MOONSHINE POSTPRODUCTION

When asked to recall the last five years of Moonshine’s growth, Drew Sawyer, founder, scrolls through a flood of photos—film festivals, cornhole tournaments, premiere parties—recollecting the highlight reel of his Atlanta-made post-production company, one that now has a resume including work with major networks and studios for internationallyrecognized productions. From its inception, each year presented new opportunities for the growing band of misfits—editors, colorists, producers and engineers—bolstering their services and skills as they provided post for Georgia’s blossoming film industry.

As an independent filmmaker, Drew laid the groundwork of Moonshine Post’s early days with collaborations among other local filmmakers— many of whom continued on to become key members of productions being made in Georgia today. By 2016, Georgia’s film scene was in full roar, attracting more studios and networks than ever to the opportunity of production in the state. At this point, Moonshine had already expanded its services well beyond the independent film scene and was tasked with creating original series content for Discovery, Red Bull Mediahouse, and A&E. These early adopters saw the benefits of bringing more than production to Georgia, and their success paved the way for a transformative year-to-follow.

In 2017, Moonshine initiated strategic partnerships with Crafty Apes VFX and Bare Knuckles Creative, cementing full service post capabilities in Georgia for film and television as the market grew around them. By 2019, Moonshine had doubled in size. That year alone, they worked on over 100 episodes of television, including shows like Bigger (BET+), Moon and Me (BBC), and the first of what would become three consecutive seasons of Greg Nicotero’s Creepshow (AMC/Shudder). In 2020, despite the upheavals caused by the pandemic, they managed to sustain momentum, mixing, coloring, and editing a variety of episodes and features, notably Netflix’s The Liberator— Georgia’s first “posted” Dolby Atmos + Dolby Vision HDR series—and Oscar-shortlisted documentary 76 Days. In 2021, Moonshine expanded its studio and network resume, and worked alongside its partners to provide post services for Netflix, Warner Bros. TV, Sony Pictures, Paramount, HBO, Disney, VICE and AMC. They also provided full postproduction for projects such as Saturday Morning All Star Hits! (Kyle Mooney) and The Waltons’ Homecoming

The story of Moonshine’s growth is a story of Georgia’s growth. Their success has both contributed to and benefited from it; the relationship as symbiotic as it is provisional. Scrolling past photos from a recent hike in North Georgia, Drew Sawyer pauses to show a photo of his team today, in their office now located in the heart of the city, emphasizing the core of Moonshine’s success as not merely the “stories they’ve distilled,” but the community they’ve built along the way.

Floyd County Productions (FCP) is the multiple Emmy award-winning animation studio located in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 2009 by writers and executive producers Adam Reed and Matt Thompson, FCP is a full-service animation studio that strives to create the highest quality in animation and digital entertainment.

In the late ’90s, Reed and Thompson became renowned for their work on a number of Adult Swim television projects, chiefly Sealab 2021 and their follow-up Frisky Dingo, which aired for several years. The duo formed 70/30 Productions to produce Sealab 2021, starting with a very modest crew of 8 artists, all working together in a small home on the East-side of Atlanta. In 2009, Reed and Thompson closed 70/30 Productions and founded FCP to produce Reed’s new project, Archer. Archer has gone on to cement itself in the pop-culture zeitgeist, receiving positive critic reviews and winning many awards, including three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Critics Choice Awards.

The company not only develops exclusive programming for FX and other networks, but also creates short-form content for other media, including the television shows: Atlanta, Legion, Fargo, Goliath, Cake and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

In 2021, FCP completed its first full-length feature film, America: The Motion Picture, starring Channing Tatum and produced in partnership with Lord and Miller. Along with this, FCP debuted its brand new critically acclaimed show Marvel’s Hit-Monkey which is currently streaming on Hulu.

Floyd County Productions has since grown into one of the most competitive and soughtafter animation houses in the industry. Keeping the studio in Atlanta, GA has played a huge role in their success.

The Georgia tax credit on qualifying work done in the state has allowed FCP to retain a healthy workforce and stay competitive with studios around the globe. Floyd County Productions has grown from a small eight-person operation into a family of 200. The studio has become one of the top employers from Georgia schools, like Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and in an industry that is largely transient, employees often tend to stay at Floyd.