Letter From the Local President

Greetings Fellow Members!

This year looks to be Georgia’s biggest yet for entertainment production. We are already seeing registered productions averaging 40 or more per month, and now movies at Pinewood Atlanta Studios with staggering budgets of $500 million or more. Depending on the timing of the expenditures, Georgia production totals could be $3 billion in direct spending within a year or two (as opposed to $2 billion in fiscal year '16), which could give us a gross economic impact of more than $10 billion annually. That’s truly remarkable growth! And it was only nine years ago that total production expenditures in Georgia were less than $250 million annually.

The Georgia legislative session for 2017 has ended, and not only will our business not be infringed upon by any restrictive collateral legislation (thank you, Gov. Deal!), but new standalone postproduction (HB 199) and music production (HB 155) bills passed to add to our already impressive tax incentive arsenal.

More good news: Our office has moved into a larger space in Buckhead, not far from our home for the last 26 years. Phone numbers will not change, and our new address is below:

SAG-AFTRA Atlanta

3565 Piedmont Road NE
Building 2
Suite 720
Atlanta, GA 30305

From a cramped 900 square feet on West Paces Ferry to approximately 2,600 square feet off Piedmont Avenue in the Piedmont Triangle, our new office will have two meeting rooms (one large, one smaller), space for additional staff, a break room, videoconferencing capabilities, plus access to a sandwich shop, convenience store, casual meeting spaces, outdoor picnic tables, a post office and more. Finally, a business space to match our growth and the tempo of the times. Come visit; it’s a beautiful new space.

FYI, we’ll be hosting an open house for members later this spring, so stay tuned.

Our volunteers never cease to amaze me with their selflessness and dedication. Reports from some of our committees and our National Board rep, Debra Nelson, are contained in this newsletter.

Have a great spring and summer! Stay focused and sharp in your craft disciplines, because with growth comes competition. When you raise your skill level, you also raise the level of our region in general. Each of you are Georgia’s ambassadors to the world, so let’s show them the best of what we’ve got in every respect, from skill to attitude.

Best regards,

Ric Reitz
President, SAG-AFTRA Atlanta