From Incentive to Intention: How Atlanta’s Creative Economy Can Turn Tax Credits Into Brand Impact
For nearly two decades, Georgia’s film tax credit has been the catalyst that turned this state into a $4 billion entertainment powerhouse. What started as a policy play has become a cultural crescendo – with studios, soundstages and a world-class crew that rivals anywhere in the country.
While the tax credit has always extended beyond film and TV, commercial and branded projects still remain a small minority of total certified productions. This imbalance seems to suggest a narrative challenge – that while Atlanta is synonymous with film and TV, many brands and agencies may not realize the same infrastructure can serve commercial work as well.
And now, the opportunity ahead isn’t just to use the credit – it’s to use it with intention.
Why This Matters for Brands
For brand leaders, this is more than a tax discussion. It’s a creative strategy session with real dollars on the line. Producing in Georgia could cut net spend by up to 20%. That’s real budget which can be reinvested back into creative, media campaigns or the community.
But here’s the key: it’s not about chasing discounts. It’s about building ecosystems. When brands produce locally, they tap into world-class crews, editors and post-houses – the same people behind some of the biggest entertainment franchises on Earth. And they are giving back to the city that raised them.
For Agencies: Turn Policy into Pitch Power
Agencies have the opportunity to flip the script. The smartest shops are already reframing this as a strategic differentiator, not just a rebate line item. It’s time for Atlanta’s agencies to act like the powerhouses that they are – remixing what it means to be a creative capital.
Imagine a new playbook where every campaign brief includes:
A local production partner
A tax credit item that can unlock up to 20% savings
A built-in sustainability story rooted in community reinvestment
That’s how we make Atlanta the #1 commercial production hub in the country. Not by talking about the potential, but by acting on it.
The Culture Multiplier
What happens when film meets marketing in Georgia? You get a creative ecosystem that runs year-round. Film crews find new work streams. Fortune 500 companies discover new storytelling muscle. Students from universities like SCAD, Spelman and GSU see a future that doesn’t require moving to LA, New York or Chicago.
This is more than economic development, it’s cultural development. The tax credit becomes a tool not just for production, but for belonging. It keeps talent home, fosters new collaborations and builds a creative identity that’s undeniably Southern, endlessly innovative and globally competitive.
Navigating the Tax Credit
Understanding Georgia’s film and entertainment tax credit can be a daunting task – full of fine print, qualifying thresholds and timing rules that can make or break eligibility. That’s where partners like Three Point Capital (TPC) can provide support.
As one of the leading advisory firms in production finance and tax incentive strategy, TPC helps brands, agencies and production companies translate policy into practice, ensuring every qualifying dollar is accounted for, certified and maximized. Led by experts like Charli Traylor, the team guides clients through everything from pre-certification planning and budget structuring to post-audit compliance.
Partners like TPC allow brands and agencies to focus on the creative by taking the complexity off their plates.
If the South’s Got Something to Say, Now is the Time to Say It
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) has posted proposed amendments to the Film Tax Credit rules which could narrow existing eligibility formats.
The GDEcD will host its virtual hearing on Friday, December 5 from 3:00-3:30pm EST and the public comment period is open. This is the moment for marketers, producers and brand leaders to make their voices heard and ensure that the commercial marketing formats under review will remain a part of the incentive that built Atlanta’s creative foundation.
This public hearing isn’t just about line items and definitions; it’s about who gets to tell stories here, and how much creative capital stays local.
Information about the GDEcD’s proposed rules, how to submit a public comment and how to attend the virtual hearing on December 5th: https://georgia.org/film/rules
Keep it Local. Keep it Legendary.
Atlanta has already proven it can dominate entertainment. Now it’s time to own the content economy – the ads, campaigns and branded moments that drive business every day.
The infrastructure is built.
The talent is here.
The opportunity is real.
What we need now is alignment: brand leaders who see policy as possibility and production as partnership.
The next great campaign could be made right here, under Georgia’s own spotlight.
Because in Atlanta, we don’t just talk – we move, get out the way – and make it happen.