There are a few things to keep in mind when you are shooting videos in Atlanta.If you were going to judge based on just the precise technical borders of Atlanta itself there are 420,000 full-time residents (which would technically make it the 40th largest city in the U.S.) however the greater Atlanta metro area has 5,268,860 people according to the 2010 U.S census.
You’ll find a great mix of native Georgians, transplants from the north, and foreigners and they all practice southern hospitality. Film is big business in Georgia and Georgians are very interested in helping you make your video a success.
Tip # 1 – Expect traffic to be much worse than you anticipate. If you are unfamiliar with Atlanta, know that the traffic is something that is renowned for its delays. Atlanta in not New York City. In general people don’t take public transportation, don’t car pool, and don’t work from home. So you will be driving with five million commuters. Leave at least twice as much time as you think you need or you will be late for your own video shoot.
Tip # 2 – Understand that the weather can vary greatly. Georgia is known as having some of the most beautiful weather in the United States for good reason. It is temperate for many months and you may have balmy 75 degree weather for your entire shoot. But it can be very hot and it snows just rarely enough that when it does plowing and salting is not prompt because there are not enough plows or emergency workers to cover Atlanta’s wide city and suburb region. Most people do not know how to drive well in adverse conditions because they are not accustomed to it and with even one inch of snow expect that everything will be shut down.
When they say location, location, location, they are usually talking about buying real estate but the same thing is true for shooting videos in Atlanta. At first glance Atlanta looks like a city without an interesting skyline that is so “city-ish” that it is without picturesque scenes surrounded by miles and miles of suburbs. But Atlanta is chock full of interesting locations and the first thing you want to do is decide what kind of look you want for your video.
Tip # 3 – Do you want something official looking? If so there are plenty of government buildings, schools, libraries, and corporate plazas to choose from. If you want to lend credence to your video, choose a building with history like the Atlanta Fulton Courthouse, the Atlanta Georgia Tech Main Campus Building, or the Atlanta Oglethorpe Library.
Want your video to be memorable? There are many beautiful scenic spots in and around Atlanta.
Tip # 4 – If you want beauty and nature try the Atlantic Botanical Garden, the Atlanta Aquarium, Stone Mountain (a beautiful wonder approximately one hour drive to the East), the Chattahoochee River, or Lake Altoona.
Tip # 5 – If you want local funky character, try Little Five Points. This is the place to find street musicians, gay and lesbian bookstores, great nightclubs, pink hair, and thigh-high boots.
Tip # 6 – If you want an upper crust neighborhood look with upscale malls and bigger houses, go to Bulkhead. This is also the place to go if you want to show trendy boutiques in your video.
Tip # 7 – For interesting architecture; shoot in or in front of the High Museum.
Tip # 8 – Don’t limit you to Atlanta itself. Coastal Georgia and surrounding areas has some of the most beautiful coastline in the county and Charleston, Augusta, and Savannah offer plenty of locations that give that true old South feel. Charleston and Savannah especially are an absolute must to consider. Both cities are considered jewels of the south for good reason and nothing else in the United States compares. Both cities have islands with beautiful beaches. Both cities have majestic live oaks with curving trunks and limbs that go parallel to the ground that drip with Spanish moss to firm interesting live draping curtains. And both have wrought iron balconies, a few cobblestone streets, and buildings from the sixteen hundreds that survived the Civil War.
Tip # 9 – Remember that Atlanta is a major city and smog can affect your outdoor shooting effects. Shoot in the early morning when there is the least smog and the light is good (or if you can’t then in the late afternoon or evening for the same reasons.)
Tip # 10 -The state of Georgia gives many incentives to encourage filming in Georgia. The Georgia Film Commission is a great resource of professionals, including location scouts, crew, cast, and more. There are tax credits and big tax exemptions for larger projects and help for smaller projects.
Choose local talent whenever possible. While people often think of New York and Los Angles as the acting and music cities Atlanta and Savannah are filled with supremely talented artists who are available to make your video top-notch. Contact local talent agencies for actors, set builders, musicians, location scouts and post production specialists. You may want to choose these ahead of time so your production will be streamlined.
No matter what size your project is, from a big screen movie to a tiny web commercial, Atlanta is a hot place to film with locations that suit every look. They don’t call it Hotlanta for noting.
Author Bio: Sunny Popali is SEO Director at http://www.seophoenix.com. Tempo Creative is an Arizona Inbound Marketing firm that has served over 700 clients since 2001. Tempo's team specializes in digital and internet marketing services including web design, SEO, social media and strategy.
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