Atlanta may not be burning, but TV commercial production and postproduction is starting to heat up again. In recent months, Stephen Moe of Comotion Films, Atlanta, has shot "Dreams," an American General Financial Group ad, and has helmed "Not Alone" and "Amy," a pair of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee spots for Buntin Advertising, Nashville. Atlanta-based CineFilm has handled processing and dailies for a number of high-profile commercials and films, while Crawford Post Production, a division of Crawford Communications, Atlanta, is experiencing a dramatic increase in advertising agency production of cinema spots. For instance, the post facility provided both a 5.1 surround mix and a broadcast mix for a new United States Marine Corps’ spot: "The Climb," out of J. Walter Thompson, Atlanta. Additionally, the Georgia Film, Video & Music Office is implementing a new state sales tax incentive intended to attract more production.
All of which is good news to locals who report that business in 2001 had been flat or downright bad. "This year seems a bit better than last year," observes Mark Wofford, account manager at CineFilm. "That was a pretty bad year. Luckily for us, we get a lot of our processing work from outside the local Atlanta market, so we are not as affected, but it’s been very slow locally."
Many in the region blame the bad business year on a poor national economy. "Overall there has been less work, and you work harder to get it," relates Sheryl Myers, president/executive producer at Comotion Films. "It’s the same problem here as elsewhere: You’re fighting the fact that work is going [outside the U.S.] Last year for us was not the best year or the worst year; it was right in the middle. In general, last year was a tough one for everyone, since you [had] to fight for work. Because of that, everyone is trying to keep their staffs lean and mean."
"Every market in the country has been hit by the recession, and Atlanta has been no exception," agrees Bill Thompson, VP of postproduction at Crawford. "[Still,] the market is fairly strong, although not as strong as the larger markets." The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, and their psychological aftermath, have also affected commercial business in the region. "For the first few weeks, a lot of people did not know what to do," Myers recalls. "We were shooting that week in Atlanta and had to rally; it was very emotional for everybody. Clients were stranded here for the week. Advertisers were slowing down, so there was a drop-off in board activity."
"It was more difficult for producers to ship their film because airlines tightened restrictions on packages," notes Wofford. "Business slowed down right after that; shoots got canceled, and projects got pushed back."
"Business was bad at the end of last year," reports director Jon Hill of Jon Hill Pictures, Decatur, Ga., who recently helmed Costa Del Mar Sunglasses’ "See.Fish," out of Henderson Advertising, Greenville, S.C. "After 9/11, things got bad, but then people really came together and started kicking butt. The boards started floating around again, and it seems like the creative is getting stronger."
Incentives
The Georgia state government, which reports that film and video production is a business that generated $249 million last year, is hoping its new tax incentive program will help the upward momentum, and attract more out-of-state jobs to supplement local work. The new sales and use tax exemption initiative offers significant savings for local and national film, video and broadcast production companies. Effective Jan. 1, 2002, the new law allows for a point-of-purchase sales tax exemption for camera, grip and electrical equipment; wardrobe supplies; set dressing materials; film and processing; and even some vehicle rentals. To make it more attractive, the plan is effective at purchase, resulting in immediate savings. The Georgia film office predicts that producers will save between five and seven percent on most below-the-line materials purchased, rented or leased within the state. Productions that qualify for the exemption include commercials, music videos, feature films, and TV movies and series. All productions must have intended distribution outside of Georgia to qualify.
"You do not have to wait until the end of the year to get your money back through a rebate," explains Greg Torre, director of the Georgia Film, Video & Music Office. "You can [immediately] get the equipment and services you need at a cost you can afford."
In order to qualify for the tax exemptions, the project has to be shot in Georgia, and the tax-exempt materials need to come from the state, as well. To become eligible for the tax incentive, producers and production companies need to apply for certification from the Georgia Film, Video & Music Office. Once the production is deemed qualified, the application is forwarded to the Georgia Department of Revenue. While the program is only a few months old, it has already been utilized by two feature films: Drumline and Sweet Home, Alabama. According to Torre, a number of companies producing spots have applied for certifications.
Besides the incentive, government and production and postproduction facility execs point to many other attractions of Georgia. "This incentive is one more tool we are adding to Georgia’s toolbox of resources, making it easier, less expensive, and more attractive for studios, production companies, and independent filmmakers to produce films here," notes Michael Coles, chairman of the Advisory Commission, Georgia Film, Video & Music. That toolbox includes a statewide crew base of more than 3,000 skilled professionals, including specialists in every aspect of the process, from the earliest support services to the final tweaking of post, both union and non-union. Torre reports that the crews have been instrumental in the production of all types of projects, ranging from commercials and PSAs, to music videos, network television films and shows, to hundreds of feature films shot in Georgia. He adds that Atlanta is "one of the most wired cities in the nation, making high-speed file transfer and access to the Internet simple and quick."
The state’s other attraction is its topography. Georgia boasts an array of locations, from rugged mountains to tranquil beaches, most within an hour or two of an international airport. Georgia’s geography is split into four main sections: The mountains across the northern edge of the state frame dramatic vistas of spectacular color dotted with sheer gorges and tumbling rivers. Atlanta, with a population of over four million, is a bustling international city surrounded by small-town squares and lush parks. Rolling green hills, drifting streams and pastoral scenery cross the center and south of the state. The coast has salt-water marshes, barrier islands, wetland swamps, and beaches. To make sure that clients find the perfect spot, the Georgia film office maintains a comprehensive photo library of more than 100,000 images of locations across the state. Torre reports that the cost of living in Georgia is "very reasonable, which means you won’t have to blow your budget on accommodations. Economical direct flights to Los Angeles and New York are available every day from Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport, one of the world’s busiest passenger airports."
