GSEC Expansion Creates Unified Voice for Georgia’s Film Industry

Staff Report

Thursday, January 12th, 2023

All major Georgia film studios are now members of Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition (GSEC), firmly establishing the organization as the unified voice of Georgia’s film, television and digital entertainment industry. This major expansion, which also includes the addition of top infrastructure businesses, mirrors the industry’s growth in a year when three new studios are expected to open, bringing the state’s stage space to around seven million square feet.

GSEC also today announces its Board of Governors and its 2023 officers, which include: 

  • Chairman Gannon Murphy, General Manager, Cinelease Studios - Three Ring, Covington

  • Vice-Chairman Beth Talbert, Vice President, Studio Operations, NBCUniversal at Assembly Studios, Doraville

  • Treasurer Billy Stoll, Vice President, EUE/Screen Gems Studios Atlanta 

Additional members of the Board of Governors represent Athena Studios; Atlanta Metro Studios; BlueStar Studios; Eagle Rock Studios; Electric Owl Studios; Georgia Chamber of Commerce; IATSE Local 479; Mailing Avenue, Westside, and Eastside Stageworks; Shadowbox Studios; The MBS Group; Tyler Perry Studios; and Trilith Studios. 

"GSEC, now more than ever, includes the leading organizations, stakeholders and decision makers that have built the film industry in Georgia,” says Murphy, who will lead GSEC for the next two years. “This is a significant development that puts all the industry's influencers in one group to continue to create Georgia jobs and nurture new Georgia businesses by preserving the stability and predictability of a tax incentive that continues to pay dividends across the state.”

Georgia’s ranking as a global leader in film production stems from its stable, predictable film tax incentive, talented crew base and extensive infrastructure that includes state-of-the-art studios and support businesses. In FY2022, Georgia hosted 412 productions that brought $4.4 billion in direct spending to communities statewide and employed tens of thousands of Georgians.

Georgia’s film tax credit drives the growth of film, TV and digital entertainment production in Georgia. In less than 15 years, this incentive has spurred investment statewide, fueling job creation across the state. Georgia is home to nine major film studios, including two of the largest purpose-built stages in North America.

“Georgia’s film industry is in the critical next phase of industry growth, capitalizing on billions in unincentivized infrastructure, a rapidly expanding crew base and workforce development programs that are putting thousands of Georgians directly into creative, high-paying careers right here in Georgia,” says Kelsey Moore, GSEC Executive Director. “GSEC will work to continue the momentum and return on investment for our state, supporting a stable tax policy that is vital to ensure the film industry has a predictable and competitive business climate in which it can thrive.”