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Rockdale-Conyers is 'Camera Ready'
Distinction to be awarded Monday
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Rockdale County is officially ready for its close-up.

The Conyers-Rockdale community will be designated a Camera Ready community on Monday by the Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office.

This distinction will place it and the 73 communities being recognized on Monday in a searchable database for location scouts and directors with information and photographs about featured areas, as well as other networking benefits, said Gina Hartsell of the Conyers-Rockdale Economic Development Council, who also serves as a film production liaison.

Conyers and Rockdale County has been host to a number of large-productions recently, including "Fast Five," the $150 million budget fifth installment of the Fast and the Furious movie series, "A Joyful Noise," a musical comedy with Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton about a small-town gospel choir.

Glenn Sears, executive director of CREDC, said Fast Five had spent about $3 million in supplies in Conyers and more than $4 million in local payroll during the months they filmed in 2010.

More than 348 productions filmed in 50 Georgia counties in fiscal year 2010, creating an economic impact of $1.33 billion. The state is in the top five in the U.S. for filming, thanks to Georgia’s aggressive incentives. Productions have increased 400 percent in Georgia since 2008 when the Entertainment Industry Investment Act was enacted, providing tax incentives of up to 30 percent to productions.

Georgia, Louisiana and Michigan have similar tax incentives. That tax incentive is one of the credits initially being looked at as part of a package of cuts by a special tax council in an overhaul of the state’s income tax system.