Atlanta has solidly positioned itself to be the Hollywood of the South. The film and television industry is a big economic generator in the state, with tens of thousands of locals working in the massive studio complexes that are spreading throughout Fayetteville to Norcross. Although the business is unbelievably promising and the salaries are mind-blowing, it is also a widely known industry that is impressively rapid and laborious. When you are working in production, one error outside of the work can put all things down. Being caught with a DUI case does not only lead to legal troubles, but it is a dire and present danger to your survival in the entertainment industry.
Mobility is one of the most important areas of the work on the film or television set. Be it as a production assistant taking a run or having a grip working on a heavy machine or a location manager taking a passenger van to scout sets, a clean driving record is usually one of the non-negotiable requirements before being hired. The productions of films are based on a strict budget and huge, omnivorous insurance. Production insurance is extremely strict as to who is permitted to drive the company cars or to drive a rental car insured by the studio. When you are arrested on DUI, this automatically makes you an uninsurable liability. Although you may not be convicted yet, an outstanding charge or a suspended license will put you in the system, so productions will not hire you to do any job that involves driving.
The effects are much more than operating company vehicles. The Atlanta has numerous film professionals who are proud members of local unions, including IATSE or Teamsters. The rules about these unions are very strict and it is common that before one can join the union and get a job, the individual has to have a valid commercial or standard driver license in good standing. Should you be convicted of a DUI and be suspended of the license, you may receive disciplinary measures by your union or simply be sidelined when it comes to working on any large studio project until your driving ability is fully reinstated.
Moreover, the logistics of handling a criminal charge is entirely opposite to film-shooting demands. Everybody who has ever worked on a set is aware of the twelve or fourteen hour working days which are the accepted industry standard. Your life is determined by your call times. However, your shooting schedule is not of interest to the criminal justice system. Being arrested means you will need to cope with required court hearings, probation meetings, and possibly dozens of hours of court-imposed community service and DUI risk reduction classes. Missing a call time or vanishing on set due to an irrevocable court appointment in Fulton County or DeKalb County is a quick means of being blacklisted by unit production managers.
The stakes of the workers in the entertainment industry are one of a kind and that is why it is necessary to fight the charge on the first day. It is here that paying a seasoned Atlanta DUI Lawyer will be an investment in your career. With the help of a capable representative of the legal profession, it is possible to sometimes step in and have your license administratively suspended by the state, making the appeals required within the limited thirty days after your arrest. By securing your right to drive, they are able to keep you employable as they pursue to create a defense against the criminal charges.
The idea is to maintain a clean sheet and keep you on set. A local DUI lawyer is familiar with the way of negotiating with local prosecutors, reviewing police reports to find flaws in their procedures, and questioning the results of roadside sobriety test or breathalyzer devices. They know that such a downgrade to an easier charge as reckless driving would be the difference between your status in the union and your ability to be insured on production.
The film industry in Georgia is one of the most competitive jobs, and being charged with drunk driving is one of the barriers that you cannot overlook. When you are under charges, then you have to move swiftly to save your license, your reputation and your work capacity. Do not allow a single bad-night-call to put an end to your whole career.
