ATLANTA -- We all know movies and TV shows are big business. We feel it when we pay $12 to see the latest blockbuster! But, they also bring a lot of money into Georgia. The A-Scene is going to break the numbers down for you.
“Stranger Things”, “ Atlanta," and “Ozark” raked in the praise this year, with more than 30 Emmy nominations combined.
Emmy awards are great. But what do these productions really bring in to Georgia? We're talking about the bottom line money.
We went directly to the people in the know -- the Georgia Film Commission -- which crunched the numbers for us.
According to Taylor Gladmon with the popular restaurant J.R. Crickets, the stars are making Atlanta a home away from home.
“When they're in here, we see people," Gladmon explained. "They're hiring nannies, they're bring their kids, they're visiting attractions, getting haircuts, going out to dinner, renting places so it's a lot of economic impact in that."
In fact, business is booming at some of Atlanta’s best-known secrets, and that includes this next stop.
J.R Crickets in Midtown played site of a huge cameo in the show “Atlanta." Famous for its lemon pepper wings -- it's a sign that local food is a big money maker from Emmy-nominated shows in Georgia.
“Everyone loves wings. You can't find good wings everywhere. So, the fact they mentioned that even that small 10-second scene, and blowing it up as big as it is, hopefully everyone wants to try what someone else has,” Gladmon said. “T.I. comes in here quite often, 21 Savage... I’ve seen Donald Glover a couple of times. Bobby Brown has been here recently.”
Between “Atlanta," “Ozark” and “Stranger Things,” the shows spent $2 million on catering in Georgia.
And not all these filming locations are MARTA-centric. That means, actors and crew spent $428,000 on rental cars, according to numbers from the Georgia Film Commission.
When it comes to building sets -- production crews spent $1.5 million in lumber and hardware.
And let's not forget crew and staff. Shows nominated for Emmys hired over 1,400 people in the past year alone.
"It creates a buzz. People want to be where a lot of exciting things are happening, so when you have something like 'Stranger Things' or 'Ozark,' I think people think success breeds success, and they want to come to Georgia as well," Gladmon said.
So big business for Atlanta? Absolutely. Even better? Bringing home a few more Emmy awards.
