ABOUT
INERTIA FILMS
Our Mission
Inertia Films exists to faithfully pursue our chosen craft with a daily passion for visual storytelling while demonstrating innovation, integrity and dedication to our valued clients.
Take a virtual tour through the Inertia Films Facility!
Meet the Inertia Team
Our team members are excited to help you tell your story.
A. Troy Thomas
President / Owner
Allyn James
Production Manager
Allyn is a graduate of Mercer University in Atlanta, GA and earned her MBA degree from Clayton State University in Morrow, GA. She brings over 20 years of broad experience in various aspects of accounting, finance, and business management to the Inertia Films team. She strongly believes that when one enjoys what he or she does, they perform well at it. Allyn’s engaging manner and assertive approach coupled with her ability to effectively communicate with colleagues and clients ensures that common goals are achieved with satisfaction and ease; this successful outcome is an express reflection of her enjoyment of work in general and people in particular. Allyn is calmly efficient and eternally positive! She loves to smile.
Chris Marshall
Production Supervisor
Chris Marshall is an Emmy-winning cinematographer and editor and Emmy-nominated director and producer. Before arriving at Inertia Films, Chris made a splash on the scene directing documentary films. His first feature documentary, PEZheads: the Movie received international festival attention for its revealing look at a popular collecting subculture. His second feature, An Inconvenient Tax, about the complicated history of the U.S. tax system has been featured on national news programs such as Lou Dobbs and the Stossel Show and is distributed both nationally and internationally. In 2018, Chris won an Emmy for his cinematography on the Inertia Films produced feature documentary, Liberty & Slavery: The Paradox of America’s Founding Fathers. In 2021, his documentary feature film, Dark Horse was nominated for two Southeast Regional Emmys and aired on PBS stations across the country. Chris has shot for a variety of broadcast television networks such as ABC, Discovery Channel, Fox Broadcasting, Animal Planet, OWN Network, HGTV, TLC, MLB Network, Nat Geo and NFL Network and serves as a staff producer, director, editor and director of photography at Inertia Films. His camera credits include Talking Dead, Auction Kings, Inside Edition, Say “Yes” To The Dress, House Hunters, E! News and Dogs 101 among others. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree in film and television from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
John Edenfield
Live Shots / Rentals
John Edenfield joined the team at Inertia Films in January of 2012 bringing with him over 18 years of experience in the broadcast production and rental business. With a background in video production, John applies a vast amount of knowledge and experience when helping Inertia’s clients with their equipment needs. He handles each rental with the same detail and attention as if he were taking the gear out himself. John also facilitates the use of Inertia’s live room and production studio. His friendly nature and professional approach is another reason we are glad to have John on our team.
Lee Bailey
Audio Supervisor
A North Carolina native, Lee boasts experience in both creative and corporate environments. After four years with General Electric, he added degrees to his resume in Media Studies and Political Science and a Minor in Media Writing. Lee got his start in the film industry working on productions in Wilmington, NC – most notably the Fox television show Sleepy Hollow and the film Max Steel. A jack of all trades, he also produced, shot and edited corporate and industrial video projects in the North Carolina region until 2015 when he moved his family to the Atlanta market. Seeing a rising star, Inertia Films added Lee to the team in 2017 where he heads up the audio department in addition to his other creative contributions.
George Zelasko
Camera Systems Tech
George comes to Inertia after a seven year stint at Panavision where he provided technical support and QC for hundreds of television shows and Hollywood films. A member of IATSE Local 600 Camera union, he has extensive knowledge of top end 35mm film and digital cinema camera systems. In additional to his Cinema Studies Degree from the University of Central Florida, George boasts having worked on “Super Sweet” rollerblading videos when he was in middle school.
Zach Cowan
Audio Recordist
Zach Cowan, from Stone Mountain, calls Atlanta his lifetime home. He has 2 decades of professional audio experience; beginning with live concerts in 2001 and transitioning to audio for video in 2008. Zach believes that production sound is most often a very objective task; either it is good, or it is not. The skill in production sound comes from a detection of challenges presented in each unique production, and delivering solutions that are time sensitive, clean, and customer service oriented. Zach is a tabletop gaming enthusiast, and has been known to make a lot of funny voices.
