Savannah is offering one year of free rent in a new facility for digital media companies that set up new operations in the region.

The Savannah Economic Development Authority and the Creative Coast Alliance, which seeks to attract knowledge-based businesses to coastal Georgia, are providing the space on the first floor of their office building on the Savannah River. 

The section of the building, called the Game Development and Digital Media Center, is currently being developed.

Bill Thompson, deputy commissioner for the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s film, music and digital entertainment division, called the offer “a very novel and timely idea” as the state seeks to attract new companies.

“With the economy the way it is right now, offering an incentive that saves potential customers money at virtually no additional cost to the property holder is brilliant,” Mr. Thompson told GlobalAtlanta in an e-mail.

Companies locating in Savannah will be able to tap into an ample talent pool.  The Savannah College of Art & Design has undergraduate and graduate degree programs in video game and digital media production and is one of the top target schools in the country for recruiters in those fields.

The Georgia Institute of Technology also has a campus in Savannah, and the region boasts a total of 17 universities.

Fifteen universities across the state have gaming courses or “full-blown” curricula, Mr. Thompson said.

Although there are already more than 50 game companies here, Georgia needs to further build its ecosystem for digital media companies in order to create and keep jobs, he added.

“We need to develop an environment that contains opportunities for jobs in the industry upon graduation,” Mr. Thompson said.

Attracting U.S. companies is the top priority in achieving this goal.  Mr. Thompson cited the example of California-based Electronic Arts Inc., one of the world’s largest game developers.  It recently entered its third year of a research and development partnership with SCAD, employing about 100 students part time. 

But international companies are part of the equation as well, Mr. Thompson said.

“We expect a French game company, Metaboli, who recently purchased the Turner GameTap studio, to set up operations in Georgia soon,” Mr. Thompson said. “We also believe there may be opportunities in South Korea and are currently in discussions with the game industry there about sending a small number of Georgia game company leaders to explore potential synergies."

Brenda Braithwaite, chair of SCAD’s Interactive Game Development Department, said in a news release that the free rent offer provides a boost not only for companies but for professionals as well.

“In today’s economy when so many developers are laid off and looking for that silver lining, the Savannah offer is incredibly welcome and offers developers a chance to start a studio on more stable footing,” she said.

Another benefit for companies comes in the form of tax incentives.

In May 2008, the state's Legislature expanded tax credits in the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act from 17 percent to potentially 30 percent.

Under the updated version of the act, the state offers a 20 percent a tax credit for companies that spend at least $500,000 on production in the state. 

If the company includes a state of Georgia logo in the final version of the film, TV series or game, an extra 10 percent tax credit is available.

For more information on the offer, click here. 

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