Dunwoody looking to woo the movie industry

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Georgia's film-friendly tax breaks are attracting movie-makers and their money to metro Atlanta and several cities are looking to cash in.

Channel 2's John Bachman learned how one local city is working to make it easier to do business with Hollywood.

At Dunwoody High School Monday afternoon, crews packed up lights and the rest of their movie-making gear. Workers were also repainting the baseball field's dugouts. Clint Eastwood and Justin Timberlake filmed their baseball movie there last week.

"It was very exciting because it's not something that happens to you every day," said Suzanne Hall, who lives across the street.

"They put a note in our door, letting us know they would be here, saying, 'We'll be your neighbor for a couple days, we'll do everything to make this convenient for you.' And they did. Did nothing but exactly what they said," Hall said.

It's the second big movie to film in Dunwoody this year. Now, city leaders are writing a film policy, outlining permits and fees needed to make movies.

"I met Clint Eastwood, I met John Goodman, had chance to talk to them and get a sense of what's going on," Dunwoody Mayor Mike Davis said.

Normally, the Dunwoody High School baseball field is home to the Wildcats, but last week it was, at least temporarily, home to the Swannanoa Grizzlies. The movie company rented the facility from the DeKalb School District for $15,000.

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Under the current proposal, movie companies could rent a Dunwoody park for $500 a day. That's in addition to a $100 daily fee.

"(The) point is to be at least as competitive as other cities in Georgia, if not a little more friendly," said Davis.

"I think a policy would be good to have in force. You can never go wrong with some kind of guidelines. But as well as everything went across the street, they did well without it this time," Hall said.

Davis said at least two other productions are looking to film in Dunwoody. As for the policy, council members are expected to discuss it at Monday's council meeting, and likely will vote on it in two weeks.

WSBTV