By JOHN LORINC

Atlanta is the best big American city for people working in the film industry this year, according to an annual report from MovieMaker Magazine, an industry trade journal.

The magazine cites the city’s atmosphere and restaurant culture among the factors that help the industry thrive.

A flexible attitude has also helped.

“There’s a bunch of technical infrastructure now that’s available that wasn’t here 10 years ago,” says Dr. Richard Neupert, a film professor at the University of Georgia. “But it’s also you’ve got these new studio people building space and saying ‘What do you need … we will adapt it for you.'”

The state’s tax incentives are attractive to film companies, but that’s not the only financial benefit.

“It’s easy to work here and it’s easy to live here,” says Lee Cuthbert, a location specialist with the Georgia Film Office. “The cost of living here compared to either coast is pretty favorable.”

The Peach State has plenty of favorable weather conditions on an annual basis, which gives film crews more time out in the field. Georgia’s ability to look like other locations is also a plus.

“Savannah often doubles for New York City in a lot of productions and Atlanta can double for New York as well,” says Cameron McAllister, with the Atlanta Film Society. “Yeah, the geographic diversity, I think, is key.”

Georgia’s film industry brought in $6 billion dollars in 2015.

http://news.wabe.org/post/atlanta-named-best-big-city-film-industry-workers