Pinewood Studios Coming to Atlanta?

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In case you missed it, the news of a Pinewood Studios-managed facility in Fayette County, south of Atlanta, was announced this afternoon by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

“Wow!” people have been saying all day, “So is Pinewood Studios really coming to Georgia?”

Well yeah, kind of. Right now the project is a proposal for a development. More on that in a bit.

 

About Pinewood Studios

You can’t discuss the history of modern cinema without mentioning the major film studios where many of the most famous pictures have been made. In the last half of the 20th century Hollywood’s studios matured from a collection of production backlots into an increasingly complex system for financing and distributing motion pictures, and we Americans naturally think of that toddling town when the word “studio” is mentioned. But, on the global stage, there are many production facilities that are equally famous, from Cinecittà (Rome, Italy) to Pathé (Paris, France) to Gorky Film Studio (Moscow, Russia). The United Kingdom has a trove of well regarded studio facilities, but none more well known than Pinewood Studios thanks to the James Bond franchise, the Harry Potter series, Pirates of the Caribbean, and a very long list of other well-known film and television properties you’re sure to recognize.

Nestled quietly in the western outskirts of London, just outside the M25, Pinewood might be mistaken for just another industrial complex if not for the famous 007 soundstage looming high over the north end of the property. The celebrated stretch running along the west side of the Bond stage has played Rome to Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra, Manhattan to Christopher Reeves’ Superman, and Gotham City to Michael Keaton as Batman in Tim Burton’s 1989 kickstart to the caped crusader.

It came as no surprise that when Pinewood Studios Group proposed an aggressive expansion of its existing facilities last June (“Project Pinewood”) it received a lot of industry press in the UK and on the global market. Pinewood has long experience in the industry and the amount of research and intelligence presented in a report last week to Creative England clearly presents the increasing demand for high quality production facilities.

Pinewood Studios studios and locations already include:

  • Shepperton Studios, United Kingdom
  • Teddington Studios, United Kingdom
  • Location shooting in Toronto, Canada
  • Pinewood Indomina Studios, The Dominican Republic
  • Pinewood Studios Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios, Malaysia

 

Bringing Pinewood to Atlanta

Pinewood’s long experience in managing film production facilities is what prompted a group of Atlanta investors known as Rivers Rock, LLC, to meet with the British firm. The facilities at Pinewood’s Ivers Heath location look like something straight from Terry Gilliam’s brain – warrens of haphazardly connected buildings with tangled runs of pipes running here and there, banks of trucks pulled up to dozens of docks spread around the grounds. A network of congested internal roads connect war-era barracks housing costumers and art directors, publicists and caterers. It’s all so… British, and for decades upon decades it has simply worked. While it will take years for Georgia’s film crews to properly break in a brand new facility, they’d love the opportunity!

 

Where will “Pinewood Atlanta” (hopefully) be located?

Tammy Joyner of the Atlanta Journal Constitution describes the development’s location as being “near the infamous West Fayetteville Bypass, a thoroughfare that drew a lot of criticism from some residents who felt it was built in an area of the county that doesn’t have traffic problems. The complex also is near an empty school. It’s a carte blanche canvas on which Hollywood can create.” – that’s pretty good.

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Georgia’s motion picture industry stands poised to take some great steps in the next few years, now please peel your children off the ceiling, we’ve heard NO rumors of Harry Potter prequels being filmed in Georgia just yet.

 

 

13 comments

Looking forward to the arrival, with any hope maybe they will be in need of some very needful writers such as myself, and any other areas of the film industry, because there are alot of people here that would love to work for PineWood Studios, especially me, being that I am a first time published author of a very aawsome book ” The Crowds” Jasmine Inkwell pen name. Hopeful and will be waiting for thee arrival.

Hi. Sorry, but I’m trying one more time to contact you, this time with a better e-mail address. I’m an Atlanta jazz musician and film composer. Please check my website, especially JAZZ LOVE THEME and other orchestral arrangements, and please contact me at THIS e-mail address if you feel I would be useful to you. Thank you.

