From reality television to blockbuster movies, the entertainment industry has something to offer everyone. When people discover a production is being shot and filmed close to their vicinity, it is easy to see why there’s a sense of excitement in the air – famous talent, behind-the-scenes exclusivity and a feeling that they are a part of this largely viewed project. What fans and local media fail to realize, is that there are a ton of challenges in setting up camera-ready communities needed to support these projects. While everyone wants to be associated with a TV or film production – from makeup artists to entertainment reporters to local politicians – there are technical aspects that often get overlooked by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. When it comes to connectivity needs for Films, Televison Shows and Concerts, top tier national coverage carriers simply do not possess the capabilities to provide high bandwidth for a short period of time, and with quick installation. As our world becomes increasingly digital with cloud-based data storage and sharing, the need for scalable bandwidth and reliable connectivity has reached new heights and the film industry is no exception.

Georgia Filming

Behind-the-scenes of Taken 3, filmed in Atlanta, GA

Since the enactment of Georgia’s 30 percent tax incentive, film and TV production crews have ventured to the Deep South for more than just a change of scenery for their latest projects. With Georgia being the home to productions such as Taken 3, Family Feud and The Walking Dead, just to name a few, local businesses catering to the entertainment industry have had to adapt their offerings to meet the quick set-up and massively scalable needs of producers. In 2013 alone, Hollywood studios, production companies and independent producers invested more than $3.3 billion in Georgia; so, it’s easy to see why local businesses are all vying for a piece of the ‘Hollywood of the South’ pie.

For production crews and set coordinators crossing the country to execute a killer Southern-filmed experience, let’s start with the basics: Where’s the temporary Internet and high bandwidth? More importantly, who’s going to install within days and take it down so that production assistants are able to focus on other matters on set? For dozens of producers, the answer is One Ring Networks.

On the Set

When it comes to providing service for a major blockbuster film, such as Hunger Games 2 : Catching Fire, from the initial phone call to deadline for broadband installation typically takes One Ring Networks about 3-5 days. On the contrary, the industry standard for fiber installations is typically 90 days; so with these kinds of projects, flexibility certainly weighs heavier than network coverage. For example, the film Identity Theft was being shot in multiple locations around Atlanta, for 6 months, and required 10Mbps of internet for editing during and post-production. Not to mention, they wanted all of this with no signed contract. Welcome to the world of temporary Internet in high-demand! At One Ring Networks, we understand these companies have unstandardized needs, so we make it our goal to deliver a dedicated Internet connection and revert to our own in-house contractors for build-outs on the fly.

For TV series, such as One Ring’s client Halt and Catch Fire, projects can last a lot longer so there is more room for on-going managed IT services and standardized set-up processes. Similarly, Atlanta-based Family Feud, produced by Freemantle MediaX, turned to One Ring for 10mb Internet and phone service, to power the popular game show back in 2013 during in-studio filming. Since the relationship began, the show’s needs have grown to include 50mb Internet, phone service and an entire phone system. Serving up even more value, our local technicians have continued working with this production since the beginning – for every upscale and technical issue need along the way – building trust with our dedicated account and technical support team.

Having worked with over 30 film and TV productions, One Ring Networks is the preferred fixed wireless service provider in the Atlanta and Dallas-Fort Worth “business of entertainment” markets. Hear more about our exciting customers and which projects we’re powering by following @OneRingNetworks on Twitter and connecting with us on LinkedIn.