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.

Comments

Laura Richards | Founder & Chair of the Friends of Carrollton GreenBelt, LLC

Share with us your background that led to you founding Carrollton GreenBelt. I am from Carrollton, but left in 1990 to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Then I moved back in 2009. While I was away, I biked across the United States and then led as a European guide for Vermont Bicycle Touring. That’s when it clicked for me regarding trails. I first rode with guests on trails separated from roads in the Netherlands. There I saw people holding hands while they biked and carrying pets and their groceries to the extent that it became more than a trail, but a really busy public space. Our Greenbelt serves that role as one of Carrollton's newest parks and showcases local natural wonders. It’s a great way to enjoy the great outdoors. What’s the most rewarding part of what you do/have done at GreenBelt? To see the city of Carrollton submit its application to be a bike friendly community was the most rewarding part to me. That designation is through the League of

RKR Planning Services

North Paulding School Cluster How can public school systems make informed decisions regarding the best use of their facilities? At RKR, our Planning Services team has been working to successfully answer this question by taking into account multiple factors such as census data, surrounding school districts, county birth data, home sales, etc, to create custom-designed solutions that meet the specific needs of each school district. For example, with the Polk School District we evaluated individual school enrollment history with anticipated area changes so that a correlation was developed that placed students in their zoned school. The final documents contained easy to read graphs so the data could be interpreted. For the Paulding County School District, our Planning Services team provided projection data to support the staff allocation process, which also helped to develop long range planning opportunities. In addition, a facilities study that we produced for Decatur Ci

Laura Boalch, Technical College System of Georgia Q&A

Q: Please share with us your background and how you came to work at TCSG. A: In the mid 1990’s, I began working in the Legislative Budget Office (LBO). In this role, we were charged with the development of the state budget for TCSG (then Department of Technical and Adult Education - DTAE) and various other agencies for the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia State Senate. At that time, admittedly, I knew very little about the Technical College System of Georgia as I had taken the more traditional route of attending the University of West Georgia to earn my BBA in Accounting. During my time at LBO, I had the opportunity to travel around the state visiting TCSG campuses. After talking with students, faculty, and staff at the colleges, I soon learned the purpose of what we do at TCSG and why we do it—to supply local business and industry with a skilled workforce. I was fascinated with the mission of the system and the passion of the faculty and staff. I quickly realized th

R. K. Redding Construction’s Casey Pollard Selected to Join the Associated General Contractors of America's Construction Leadership Council

BREMEN, Ga. (March 18, 2014) – R. K. Redding Construction (RKR) Project Manager Casey Pollard has been selected by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America to serve on its national Leadership Council Steering Committee for a three-year term from 2014-17. Casey also serves on the Board of Directors for AGC Georgia Chapter and as the Chairman of the AGC Georgia Young Leadership Program. “I am honored that my colleagues at AGC have recognized my contributions to the organization by naming me to this committee,” said Pollard. “I’m looking forward to serving in this leadership position during the next three years and helping lead AGC to a successful future.” Pollard has served as Project Manager or Assistant Project Manager for RKR on dozens of projects, including 12 school projects in Paulding County. He oversaw the Burnt Hickory Elementary School, which was awarded First Place in the 2009 AGC Build Georgia Awards. A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Pollard

A Conversation with Daniel Jackson & Eric McDonald of the Greater West Georgia Joint Development Authority

Beginning with only four member counties in the late 1990s, the Greater West Georgia Joint Development Authority (GWGJDA) has grown to represent seven area counties, including: Polk, Haralson, Paulding, Carroll, Heard, Coweta, and Troup. We spoke to Eric McDonald, President & CEO of Greater Haralson Chamber of Commerce, and Daniel Jackson, President & CEO of Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, about the collaborative nature of the Development Authority that allows members to work together on multi-county projects to benefit West Georgia residents. What are your current role and responsibilities as part of the GWGJDA? Eric: I am a supporting staff member for the Greater West Georgia Joint Development Authority. We are an economic development and business growth entity responsible for growing the region’s retail and industrial base. The Board of Directors of the GWGJDA is appointed by the respective county commissions. Supporting staff from each of the economic deve

RK Redding Construction

Search This Blog