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Savannahs growing attraction as a filming destination was again evident on Thursday as local efforts to accommodate that increased demand continue.
Throughout the day, a section of West Jones Street from Tattnall Street to Whitaker Street was closed for the filming of an Amazon television series, Z: The Beginning of Everything.
The television series starring Christina Ricci is about the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, an icon of the flamboyant Jazz Age in the 1920s and wife of author F. Scott Fitzgerald.
After exterior scenes were shot in Savannah for the pilot episode last summer, the production returned to town after being picked up for a full season, said Beth Nelson, interim Savannah Film Office director.
Most of the filming took place at the intersection of Jones and Barnard, which had been covered in mulch Thursday morning for the period piece. The interior shots are being filmed in New York where more soundstages are available, Nelson said.
We just need the stages, then they would stay, she said.
After Thursdays shoot, the production is scheduled to again film in Savannah around Monterey Square on June 24.
Meanwhile, efforts are underway to attract more local productions and get them to stay longer.
More facilities are operating locally to meet the needs of the film industry, including the 140,000-square-foot Savannah Film Factory on Fahm Street that features three soundstages, production office space and mill space for building sets. The Savannah College of Art and Design also operates a 22,000-square-foot facility with three soundstages, green rooms and multi-purpose recording booth.
In addition, more training opportunities are being made available to ensure the city has the workforce to accommodate the increased business.
Savannah Technical College recently developed and received approval at the local and state board level for film and television production certificate programs, while the Georgia Film Academy is working with Savannah Tech to bring their programs to Savannah this summer, according to officials with the Savannah Economic Development Authority.
SEDA officials are also trying to get Savannah, Chatham County and Tybee Island to help support a regional film office that would be responsible for marketing efforts directed at the film industry, while local governments would continue handling the permitting process.
Under an agreement going before the Savannah City Council next week, the city would contribute $205,000 each year toward the regional office. That amount would be in addition to $1.8 million in yearly funding provided by SEDA, which includes $1.3 million for tax rebates meant to help attract filmmakers through at least 2018.
In a pitch to the Chatham County Commission at a budget workshop Thursday, SEDA President Trip Tollison said making the office regional would assist local governments in attracting productions, both large and small.
Tollison proposed that Chatham County contribute $100,000 in its upcoming budget to the effort. He said h**l make the same pitch to Tybee Island officials for a $25,000-$50,000 contribution.
We need a countywide film office to service the productions that are coming day in and day out, he said. The city of Savannah right now is doing that, and they simply cant handle the work load.
County Manager Lee Smith said the request came after Chatham officials prepared the fiscal-year budget that begins next month, and the spending plan will need to be examined to see if they can afford the expense.
Source: http://savannahnow.com/news/2016-06-16/savannah-transformed-1920s-amazon-tv-series-christina-ricci
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