MACON, Ga. — This report has been contributed by Katie Linkner, a student from Mercer University’s Center for Collaborative Journalism.
Macon has become a popular location for movie filming recently and we were 'Just Curious' about the process of filming a movie here.
It turns out it's actually pretty simple.
Film producers and directors scout one, or several, locations in Macon and set up appointments with the Macon Film Commission and Visit Macon to determine which locations will be a good choice for their movie.
“If you get one prime location, 'We want to be at the Hay House,' for instance, and then based on the movie schedule and based on workforce and things like that, they might want to build other locations around it,” said Vice President of Development and COO of Visit Macon, Aaron Buzza.
The next step is to apply for a special events permit with Macon-Bibb County. The film company will tell the county who they are, what locations they want, and any help they need from the county, like road closings.
“If it’s as simple as 'We’d like to shoot at the Hay House,' [and] that’s it, then that’s just a conversation directly with the location, if it’s a private location. The only time that the county really gets involved is when there’s a request for use of county facilities,” said Buzza.
Movie producers and production designers start with an idea of what they are looking for and Buzza will help them narrow it down by exploring around Macon.
Even if movie producers don't have a script or don't know what they want yet, he can help them decide on a location. Finally, once movie companies have their location, they can start shooting.