Good Company
Atlanta also has a number of top-flight production and post operations. Crawford, for instance, provides graphic design, 2-D and 3-D computer animation; cel animation; Avid offline and online editing; high-definition non-linear editing; and conform, standard and high-definition film-to-tape transfer and color correction, visual effects and compositing services. Other services offered by the firm include DVD authoring, compression and encoding services; tape duplication; film scanning, subtitling and closed captioning; and audio recording and mixing. Its clients include such Atlanta agencies as Austin Kelley Advertising, J. Walter Thompson, BBDO South, Fitzgerald+CO., and McCann-Erickson. Crawford also services ad shops from outside Atlanta, like Mullen/LHC, Winston-Salem, N.C.; and The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va. In addition to advertising, the company works with broadcast networks like Turner Broadcasting Systems, TLC—a.k.a. The Learning Channel—Discover Channel and Travel Channel.
The city is home, as well, to 25-year-old CineFilm, which features two telecine suites, Avid rooms, two Philips Quadras, three full-time colorists—Ron Anderson, Diane LeDesma and John Petersen—and a host of services. "We’re currently looking into the viability of delivering dailies on DVD. That way, companies would get a more accurate representation of the project," Wofford notes. "It would make it easier for anyone with a computer DVD drive to watch dailies." In addition to its local clients, CineFilm handles a great deal of out-of-state work. Wofford reports that 70 percent of CineFilm’s jobs is spot work, including some recent political advertisements.
Although location and services are very important, many argue that talent is equally crucial and that, in an age of international telecommunications, state borders no longer matter. "The overall business has changed dramatically in the ten years we’ve been operating," says Myers of Comotion. "When we first started, our out-of-state clients would ask, ‘Why are you in Atlanta? Why aren’t you in New York or L.A.?’ That’s not a consideration anymore. It doesn’t matter where you are anymore. What matters is what’s on the reel."
For instance, because of Comotion’s reel for one of its two directors, Stephen Moe (whose counterpart is director/DP John Davis), the company landed "Dreams," an American General Financial Group ad featuring New York Yankees manager Joe Torre. The commercial starts with a white-on-black title, quoting Torre: "Know yourself. Know your dreams." What follows is a series of heartwarming images of Torre teaching kids how to play ball, scored with inspirational music. "When does a dream begin?" asks the announcer. "How can you help it come true?" At the end, as the kids pose with Torre for a group photo, the voiceover concludes, "Every day we help people with the lives they’re living today and the ones they’re dreaming of living tomorrow."
The spot, shot last summer in New York with Atlanta-based DP Randy Arnold and New York City crews, was lensed at the Little League field across from Yankee Stadium. Myers says that Moe was selected by the financial firm’s agency, Code Communications, Darien, Conn., because of a spot on the director’s reel that showed he was both a visual stylist and good at working with real people. "The creatives were commenting on that from the outset," she reports. "They wanted a high-end visual look, but also wanted to make the kids comfortable."
Myers adds that Comotion is weathering the recession by seeking out both regional and national work, like "Dreams." "We always positioned ourselves so that we would not be seen just as an Atlanta-based company," she relates. "The Atlanta market is just another market. If we get work here, we want it to be because we are the best ones for the project—not because we happen to be in the same zip code as the client."
On the postproduction side, Crawford, too, is drawing business from all over the country and is counting on its high-definition capabilities, as well as its 5.1 surround sound capabilities, to give it a leg up in a potential growth area: theatrical, or cine, spots. Thompson reports that the company is experiencing a dramatic increase in advertising agency production of cinema spots. The ads are usually mastered in high definition and require surround sound theatrical audio mixes and sound design.
Crawford Post Production provided both a 5.1 surround mix and a broadcast mix for the aforementioned U.S. Marine Corps’ cine spot, "The Climb," which features a young marine facing a very challenging rock climb. While he ascends, footage is projected into the rock that features different aspects of a marine’s duty. As he reaches the top, a ghost-like image of another marine, embodying the spirit of the corps, materializes to help the recruit. At the top, the young marine salutes the spirit, which disappears. The spot, directed by Klaus Obermeyer of bicoastal Flying Tiger Films, was created by J. Walter Thompson, Atlanta, and is currently being broadcast and distributed theatrically nationwide.
Thompson says that Crawford’s work on cine spots is significantly increasing. "Most cine spots are made from the same content and material as broadcast TV spots," he notes, "but cine spots are often longer than standard television commercials because there are fewer restrictions on length in a theatrical setting. Cine spots are best completed or mastered in HD, due to its high-resolution quality, and then recorded back to film for theatrical distribution."
Crawford’s facilities also offer hi-def video post and in-suite HD projectors, allowing clients to view the spots as audience members will see them in theaters. "This is a major advantage because it provides a more accurate way to preview work and gives clients the opportunity to make creative decisions based on the final version of the spot," Thompson points out.
Those working and living in Atlanta say that business is picking up and the future is promising. "Clients can get everything they need to get done in Atlanta," states Wofford. "This is not L.A. or New York, but it is a world-class, quality place, with tons of talented people."
"The future is looking really good," concludes Hill. "The boards are starting to come back and our crews are great. I’d stack these guys up against anyone. Everyone’s starting to get busy again."
