After only 18 months in business, the Gill Hayes Talent Agency is expanding to Atlanta, with the move of Patti K. Gill, partner with Michelle Hayes, in early spring.
Located in Chicago at Cinespace Studios, Gill Hayes will be similarly housed in Atlanta, within Roger Bobb’s Bobbcat Productions, at 400 Forrest St. in the congenial Berkley Park area in Atlanta.
The third largest US film markets, Atlanta currently has more than 30 features and TV shows in production. In 2015, media and entertainment generated an economic impact of $6 billion.
Gill notes that their company will be the only African-American owned and operated SAG AFTRA franchised agency in Atlanta, the home base for Tyler Perry endless flow of film and four other studios, including Pinewood Atlanta, a partnership between U.K.-based Pinewood Studios and a local investment group.
Gill and Hayes plan to split their time between the two offices. Gill says they expect to hire an additional agent for each of their two locations.
Representing a talent roster of 800, many of GillHayes’ actors currently appear in all four network TV shows – “Empire,” “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago PD” and “Chicago Med” – that are currently filming at Cinespace.
The partners, who call themselves “entrepreneurs,” each having had previous business interests, met through mutual friends. They briefly had an office in Irving Park and were brought over to Cinespace by former alderman Ed Smith who has an office there, and called their move “a perfect fit” for both entities.
The move to Atlanta “is happening effortlessly and organically,” says Gill. Her husband, Kevin Gill, owns Good Shot Video Productions and the couple has four children, five to 16 years old, who are also active commercial actors.
“I’m sad about Patti going to Atlanta,”says Michelle Hayes, “but it’s going to great and our being there will give our clients more opportunities to grow their careers.”
Gill may be reached at 404/720-2774.
