Meet Shaquana Amerson! Shaq, as myself and her colleagues call her, is one of my favorite professional creatives here in Georgia (and she will be yours too after hearing her interview). You will often see her IMDB title listed as a graphic designer. Before I met her in the production offices of the Lee Daniels episodic show STAR, I had no clue of how graphic design fit into the overall production design of a movie or television project. We met in person at FolkArt Hapeville for this interview.

Meet Sean Osario! As you can see, Sean takes his film production work very seriously. His love and respect for this art form started early in his life. His career in the Locations Department took off here in Georgia, but that is the least interesting thing about Sean. He spoke with me remotely about his company River Bear Films, his foray into organizing the Simply Weird Film Festival, and his aspirations for the future.

Meet Sedrick Lakpa! Born and raised right here in Atlanta, GA, Sedrick was front and center for the film and television industry when Hollywood came to town. From his beginnings as a production assistant to his current work as a director, he involves himself in local media and content development. I was happy he made time in his busy schedule to talk with me about his love for the culture and stories of Atlanta. Sedrick hopes to see more homegrown storytellers come to the forefront.

Meet Jason Underwood! Jason and I have worked together in different Location Departments throughout the years. With years of Location Manager credits under his belt, Jason recently made the transition to being a vendor supporting Georgia’s film industry. I sat with him to reminisce on his career, speak on lessons he learned, and to speak on the decision to take the position of Atlanta General Manager for Pacific Production Services.

Meet Deanna Durbin! She is a working wardrobe stylist and the creative director of Elva Mae. I sat with her at the premiere networking club in Atlanta, The Gathering Spot, to discuss her personal and professional journey. To Deanna, being a stylist is more than just picking the right clothes for her clients. Her mission is deeper.

Travel enthusiast, web developer, neighborhood film liaison and advocate. These titles only scratch the surface what Carrie Burns has brought to Georgia’s creative and tourism industries. She is currently Director of Marketing for Arival, a hub for all types of tourism and travel businesses. We met in Hapeville, GA at the newest location of FolkArt to catch up over lunch.