Page 16 - Laker Connection Fall 2015

Film Studio Opens
Clayton State Meets the Demand of Georgia’s Growing Movie Industry
BY JOHN SHIFFERT
As the cameras rolled, Clayton State celebrated the opening of its new film studio in Lucy Huie Hall on May 12, 2015.
Atlanta’s newest small studio space, it is the only space of its kind associated with a higher education institution in the state and one of the few in the nation.
The significance of the day was also demonstrated by a full house of state officials, local government representatives, entertainment industry leaders, Clayton State administrators, faculty and students, and even the hall’s namesake, Clayton County civil rights pioneer Lucy Huie.
Although numerous representatives of the film and entertain- ment industry were present, the occasion was probably best
expressed by a pair of academicians, Clayton State Presi- dent Dr. Thomas Hynes and Clayton State Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Kevin Demmitt.
Accentuating that Clayton State is very much in tune with the current needs of the local and metro workforce, Hynes stated, “from our initial discussions two years ago, we have been articulating a vision... How do we support the work- force needs of the State of Georgia in the film and digital media industry?”
Demmitt followed Hynes’ remarks with a little history of Clayton State’s workforce-related efforts on site at 9013 Tara Blvd., in Jonesboro. Demmitt pointed out that Clayton State first opened the building on land donated by Huie in
14 THE LAKER CONNECTION