When Georgia promised Hollywood-sized opportunity, Josh Ratledge packed up his family and left Indiana in 2017. According to Breitbart, the digital imaging technician joined the migration of film workers chasing big paydays as Atlanta became the “Hollywood of the South,” buzzing with hits like The Hunger Games, Stranger Things, and Marvel’s sprawling collection of superhero movies.
For a while, it worked. Ratledge made $72 an hour and paid off years of back taxes while working on Red Notice, Miracle Workers, and P-Valley. But since May 2024, the 48-year-old has only found four days of film work. The once-booming industry that transformed his life has collapsed, leaving his family struggling to survive on $15 an hour at a tennis center and his wife cleaning houses part-time. Their $2,000 a month barely covers rent, and health insurance is out of reach. “All I want for Christmas is my film career back,” he wrote on Instagram last winter.
Georgia’s film industry is no longer the economic powerhouse it once was. After a record $4.4 billion in production spending in 2022, the total fell to $2.3 billion last year. Productions plummeted from 412 to 245, leveling another blow after the 2023 writers and actors strikes froze the business for months. “We saw a lot of productions start looking overseas,” said Lee Thomas, deputy commissioner of the Georgia Film Office. “It was a reset for the industry, but the fall was bigger and longer than we expected.”
Marvel filmed its last project in Georgia — Thunderbolts — in 2025, before shifting major productions to the United Kingdom to cut costs. Streaming giants like Netflix have also cut back on U.S. filming while investing abroad. Competing states such as California and Texas have expanded their own tax incentives, leaving Georgia’s 30 percent credit less enticing.
In Atlanta, industry Facebook threads are filled with stories like Ratledge’s. Costume supervisor Monique Younger said work has dropped to less than half of what she once had. “I feel a little bit useless,” she admitted. Veteran location scout Jen Farris, who once turned down jobs because she was too busy, now faces months-long gaps between projects. “You pray you saved enough to float a little bit,” she said.
Some hope remains in local initiatives. Shadowbox Studios, one of Atlanta’s biggest soundstage operators, is courting new kinds of clients, from esports to digital creators. The company is also training young crews through programs like Backlot Academy, which hosted 25 college students last fall to learn production basics. “Keeping that crew base strong is key,” said Shadowbox COO Mike Mosallam. “Atlanta still has experienced people, low costs, and the space Hollywood needs.”
Among the trainees was Julian Williams, a 24-year-old digital media student at Georgia Piedmont Technical College. He grew up watching his neighborhood transform into a movie set for Alvin and the Chipmunks. “People here are helpful and willing to share what they know,” he said. Another graduate, Joseph Jones, said the program changed his life, helping him land steady jobs after years in hospitality. But reality has hit Shadowbox too. “On the day of training, just one of our nine stages was booked,” said sales director Jeremiah Cullen. “We’re constantly calling clients to see what’s cooking.”
Ratledge hasn’t given up entirely. He’s still calling contacts and hoping for one more break — a steady five- or six-month series to regain health insurance and climb out of debt. “I don’t think I’m any different than the people in Detroit when the auto jobs left,” he said. Former President Donald Trump even floated tariffs last year aimed at keeping film work in the U.S., although trade experts questioned how such a plan would work.
Thomas from the Georgia Film Office said the state is showing signs of recovery, noting a rebound in production since last fall. A new law has expanded eligibility for Georgia’s film tax credits to include short-form content and streaming platforms like Tubi, which could attract more modern media firms to the state.
Farris, the location scout, believes Georgia’s creative energy will endure. “People moved their families here. It wasn’t just about film. It changed the city,” she said. “I think we’ll find a way to build something new.”
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