EUE/Screen Gems Studios to expand Atlanta campus, could add hundreds more film jobs

The expansion of one of Atlanta's largest film and television studios could add hundreds of film-related jobs to an already bustling film industry.

EUE/Screen Gems Atlanta Studios, located in Southwest Atlanta, is planning a 90,000-square-foot expansion that will include additional soundstages, office space and support space. The expansion is expected to be completed this fall, according to a release.

The expansion follows a record-setting year for economic impact. The Georgia Department of Economic Development clocked $4 billion in direct spending on productions in 2021. The film tax credit is often cited as a reason the state turned into a world leader in film and television production. Last year, the state distributed more than $1 billion in incentives.

More soundstages, more jobs

The film industry has proven to be a huge job provider throughout Georgia. Following the expansion, EUE/Screen Gem Atlanta Studios will be able to provide additional jobs to not only actors, directors and producers, but to electricians, lighting and gas workers, construction workers, landscapers and security officers. Film crews are the heart and soul of the industry. More studio and soundstage space means more job opportunities.

"We continually adapt to what the production industry needs," said Chris Crowder, vice president of physical operations at EUE/Screen Gems.

The expansion will add 60,000 square feet of production space that will come from three new 20,000-square-foot soundstages. The remaining 30,000 square feet of expansion will be half office space, including 34 offices and four production hubs; 10,000-square-feet of mill space, which is used for set construction; and another 5,000-square-feet of catering space.

These additions will accommodate productions of all sizes, said Billy Stoll, vice president of EUE/Screen Gems.

"With our latest expansion, we are creating a modern studio setting that any production will be excited to work in," Stoll said.

More than 30 productions have been staged at the studios, including all four seasons of the popular science fiction Netflix show, "Stranger Things."

The studios are just under 6 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a huge incentive for larger productions coming to film in Atlanta from across the country.

Studio construction around town

EUE/Screen Gems isn't the only studio under construction or expanding its capacity.

Electric Owl Studios has broken ground on its DeKalb County campus. The Electric Owl project will bring the amount of studio space to DeKalb County to 1.2 million square feet. 

The Town at Trilith, which is adjacent to Trilith Studios, is adding a hotel, a competitive advantage over other Georgia’s studios. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2023 and will include 193 rooms and will include 36 short-term, apartment-style units, ranging from a studio to two-bedroom.

Assembly Studios in Doraville has also ramped up construction. The studios are a part of Assembly Atlanta, a 127-acre site that Gray Television (NYSE: GTN) and developer The Gipson Co. bought last year. The 19-sound stage studio campus is expected to be completed by June 1, 2023, said Gray Television Director of Studios Operations Justin Campbell.

View links in article by Donnell Suggs – Sports and Entertainment Reporter, Atlanta Business Chronicle, here.