GAINESVILLE -- The Hall County Commission unanimously approved a new ordinance that will govern what movie makers will need to do to film in the county at their meeting Thursday evening.
The ordinance, which was first presented to the commission in early March, will require anyone doing most types of commercial filming to obtain a permit and pay a daily fee to Hall County. County Business License Director Susan Rector said the emphasis of the ordinance is on protecting the county.
"We just want to make sure that when these motion picture people come in that they are respectful of what we have here in Hall County, we have a beautiful area," Rector said.
She added that if a film company wants to do anything extra, such as special effects with explosives or car chases, they will have to include it in the permit request, which will then be reviewed by county officials, such as police and emergency services.
Rector said the ordinance has been in the works for a couple of months, but said that the Convention of Visitors Bureau had been looking at crafting it for several years. She said it has been the increase of filming in the metro Atlanta area that sparked it.
"Georgia is being called the new Hollywood," Rector said. "Most people are thrilled when they hear that someone is going to be doing a film on their property or somewhere close by, but sometimes it can cause issues and we just want to make sure that that doesn't happen."
No one spoke for or against the ordinance in the public hearing held before the commission voted. The full nine-page ordianance can be viewed through a link on the county's website.
