Savannah College of Art and Design Opens 11-Acre Production Backlot
The Savannah College of Art and Design has completed an 11-acre working production backlot in Savannah, Georgia, designed to give students hands-on experience while drawing professional film, television, and commercial projects to the area.
“The backlot itself is a classroom, and so we have 11 acres of every imaginable location,” remarked Andra Reeve-Rabb, who serves as executive director of SCAD Casting and dean of the institution’s School of Film and Acting. “Restaurants, bars, hospitals, libraries—you name it. We really created our own city out here so students could be here and shoot.”
Five-Year Build Introduces Usable Interiors
Constructed in phases over a five-year period, the property features a town hall, alleyway, motel, subway station, movie theater, and a fully furnished suburban house. Unlike standard backlot facades that offer only exterior shells, many of the buildings on the Savannah site feature usable interiors and practical elements.
During a tour of the facility, D.W. Moffett, chair of SCAD’s film and television department, demonstrated running water inside the suburban house. “Any other backlot in the world, if you came to this house, you would not have that,” Moffett said. Moffett added that practical sets help students lower production costs by removing the need to rent outside locations, letting them shoot more ambitious projects without taking on heavy debt.
Soundstages and LED Volume Expand Professional Capacity
Alongside the outdoor sets, the complex includes an LED volume and two purpose-built soundstages. One of these is a 9,000-square-foot space specifically built to accommodate professional productions. Moffett said that he fully expects a television show to base itself in the large soundstage, creating an engine for student internships.
SCAD leadership emphasizes that integrating students with working professionals remains central to the facility’s design. Productions on the backlot allow students to earn classroom credit, gain practical set experience, and build professional résumés before graduation. “We don’t wait for our students to graduate to go out into the industry,” Reeve-Rabb said. “We bring the industry in.”
Professional Productions Drive Business to Savannah Community
Beyond film and television student projects, the backlot and soundstages are equipped to handle commercials, music videos, and fashion campaigns. Reeve-Rabb noted that incoming professional productions benefit the broader Savannah community by driving business to local hotels, restaurants, and retail shops. According to the institution, no other university globally possesses a backlot of this magnitude alongside a dedicated, professionally run casting department.
What Buildings and Resources Does the SCAD Backlot Provide?
What types of buildings are included on the SCAD backlot?
The 11-acre facility features a town hall, an alleyway, a motel, a subway station, a movie theater, and a fully furnished suburban house with running water, alongside restaurants, bars, hospitals, and libraries.
How does the backlot help students financially?
D.W. Moffett noted that having practical sets on campus eliminates outside location rental fees, allowing student filmmakers to produce ambitious work without taking on heavy financial debt.
What professional production equipment is available on site?
The complex includes an LED volume and two purpose-built soundstages, anchored by a 9,000-square-foot stage intended to host professional productions.
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