Marietta, GA Filming & Production: Student Filming (2026)

Section 5-13-040 lists four categories exempt from the whole Motion Picture, Television and Photographic Production Ordinance: current news productions, productions run by the City of Marietta, Marietta City Schools, Cobb County Schools or other approved government agencies, productions inside legally established studios, and, as item D, student filming standing on its own as a fourth exempt category. Because student filming falls outside Section 5-13-030's permit requirement entirely, a student does not need to apply to the parks and recreation department, pay the processing fee, post the insurance required of commercial productions under Section 5-13-090, or sign the hold harmless agreement under Section 5-13-100.

The exemption is reinforced in the fee schedule: Section 5-13-060(B) separately lists student filming as one of two categories where the daily property use fee is automatically waived, the other being small cable-company productions off public property with fewer than two vehicles. That is a stronger benefit than the fee provision gives to charitable or educational productions generally, where a waiver is only available at the discretion of the parks and recreation director if he finds a substantial benefit will accrue to the city. Student filming gets its waiver as a matter of right rather than discretion.