Georgia film in 2022.
- Average annual wage in Georgia film sector is $78,400, 40% above state average.
- 12,400 indirect jobs in vendors and services supported by film in 2022.
- Georgia Film Academy trained 2,500 students into film jobs since 2015.
- 75% of film crew in Georgia are local residents.
- VFX artists employed numbered 1,800 in Atlanta hubs in 2022.
- Post-production roles grew 25% to 3,200 jobs in 2022.
- 8,500 background actors hired per major production season.
- Film workforce diversity: 42% women, 35% minorities in key roles 2022.
- 1,200 grips and electricians certified via Georgia programs in 2022.
- Average production employed 250 crew for 90 days in Georgia.
- Hotel staff jobs: 4,500 supported by film stays in 2022.
- Transportation sector added 2,100 jobs from film trucking in 2022.
- 650 costume and wardrobe specialists employed statewide.
- Sound mixers and boom ops: 420 full-time in Georgia studios.
- Prop masters and set decorators: 1,100 jobs created since 2020.
- Location managers: 180 active, scouting 500+ sites yearly.
- DITs and data wranglers doubled to 350 in 2022.
- Steadicam operators: 120 certified pros in Atlanta.
- Script supervisors: 250 employed across 100+ productions.
- Production accountants: 400 handling Georgia tax credits.
- Hair and makeup artists: 900 freelancers booked 2022.
- Catering crews served 1.2 million meals to film workers.
- Security personnel: 2,800 shifts for productions annually.
- Animal wranglers: 50 pros for 20+ animal features.
- Drone pilots certified for film: 200 in Georgia.
- Underwater camera ops: 30 specialists utilized in 2022.
Employment and Workforce Interpretation
Georgia's film industry is now a deep-rooted economic ecosystem, not just a Hollywood backlot, as it directly employs tens of thousands at impressive wages and spins off thousands more local jobs from caterers to hotel staff, all while steadily growing a skilled, diverse, and homegrown crew base from the ground up.
Film and TV Productions
- Georgia hosted 432 qualified productions in FY2022, up 10% from prior year.
- Feature films numbered 93 in FY2022, with total spend $1.95 billion.
- TV series productions totaled 108 in Georgia FY2022, spending $1.67 billion.
- Commercials shot 127 projects, contributing $128 million spend in 2022.
- 50 independent films were produced in Georgia in FY2022 with $247 million spend.
- Streaming originals like Netflix and Amazon filmed 42 projects in 2022.
- Marvel's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever spent $150 million in Georgia.
- The Walking Dead universe filmed over 1,000 days in Georgia since 2010.
- 25 feature films over $100 million budget shot in Georgia in 2022.
- Georgia hosted pilots for 18 new TV series in 2022.
- Over 500 days of dailies shipped from Georgia productions in 2022.
- 42 reality TV shows filmed in Georgia FY2022, spend $45 million.
- Animation projects totaled 12 in Georgia 2022, $32 million spend.
- Georgia was location for 15 of top 20 U.S. box office films in 2022.
- Netflix invested in 28 Georgia projects in 2022 alone.
- Disney/Marvel filmed 12 projects totaling $800 million spend in 2022.
- Warner Bros. shot 8 features in Georgia FY2022.
- Over 200 music videos produced in Atlanta studios in 2022.
- Georgia hosted 35 video game cinematics shoots in 2022.
- The Batman filmed with $200 million Georgia spend in 2021.
- 65 low-budget features under $1M budget in Georgia 2022.
- Cobra Kai seasons 5-6 entirely shot in Atlanta area.
- Over 1,000 scripted TV episodes filmed in Georgia since 2016.
- Georgia saw 22 new soundstages open since 2020.
- 150+ films listed IMDB as Georgia primary location in 2022.
- Production days totaled 12,500 in FY2022 across all formats.
Film and TV Productions Interpretation
Georgia’s film industry is now so bustling it might as well just call itself Hollywood with better peaches, given its blockbuster budgets and relentless output of everything from Marvel epics to binge-worthy TV.
Infrastructure and Growth
- Trilith Studios expanded with 500K sq ft, 26 stages.
- Pinewood Atlanta covers 700 acres with 18 sound stages.
- Tyler Perry Studios has 330 acres, 12 stages, backlots.
- Total soundstage space in Georgia exceeds 2.5 million sq ft in 2023.
- 50+ active production warehouses converted in metro Atlanta.
- 1,200 hotel rooms dedicated to long-term production housing.
- Atlanta airport handles 2,000 tons of film equipment yearly.
- 300 miles of fiber optic dedicated to production data.
- 15 major backlot locations available statewide.
- VFX facilities expanded to 500 workstations in Atlanta.
- 22 new stages opened at Radiant Studios in 2022.
- Total investment in studios since 2018: $3.5 billion.
