Research Question

In pursuit of fame and economic prosperity, cities across the globe have welcomed industries like technology or entertainment to house their corporate developments. The intersection between historical populations and nascent industries is often disastrous for those native to these cities. Our project is a case study of this intersection in the rise of the film industry in Atlanta, Georgia. Through our team’s research, we have found that the predominantly white film industry has infiltrated a predominantly Black Atlanta city center therefore altering the economic and social landscape through gentrification.

The literature we compiled to build our project analysis revealed the reasoning behind the surge of the film industry presence in Atlanta. In John Charles Bradbury’s article, “Can Movie Production Incentives Grow the Economy? Evidence from Georgia and North Carolina”, he discusses the state government’s implementation of tax credits for filmmakers. In 2005 the first wave of tax credits was instigated as a 9% return rate on the film’s budget spending for projects such as television series, commercials, music videos, and other digital projects. Then, in 2008, the tax credit was revised, raising the base value of its tax credits to 20% of qualified expenditures, with the ability to increase the value to 30% by including a Georgia promotional logo in the project. This incentive made the production location of Atlanta appealing to mega movie and television franchises such as Fast and Furious, The Walking Dead, and The Hunger Games. The utilization of tax credits in theory should be beneficial for the city’s economy; however, the group of people benefiting is ambiguous. As evidenced by our data, the city center has historically been home to a predominantly Black community. However, the influx of filmmakers to Atlanta, coupled with rising housing prices, has rendered this area increasingly unaffordable for the longstanding residents. The housing prices have surged over the past decade, correlating to the “white flight” of white residents from the suburban areas into the now more affluent and gentrified city. 

The data reveals significant demographic and economic shifts in Georgia, influenced by the film industry’s expansion. From 2012 to 2022, employment in film-related fields has surged, correlating with escalating housing prices across Georgia, most notably in Atlanta. This trend is evident in the Index NSA, which charts a steep rise in costs from 2011 to 2023. Moreover, a comparison across 13 metropolitan areas in Georgia shows Atlanta leading in net house price hikes since 2010. Data on films shot in Atlanta highlights the exponential growth of the film industry over the last decade. The influx of film projects and professionals has contributed to gentrification, displacing native communities and altering the city’s demographic makeup. This trend is particularly evident in the displacement of different racial communities within Atlanta over 11 years, shown in the data illustration. These statistics illustrate the profound impact of the film industry on Georgia’s communities and its long-term residents.

This line of inquiry is significant because very few scholars are looking into how the film industry has disrupted Atlanta communities and how it is currently altering the cultural identity of the city. By investigating the effects of the rise of the film industry on the socio-economic landscape of Atlanta, we can shed light on how this process has adversely affected its historically black population. The findings of this research can be used as a warning to other cities that may be at risk of gentrification through the introduction of nascent industries.