Several years ago, Augusta found itself the star location for several large film productions, including Clint Eastwood’s “The Mule” and the blockbuster “Suicide Squad.” Then, the pandemic hit and virtually shut down the film industry overnight, but officials with Film Augusta say that the city remains a very attractive location for films.
Jennifer Bowen, film liaison for Film Augusta, says the future for filming in Augusta remains bright for several reasons. Film Augusta is a department within the Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
One reason, Bowen says Georgia’s Film Tax Credit. The tax credit makes it sensible film makers to bring their productions from Los Angeles to Georgia locations. Films initially located in Atlanta, but now filmmakers are scouting the rest of the state for prime locations.
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“Atlanta became saturated,” Bowen says. “People were using the same infrastructure and using the same locations for filming, so the producers began to look for new, fresh places to film.”
Another reason film makers have found Augusta a good choice is that the government here does not create a whole lot of red tape when it comes to shutting down a street for filming and providing assistance such as off duty Sheriff’s deputies and Fire Marshals to assist in the filming process.
While the big film companies are eyeing Augusta, it is really the independent films that are the city’s bread and butter, according to Bowen.
“The major studios certainly add to the economy by using hotel rooms and visiting bars and restaurants, but the indie films are the ones hiring local people as well,’ she says, crediting Mark Crump, of Reflecting Pool Productions, for building a local “crew base.”
Crump explains his company works primarily with indie films because they do not have the huge budget to bring in “craft” workers who belong to unions or to house them for the length of a shoot.
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“What we do is hire local people and start them off as production assistants, but we also help them find their craft,” Crump explains. “So, we start them as PA’s, but then they go on to be grips and set dressers, which are important for the indies to shoot within their budget.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has dampened filmmaking in Georgia, but other threats linger. The city’s decision to demolish the old jail on Walton Way has hampered the efforts of Film Augusta.
Film makers have flocked to the jail as a unique location that offers office space, jails and courtrooms.
“Losing the jail is not going to necessarily stop productions from coming to town, but it is an asset that could make the city money because the building is so versatile,” Bowen says.
Both Bowen and Crump say that, as the pandemic eases, more and more filming will occur in Augusta, mostly because Augusta is such a versatile place to film.
“In Augusta, we have historic buildings and modern buildings. We also have plenty of rural space to film, and of course, we have the Savannah River,” Bowen says. “And we have proven we can accommodate everyone from the major studios to the smallest of independent filmmakers.”
Scott Hudson is the Editorial Page Editor of The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
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