AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Augusta Technical College President Jermaine Whirl wants to see his students’ names on the silver screen.
“I always tell students: If you think about the end of a movie and you see all those credits, all those names, this is preparing you to do one of those jobs,” he said.
Starting in January, Augusta Tech will partner with the Georgia Film Academy to offer local classes to grow the number and quality of area film crew members.
The college will offer GFA’s film and television certification program, a three-course, 18-hour noncredit program of study. Graduates of the GFA program find it easier to gain employment on a movie set, Whirl said.
“And they get paid extremely well,” he added. “You’re talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment, and your ability of what to do and what not to do is extremely critical, especially on a movie set where time is money.”
For the past few years, the Augusta area has been drawing increased attention from movie producers at major studios and smaller independent outfits. Most recently, crews have been spotted around town shooting scenes for the forthcoming baseball biopic “The Hill,” starring Dennis Quaid.
“There are so many assets and landmarks that make Augusta attractive for film,” Whirl said. “But our biggest prohibitor for growth has been, really, talent.”
Independent film crews would keep telling Jennifer Bowen, film liaison for Film Augusta, that the area needs a deeper talent pool of sound and lighting technicians, electricians and carpenters, Whirl said.
A community that can promise ready-to-work crew members typically attracts more filmmakers — and their local economic impact.
Talks with Bowen led Augusta Tech to IndieGrip, a business on Gordon Highway that rents film equipment and arranges jobs for experienced local technicians. IndieGrip has agreed to provide its facilities for hands-on instruction.
Whirl next met with Jeffrey Stepakoff, executive director of the GFA.
“His No. 1 question was, ‘Is the region ready for it?’” Whirl said.
A few years ago, it wasn’t — the GFA felt the number of movie productions coming to Augusta was too low to extend its classes to the area.
About three months ago, several dozen area leaders in government, academia and business gathered to talk about long-term regional goals with the film industry. A subsequent pitch to the GFA resonated with its leaders.
A GFA instructor commuting from Atlanta will teach classes in Augusta from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays.
After the classes are firmly established, Whirl envisions a future where at least one movie is being filmed in Augusta per quarter. Many studios and networks are giving Augusta a second look, including Dc, Netflix, HBO, Showtime, “and Marvel has been here several times,” he said.
“I don’t think this is a one-time thing,” Whirl said. “If we start to grow a talent pool here, we can really keep these movies coming.”