The film industry’s growing interest in Atlanta as a hub for production has had a profound effect on the local economy in recent years — including raising Atlanta’s demand for short-term production housing.
A recent study from Film L.A. revealed that Georgia was the number-one location for feature films in 2016, outpacing even Hollywood. (California as a state came in fourth.) As the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports, Atlanta’s fiscal year 2017 saw a fiscal impact of $9.7 billion from film and TV production. Of that amount, direct spending accounted for $2.7 billion — a nearly four-fold increase in production spending compared to fiscal year 2007.
Why is Georgia’s film sector growing?
Aside from factors like mild weather and a diverse number of urban and rural backdrops, one of the biggest driving factors in this trend is the passing of generous incentives and other support legislation. The Georgia legislature and Governor Nathan Deal have expressed a strong commitment to make Georgia a production-friendly state, and the payoff is quite evident. Atlanta Business Chronicle quotes EUE/Screen Gems Studios Executive Vice President Kris Bagwell:
“Georgia is the new leader in TV and film production on the East Coast. There are jobs in the production business in almost every occupation, from cook to security guard to driver to construction. This job creates tens of thousands of well paying Georgia jobs. And it’s here to stay thanks to the pro-jobs agenda of Gov. Deal.”
The need for Atlanta production housing
One area that is seeing a direct impact in this increased production activity is the short-term housing market. Here are some of the reasons why the demand for short-term production housing is on the rise:
An increase in project-based production personnel.
While Atlanta’s permanent film production employee sector is indeed growing, thousands of other industry workers come into Atlanta for specific film and television projects every year, sometime staying on for months at a time.
Production staff in transition.
Given the increase in available work, many film professionals are coming to Atlanta to live and work full-time. Some of these employees work at one or more of Atlanta’s growing number of soundstage complexes like Atlanta Metro Studios, Tyler Perry Studios or EUE/Screen Gems Studios. Some are hired on for specific TV series productions (e.g., Stranger Things or The Walking Dead). Many times, these people are called in last-minute and must often relocate quickly, leaving little time to figure out a permanent situation. Thus, many of these workers seek short-term production housing in the interim.
Limited budgets.
Despite all the money seemingly flowing in from major film and TV studios, many indie projects still come to Georgia to shoot. These projects may hire industry professionals, but they don’t always have the budget to house them in expensive hotels. For these film productions, short-term corporate housing provides an excellent and cost-effective alternative.
The benefits of living at home.
Some transitional industry pros choose short-term housing simply because it makes them feel more at home than in a hotel. A fully furnished luxury apartment may offer a full range of amenities, including fitness facilities, security, close proximity to restaurants, etc. These apartments also offer fully equipped kitchens and well-appointed living spaces, so they can come back at the end of a long shoot and relax, just like they would at home.
As Atlanta continues to gain prominence as a major player in the film industry, we can expect the need for short-term production housing only to continue growing for the foreseeable future.
If you are a film professional coming into Atlanta for an extended stay, you have other options besides an expensive hotel with no place to spread out and relax. As an alternative, consider renting a fully-furnished corporate apartment while you’re in town, offering a full array of benefits at a fraction of the cost. To see what we have available for your needs, give TP Corporate Lodging a call at 800.428.9997.