Have you ever been watching a movie and noticed a place that seemed familiar? Well, it very well could be somewhere close to home. The North Georgia community has become a popular place for producers and filmmakers to work.
On WDUN’s Newsroom on Thursday, Mitch Clarke talked to one individual who plays a role in getting those shows and films to the Gainesville area. Mitch talks with Stacy Dickson, President of the Lake Lanier Convention and Visitors Bureau about Hall County and the film and television industry. If anyone would know, it's Stacy. She is also the liaison between the Georgia Film Office and producers looking for locations for their projects.
Mitch also discussed with her the impending strike of film workers and how that would affect productions in our area. The strike is scheduled to begin Monday by the union's sixty-thousand members and threatens to jeopardize productions nationwide.
Mitch Clarke: Why is Hall County so appealing to producers and filmmakers?
Stacy Dickson: The film industry is finding out what we already know about our area, that it is beautiful and scenic and the geographical location, especially Hall County, situated just between Atlanta and the rural North Georgia mountains, puts us in a really good spot as a hub and spoke location center.
Mitch Clarke: We have been designated as a “Camera Ready Community.” What does that mean?
Stacy Dickson: The “Camera Ready” program through the GA Film office first started in 2010. Hall County was one of the first ones in that group. It’s a training process that liaisons go through. They learn basic knowledge of the film industry, like their terms and lingo. You learn how to work with location scouts and productions and what they might be looking for, even the types of photography. We need to know that for when we pitch locations. Once you pass all that educational information, then you can become the camera liaison for that community.
Mitch Clarke: For people who watch shows like Ozark… You can obviously recognize scenes from the show around here. How does the process work? How are you first contacted? Or do you contact them?
Stacy Dickson: There’s no steadfast absolute method … keep in mind we are dealing with productions for major studios to independent and student films, commercial production, and everything in between. Depending on the budget, they may have location scouts as part of the staff, or be using freelances. A location scout or manager would contact my office through our Camera Ready Liaison link on the GA Film Site. If they know they are looking for something in our area in particular then they would contact me directly. Also, we are part of a database called Reel Scout that is a database where we can add locations. We can put listing on the database with all the keywords and phrases then it will come up with photographs and then they may contact us through that website. They may not have started looking in Gainesville, but a listing there could prompt them that we could have the perfect spot.
The show Ozark started in Hall County because of Lake Lanier .. the show is based on a lake. They needed a major footprint for their permanent base camp for their five years of filming, and we had a vacant, dormant, Corp of Engineers Park in Flowery Branch that was available. We helped them get in touch with the right people to turn that into their home base. Then all their other locations used are places we found nearby to that home base.
Mitch Clarke: The Old Milton Robson estate recently sold for $15.5 million, and now we know a production company has bought it. How did that come together?
Stacy Dickson: They were looking for a very particular style of home on a very particular amount of acreage of land. This was just the perfect storm. It just fit the bill perfectly.
So, while I can’t name it or say much, production has the green light for 12 episodes for sure, and they are feeling very confident that it will continue beyond that.
Mitch Clarke: So when we will find out exactly what this show is?
Stacy Dickson: They are actually doing some casting calls, so we will have some links we will post on social media in the coming days and weeks for locals that would like to be an extra or even have a possible speaking role. That’s exciting and we will have that coming up soon. There’s not been an official show announcement yet, but there are some marquee names attached to this project, but that’s for them to tell. I think we will all be very excited about it.
Mitch Clarke: Hollywood Crews may go on strike Monday if a contract deal is not reached. How will this affect us in this area?
Stacy Dickson: Right now, at this moment, we are sort of in-between. With Ozark wrapping up their shoot Saturday, thankfully, that helps. We have one Fox reality program that is shooting now on the lake. They are in production, so it would definitely impact them immediately. But this other series we were just talking about… production is just now getting things rolling, but they aren’t filming, so it might delay them some, but shouldn’t affect them overall.
I did talk to the GA production partnership a nonprofit for people who work in all areas of the film industry. Their membership is heavily influenced by members who are potentially striking. Their vote was 99% to strike. The studio heads and powers that be took the chance and rolled the dice, not thinking that they would come back with a 99% vote. The issues at hand involve problems that are happening in other industries, in our supply chain system. It’s 16-18 hours days and pay disparages. There’s also been some recent litigation concerning films that are streaming that are also in theaters. Scarlett Johansson just won a case with Disney paying her back-end points for Black Widow. The streaming movie did $65 million. So part of this has to do with how the studios are, or are not, sharing profits from streaming.
