Lights, Camera, Classrooms!

Georgia has long been known for agriculture, namely cotton, peanuts, onions and peaches, but it’s fastest growing cash crop these days is the movie and production business. In fact, Georgia is now ranked third in the nation and fifth in the world for the number of productions on an annual basis.

It is estimated that during the next 3-5 years, the film industry will generate 3,000 - 5,000 new jobs. Both K-12 school systems and higher education institutions are stepping up to provide unique education opportunities for students interested in the TV and movie making business.

Two of RKR’s clients are helping to provide an educated film-ready workforce to help grow the industry.

Fulton County Schools recently added a CTE facility to Benjamin Banneker High School, which features special labs for Broadcast Video & Production programs. Students from across Fulton County have access to this state-of-the-art audio metric exam room and full video production sound stage.

The University of West Georgia and West Georgia Technical College are one of nine university and technical colleges paired throughout the state that have partnered with the Georgia Film Academy, which is a one of a kind, statewide effort focused on providing students with real-world learning and networking opportunities to be part of the film industry. This partnership allows students to gain real world experience by working side-by-side with industry pros, as well as learning from them in the classroom. It’s this unique mix of in-classroom course work, coupled with on-set, hands-on training on active live productions, where students are able to build their resumes with real film credits.

To find out more about the Georgia Film Academy, you can visit: http://georgiafilmacademy.org.

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