As the 'Hollywood of the South,' Atlanta has boomed. Its actors and crew are now at a crossroads
For more than a decade, work had been nonstop in Atlanta’s booming film industry thanks to Georgia’s extremely generous tax break
ATLANTA (AP) — A lighting technician is mowing lawns. A camera assistant is teaching guitar again. An actor has thought about shifting careers.
For more than a decade, work had been nonstop in Atlanta’s booming film industry thanks to Georgia’s extremely generous tax break. Dubbed the “Hollywood of the South,” metro Atlanta became a ubiquitous backdrop for huge projects, including Marvel films and Netflix's “Stranger Things.”
As soundstages sprouted up, the insatiable need for crews turned the city into a prime destination for both behind-the-scenes workers seeking to break into the entertainment industry and "journeymen" actors wanting a reprieve from the hustle of Los Angeles or New York. But work dried up last winter and has been at a near-standstill ever since the industry's writers went on strike in May and actors joined them in July.
Writers reached a deal late last month, but with the actors strike still ongoing, countless Atlanta-based performers, as well as members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, are grappling for financial survival and with whether they’ll even return to the industry.
