Big entertainment project eyed for Civic Center site* (Atlanta, Perry: house, calculated)

[JPD]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

It'sThis is way over the top.

Good. Atlanta needs over the top ideas. We usually play it safe and end up with bland results.

[jsvh]

Don't think the buildings on the site are particularly historic or in great shape. This would be better for the area.

Anyone with a subscription pass along any additional info from behind the pay wall? It is a good sign that a developer is the one proposing it.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by AtlantaComment

film/tv studios seem very risky given that the industry's existence is based solely on the tax break.

That's not entirely true, and I wish people would stop spreading that lie. Sure, the tax incentives are what drew many productions to Georgia in the first place. But now they're finding it's a great place to work. We have fantastic shooting locations, growing infrastructure, access to the world's busiest airport and a talented crew base that, for better or worse, hasn't been able to keep up with demand. The biggest challenge facing Georgia's entertainment industry right now is training more workers ... and fast. That will go a long way toward securing the industry's future.

And just FYI ... drive down to Fayette County and look at the huge facility that Pinewood Studios has built. If it was all about the tax incentives, and there was any chance they'd go away, would anybody be making that kind of brick and mortar investment?

[AtlantaComment]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

That's not entirely true, and I wish people would stop spreading that lie. Sure, the tax incentives are what drew many productions to Georgia in the first place. But now they're finding it's a great place to work. We have fantastic shooting locations, growing infrastructure, access to the world's busiest airport and a talented crew base that, for better or worse, hasn't been able to keep up with demand. The biggest challenge facing Georgia's entertainment industry right now is training more workers ... and fast. That will go a long way toward securing the industry's future.

And just FYI ... drive down to Fayette County and look at the huge facility that Pinewood Studios has built. If it was all about the tax incentives, and there was any chance they'd go away, would anybody be making that kind of brick and mortar investment?

It is entirely true.

As great a place as Georgia is, the productions would absolutely pull up stakes and skip town if the incentives ended. None of the attributes you listed cant be found elsewhere aside from the tax incentives.

Why do you think so many productions fled California/NY for places like GA and Toronto in the first place? Not due to a lack of shooting locations, infrastructure, airports or talented crew.


A place like Pinewood just needs the incentives to last for a few years in order to make all of their money back. It is a calculated risk just like any business venture.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by AtlantaComment

It is entirely true.

As great a place as Georgia is, the productions would absolutely pull up stakes and skip town if the incentives ended. None of the attributes you listed cant be found elsewhere aside from the tax incentives.

Why do you think so many productions fled California/NY for places like GA and Toronto in the first place? Not due to a lack of shooting locations, infrastructure, airports or talented crew.


A place like Pinewood just needs the incentives to last for a few years in order to make all of their money back. It is a calculated risk just like any business venture.

The bold statement seems to contradict your point. Businesses aren't interested in just "making their money back." They're interested in long term profit. If the incentives go away, tio doesn't change the fact that everything is cheaper here than in California.

[eRosewater]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

That's not entirely true, and I wish people would stop spreading that lie. Sure, the tax incentives are what drew many productions to Georgia in the first place. But now they're finding it's a great place to work. We have fantastic shooting locations, growing infrastructure, access to the world's busiest airport and a talented crew base that, for better or worse, hasn't been able to keep up with demand. The biggest challenge facing Georgia's entertainment industry right now is training more workers ... and fast. That will go a long way toward securing the industry's future.

And just FYI ... drive down to Fayette County and look at the huge facility that Pinewood Studios has built. If it was all about the tax incentives, and there was any chance they'd go away, would anybody be making that kind of brick and mortar investment?

And I'm sure they'd be willing to find out how great of a place to work Louisiana, New Mexico, or hell, North Dakota is if the right incentive is offered.

As far as the bricks and mortar investment. It has an inherent value, relocating wouldn't mean forfeiting the entire investment. Even if it did, look at the millions of square feet of space abandoned by automotive manufacturers in Detroit. Even large operations are subject to changing circumstances.

It's great to see the building of a new industry, but tax loopholes make for shaky foundations. Just like any form of welfare, the corporate kind breeds dependency and inefficiency.

[AtlantaComment]

Originally Posted by JPD

The bold statement seems to contradict your point. Businesses aren't interested in just "making their money back." They're interested in long term profit. If the incentives go away, tio doesn't change the fact that everything is cheaper here than in California.

You seem to be caught up in semantics.

Here are comments from the developers confirming exactly what I said. Incentives just need to last for a few years to make the money back:

" “Take away the incentive and I don’t know what will happen.”

But that’s not likely to occur anytime soon. As part of the due diligence phase for Pinewood “(we) met with the governor and the speaker of the house and they said that during their tenure they would not allow the incentive to change,” says attorney Stephen Weizenecker, who helped broker the deal and will rep the new studios. “Even if that change were to happen, it’s so far o they’d have already recouped their money.”

Georgia Tax Incentives Lure Hollywood Films Including ‘Hunger Games’ | Variety


and for fun reading here is nice article about the studio which was built in Michigan under similar circumstances and how it fared after the tax incentives were pulled:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/04/us...pagewanted=all


The GA film industry (aside from maybe Tyler Perry) will last as long as the tax incentives do.

[Tryska]

Yeah - I'm kind of concerned by a "movie industry bubble" too.

[jsvh]

If you pull up ABC's social media feed they are giving away this article as a "Social Freebie"

There is a lot of good info behind the paywall. Sounds like there is a lot of interest in this site!

The development sounds good to me since it is only part studio. They are planning for it to have a plaza that people can gather in to be in the background during shows and be well located to attract studio audiences. It will also include a replacement venue for the civic center.

[dreDREb13]

Originally Posted by AtlantaComment

It is entirely true.

As great a place as Georgia is, the productions would absolutely pull up stakes and skip town if the incentives ended. None of the attributes you listed cant be found elsewhere aside from the tax incentives.

Why do you think so many productions fled California/NY for places like GA and Toronto in the first place? Not due to a lack of shooting locations, infrastructure, airports or talented crew.


A place like Pinewood just needs the incentives to last for a few years in order to make all of their money back. It is a calculated risk just like any business venture.

The tax incentive program is a huge boon to the industry, but you're giving it way too much credit for making the industry what it is here.

Before the incentive, there was already Turner, Tyler Perry, and Screengem. Of course, this isn't an extensive industry by any means, but the infrastructure and the workforce for entertainment professionals exists in Atlanta more so than any other city that would attempt to utilize a tax incentive program to take over where Atlanta would lead off.

Now that Pinewood's moved in, several colleges are working to expand their curriculum to include film and video production, and several more film soundstages and studios are in the works, Atlanta is really starting to cement its place as a filmmaking town. Add California's major economic problems, the current drought, and the sheer expense of filming in the state, and it's not too ridiculous to see Atlanta growing to the point that the incentive program will no longer be the absolute end-all, be-all for productions using Atlanta as a hub.

Tell anyone in the LA industry that you're heading out to Atlanta and most people will be very jealous or intrigued. The city is making big waves among professionals, and aspiring filmmakers are just now beginning to consider taking a chance on Atlanta over trying to make it in the big cities of LA and NYC. Infrastructure and legislation will certainly hold an industry aloft, but most important is the cultural opinion of a city to make it thrive. Atlanta is doing a damn good job of looking like a city on the rise and a place of opportunity. Both of these things are shiny bright signs of potential success for filmmakers.

I do believe that, in order to continue its momentum, the tax incentive program is playing a pivotal role. But these companies are working on building long term infrastructure that I believe will keep its place long after the incentive is taken away, if in the future, distant or otherwise.