Living in Atlanta area, residents may be used to seeing the small and usually bright yellow signs with black letters indicating that filming is taking place somewhere nearby. Part of the fun is deciphering the code to figure out what’s being filmed. Then heading to the theater once the film is released to see familiar places in the background on the big screen. For some of the more well-known and iconic television shows such as The Walking Dead and Stranger Things, you can find online lists of filming locations for self-guided tours.
While we’re exploring film and entertainment in Georgia, and more specifically in Chamblee, we contacted the city to find out about the process involved when a production company finds the perfect location in Chamblee.
Ashley Youmans is the director of Economic Development, the department that’s responsible for Film Production Permits for the city of Chamblee. Ashley says the film production ordinance outlines what’s required, and a permit is required for any production of any size on public or private property with the exception being a news broadcast. An application for a film permit is required for all productions that includes detailed information and all relevant attachments, such as a site plan, a traffic control plan if there is a need for street closings, and more. The production company is also required to distribute a notification letter to any nearby residences and businesses that could be affected by filming and any street closures. Chamblee requires the completed Film Permit Application to be submitted at least five business days before the start of filming, so there's enough time to review the application and route it to the various city departments as well as the DeKalb Fire Marshall. Permitting also includes fees based on type and the various needs of the production.
While recently there’s been noise about a decrease in the amount of filming currently in the state, Ashley says that from 2024 to 2025, filming in and around Chamblee almost doubled. “In addition to seeing more applications, we saw bigger productions,” Ashley says, adding that total collected fees from Film Production Permits in 2024 was just shy of $13,000 compared to $54,850 in 2025.
According to a July 26, 2018, TIME Magazine article, “How Georgia Became the Hollywood of the South: TIME Goes Behind the Scenes,” by Eliana Dockterman, the state worked to attract Hollywood in 2008 when then governor Sonny Perdue signed what was deemed a “generous tax incentive” for filming productions in the state. Since then the film industry has seen its share of ups and downs, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
From a numbers standpoint, Ashley says there have been fluctuations over the last few years, but in 2025, there was a total of 21 film permit applications, which was an increase over the previous years that she attributes, at least in part, to the opening of Assembly Atlanta.
At the time we spoke with Ashley, she indicated that a television series had recently wrapped up a day shoot in the city, and a documentary was also filming during the week. Now at the mid-year mark, final numbers for 2026 remain to be seen, but Ashley notes that Film Permit Applications typically pick up during the summer and seem to be on a similar track compared to prior years.
To learn more about film permits and filming in Chamblee, visit chambleega.com. For more information about filming in DeKalb County, visit decidedekalb.com. To learn more about filming in Georgia, what’s filming, how you can get involved, visit georgia.org.