Inertia Films History
In March 1993 Troy Thomas founded Inertia Films on a dining room table in Cincinnati, Ohio. Work in the early years was provided by many corporate clients like Procter & Gamble, and daily news magazine programs including Inside Edition, American Journal, Entertainment Tonight, and Extra.
Inertia Films grew in visibility after landing a two and a half year project shooting the reality-based program Real Stories of the Highway Patrol. It was during this time, 1994-96, that Thomas learned what it really took to produce a nationally distributed television show. Other reality show credits now include Auction Kings, Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta, House Hunters and The Amazing Race.
September 1996 saw Thomas move the Inertia Films’ headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia to leverage the post-Olympic boom that the city was experiencing. It was a time of additional Betacam purchases and the company’s first Arriflex 16 mm camera.
In 1999 Inertia Films added their first digital, post-production suite to facilitate in-house projects. This business later grew to include outside post as well. Inertia Films most critically acclaimed original project to date is their television series entitled: Testimony: Profiles in Faith. The program has garnered 34 awards in various film festivals and video competitions. Year 2000 brought Inertia’s first DVCam camera package. The format continues to be popular with corporate clients and ministries for both field production and post production.
Calendar year 2003 brought Inertia Films a Southeast Regional Emmy Award for our camera work on Forgiven for Life, the life story of David Berkowitz formerly known as the “Son of Sam.” Forgiven for Life was also nominated for a Southeast Regional Emmy Award that same year.
2003 marked a watershed event for Inertia Films as well. In June, Thomas realized a life-long dream by finally moving his company into their new production facility near downtown Atlanta. The facility includes two digital post-production suites, production offices and a 900 sq. ft. studio with hard cyc. The building includes a 2,160 sq. ft. rooftop deck with a partial view of downtown Atlanta. The facility has added to the on-going revitalization of Atlanta’s Historic Old Fourth Ward district.
The year 2006 marked Inertia Films’ initial investment in a high definition camera package. Inertia’s addition of the Panasonic AJ-HDX900 HD camera, shooting both 720p and 1080i, was enormously popular with it’s clients.
In 2007 Inertia added High Definition post production to their menu of offerings. Both on-line, digital, editing suites are now 4K capable.
In 2009 Inertia Films’ Troy Thomas won another SE Regional Emmy, this one for photography work on the PBS documentary, Papa Said, “We Should Never Forget” produced by David Druckenmiller.
In 2011 Inertia added a Pro Tools audio suite to the post production lineup. The year 2012 brought our “Equipment Rental” division featuring cameras with the DVCPRO HD, XDCAM, XDCAM EX and DSLR formats.
In 2016 Inertia Films produced their original program, Liberty & Slavery: The Paradox of America’s Founding Fathers. The documentary has broadcast over 1,500 times on PBS stations, as well as on Amazon Prime, Vudu, iTunes and Google Play. In June 2018 the documentary also won two Capital Emmy Awards.
In 2018 Inertia Films added its first Arriflex Amira to the camera lineup.
In 2021 and 2022 Inertia Films added (5) Regional Emmy nominations for their projects: “Dark Horse” (2-Southeast Emmy nominations) and “A Moment in Time” (3-Capital Emmy nominations).
In 2023 the Inertia team brought home another (2) Emmy nominations and a Capital Emmy win for the program, James Bell Kitchen Table – The Norwegian Embassy.
Inertia Films has now won 200+ awards including: (5) regional Emmy Awards, (31) Telly Awards, (7) Worldfest Houston Remi Awards and (2) Gold CINDY Awards.
Inertia Films other broadcast credits include: American Idol, Biography, NFL Network: Total Access, Dogs 101, Liberty & Slavery, MasterChef, Chrisley Knows Best and Love & Hip Hop Atlanta.
Corporate Purpose
To practice faithful stewardship by conducting our business at all times with integrity, character and passion for the higher purpose of bringing glory to Jesus Christ.