VALDOSTA – On Thursday, October 11 at the VSU Student Union Theatre, there will be a meeting sponsored by the Georgia Film Office, featuring information about Georgia’s booming, record-breaking film industry.
Georgia Production Partnership (GPP) is announcing the South Georgia Regional Meeting to showcase the opportunity the film industry brings to all of Georgia. Regional economic development professionals and city and county leaders from 57 South Georgia counties are the primary audience for the meeting. Students are invited to gain a better understanding of the opportunities their studies in established South Georgia and Coastal Georgia film educational programs will give them in allowing them to live and work right here in Georgia.
The meeting will feature Mike Riley, Location Manager of the hit AMC series The Walking Dead, who will be talk about the details of what really brings interest from entertainment projects in choosing specific locations. Riley has found shooting locations for the Walking Dead since 2010, and has also been the Location Manager for such hit films as Sweet Home Alabama, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Warm Springs, and Stomp the Yard.
Also on the panel will be Craig Dominey, Manager of the Camera Ready Georgia program, who’ll be sharing information about Georgia’s “Camera Ready “program, started in October 2010 to bring film and television production to communities across the state by offering production companies easier, faster and better access to county production resources and location information. Numerous Georgia counties have enjoyed the economic impact of film and television production through the Camera Ready program, including local hires, tourism, hotel stays and purchases of goods and services. Currently, all 159 Georgia counties are Camera Ready certified by the Georgia Film Office.
The Executive Director of The Georgia Film Academy (GFA), Jeffrey Stepakoff, will also be a featured panelist. Jeffrey will talk about how the GFA is preparing is student workforce for entertainment jobs, in addition to educating local communities toward efficient practices to attract entertainment projects to their areas. The Georgia Film Academy is an example of forward-thinking infrastructure in our state – a collaborative effort of the University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia supporting workforce needs of the film and digital entertainment industries. The academy certifies workforce ready employees in needed areas, connects students and prospective employees with employers, and offers a unique capstone experience for top students that will provide them a path to employment in Georgia. www.grunduskigroup.com