Hope their is a need for my services as a artist and a prop builder Artist I can not wait for the studio opening.

Would like very much to work with such a successful Company. Hold the following permits CDL-Class A B C M also Weapon Permit.

This is awesome news. I grew up in Iver, Buckinhamshire a couple of miles from the original Pinewood Studio in England. The picture of it is on the cover story. Have had many trips there and my husband worked there where he met many stars and worked on their movies, including Bob Hope,Ingrid Bergman,Pat Boone to name a few. Toured the James Bond set at an end of film party. It’s hard to believe they followed me all the way to Fayetteville and are going to settle just down the road from me here. What great news for this County.

I am very excited to hear the news. I am a writer with complete scripts ready for production. I also write and perform songs. Publishing my first book this year, I am looking forward to meeting and working with the company. I also manage talent from kids to pets and would alson make an excellent production assistant if needed.

I will be moving to England within 2 years and trying to decide where to live. I would like to get a job at Pinewood Studios and wondering if Wembley is a feasible place to live. Also, is it a relatively safe area as I will be living alone.

This is fantastic news as I plan to move from Florida to GA next year. I’m an artist who has worked as a scenic painter for companies such as Universal (Harry Potter, Seuss, Jurassic Park and more) Studios and Disney (Fantasyland, Art Of Animation Resort and more). I can do anything from portraits to prop painting and murals. I would definitely look to Pinewood Studios for possible employment!

I am very excited to hear that you are coming to Fayetteville, Georgia!!. Very interested in working in your business offices. 35 years of experience in banking, administrative assistant, and office management. Would love the opportunity to work with such a successful company

I have been DESPERATELY trying to get my resume, etc. to the HIRING AUTHORITIES w/the PinewoodAtlanta GROUP.
I have Extensive Production Background; but, my LOVE is wardrobe. Does anyone have any contact info to share?

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY MEANINGFUL ASSISTANCE.

Sharin

If I may offer some advice to those posting their resumes on here; Pinewood are the ‘managing’ company and now partial investor in the project which I believe has already broken ground at the site.

They do not hire writers, read scripts, bring in talent. They are/will be a facility that give temporary lodging / studio space to productions for the making of numerous commercials/tv shows/movie and nowadays….video games. Depending on the space available, there may be some permanent companies that reside there permanently, but they will likely be camera rental houses/set construction/catering etc.

Aspiring writers/actors/directors should contact the producing studios (Paramount/Sony/MGM etc) through the usual channels, that is your best option (writers; copyright your work BEFORE you send it in if you can).

Please see this as helpful advice rather than me trying to crush any dreams. I am a 30 veteran of the industry originally from both the UK and now the US. I have worked at Pinewood UK many many times on numerous movies, I will no doubt do the same here in ATL once it’s built.
I very much hope that all of your dreams come true but please do not think that Pinewood is your ticket in, you will be setting yourself up for huge disappointment as it will not be what you expect.

Best of luck.

The consumer these days chooses what exactly it likes for entertainment, definitely not the major studios and representatives. If you add to that distribution online and, press, websites, from gossip to entire videos. It’s actually a whole new environment. A lot of it wonderful, some not.

We have numerous Studios for sale in Los Angeles. Paramount is selling the NCIS facility and moving that show to New Orleans. Sony sold Culver Studios (90 years old) and is now again for sale. I don’t know if we will even shoot one picture in Los angeles in 2014 ?

Thanks for all the Tax incentives Georgia. Los Angeles is finished as a movie making town. Many 1000’s out of work.

Be careful, if you don’t keep upping the Tax Incentives, these guys will drop you like a cheap suit. They are not in Georgia cause you know what you are doing. That is why all the department heads are Los Angeles talent. With out the hefty and ever inflating kick back you are toast.

Cant wait for China to undercut your Tax Subsidy.

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