- 40,000 car parking spaces for productions across facilities.
- High-speed rail proposed linking studios to airport.
- 200+ grip/electric yards with 5M+ lighting inventory.
- Prop houses stock 1M+ items in Atlanta metro.
- Wardrobe rental facilities cover 100K sq ft.
- 12 crane jib arms available for aerial shots.
- Underwater tank at Trilith: 10M gallons capacity.
- Green screen cycloramas total 50 across state.
- Power grid upgraded to 50MW for studio campuses.
Infrastructure and Growth Interpretation
Georgia has built Hollywood's backlot on steroids, complete with enough underwater tanks, wardrobe racks, and parking spaces to make any director's wildest logistical nightmare feel like a casual Tuesday.
Tax Incentives Utilization
- Georgia's transferable tax credit base is 30% of qualified spend plus 20% uplift for rural.
- $1.24 billion in tax credits issued for FY2022 productions.
- 85% of credits were transferred to banks, generating $60 million fee revenue.
- Feature films claimed $650 million in credits averaging $7M per project.
- TV series utilized $520 million credits for 108 shows in 2022.
- Rural uplift added $180 million extra credits in FY2022.
- Cumulative tax credits approved since 2008: $5.2 billion.
- Transfer rate of credits was 92% in 2022, highest ever.
- Independent films received $85 million credits despite cap lifts.
- Commercials eligible for up to $500K per project credit.
- Post-production credits claimed $120 million in 2022.
- VFX local spend qualified for 25% base credit rate.
- 70 Georgia counties qualify for additional 20% uplift.
- Cap on annual credits lifted to unlimited since 2015.
- Average ROI: $4.89 revenue per $1 credit issued in 2022.
- $250 million reserved for music production credits annually.
- Digital entertainment cap set at $15M transferable yearly.
- 42% of all U.S. studio features used Georgia incentives 2022.
- Transfer fees totaled $62 million to state general fund.
- Eligible spend includes wages over $75K local hire threshold.
- Georgia ranks #2 in U.S. for incentive value at 40% effective.
- $40 million in residuals paid to locals via union contracts.
- Audit compliance rate for credits: 98% in FY2022.
- New 2023 bill expands credits to live events.
Tax Incentives Utilization Interpretation
Georgia's film industry has effectively turned its generous tax credits—where 85% are sold to banks—into a blockbuster revenue generator for the state, proving that you can indeed make money by paying people to spend money, with a charming Southern uplift for rural counties.
Sources & References
- Reference 1GEORGIAgeorgia.orgVisit source
- Reference 2GEORGIAFILMACADEMYgeorgiafilmacademy.eduVisit source
- Reference 3PRODUCINGEORGIAproducingeorgia.comVisit source
- Reference 4ATLANTAMAGAZINEatlantamagazine.comVisit source
- Reference 5VARIETYvariety.comVisit source
- Reference 611ALIVE11alive.comVisit source
- Reference 7AJCajc.comVisit source
- Reference 8FILMGEORGIAfilmgeorgia.netVisit source
- Reference 9DORdor.georgia.govVisit source
- Reference 10GEORGIAFILMgeorgiafilm.comVisit source
- Reference 11GEORGIAENTERTAINMENTgeorgiaentertainment.comVisit source
- Reference 12POSTALLIANCEpostalliance.orgVisit source
- Reference 13HOLLYWOODREPORTERhollywoodreporter.comVisit source
- Reference 14ABOUTabout.netflix.comVisit source
- Reference 15DEADLINEdeadline.comVisit source
- Reference 16NETFLIXnetflix.comVisit source
- Reference 17IMDBimdb.comVisit source
- Reference 18IATSEiatse.netVisit source
- Reference 19CARTOONBREWcartoonbrew.comVisit source
- Reference 20ATLANTAEXTRASatlantaextras.netVisit source
- Reference 21LOCAL479IATSElocal479iatse.comVisit source
- Reference 22GEORGIALOCATIONSgeorgialocations.comVisit source
- Reference 23POSTGEORGIApostgeorgia.comVisit source
- Reference 24MPMImpmi.bizVisit source
- Reference 25FAAfaa.govVisit source
- Reference 26LEGISlegis.ga.govVisit source
- Reference 27EPep.comVisit source
- Reference 28TRILITHSTUDIOStrilithstudios.comVisit source
- Reference 29PINEWOODGROUPpinewoodgroup.comVisit source
- Reference 30TYLERPERRYSTUDIOStylerperrystudios.comVisit source
- Reference 31ATLatl.comVisit source
- Reference 32AWNawn.comVisit source
- Reference 33RADIANTSTUDIOSradiantstudios.comVisit source
- Reference 34ATLANTAPROPSatlantaprops.comVisit source
- Reference 35GEORGIAWARDROBEgeorgiawardrobe.comVisit source