Business Is Booming: Jersey’s Network of Soundstages, Services Attracting Big Names
When the New Jersey Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program launched in late 2018, construction on soundstages across the state immediately commenced. Film and television productions that couldn’t find space in New York began pouring into the neighboring state, leading to an influx of developers.
Scott Levy was one of them. In 2021, over the course of a year, he built and outfitted 10 Basin Studios in Kearny. The result is a 46,840-square-foot facility that includes a 36,0000-square-foot stage. The remaining 10,840 square feet are used as office space, flex space and on-premise parking.
“We sound-attenuated all the openings in the stage space with real sound-attenuated doors and walls,” says Levy. “We added 150 tons of HVAC to the building, which is completely soundproof.”
The building’s roof was reinforced with structural steel, and the entire facility was insulated. “We did everything needed to really make this professional and functional for film and television productions,” says Levy.
The effort paid off. In the past two years, several productions have utilized 10 Basin Studios — one of 70 stages in New Jersey. Most recently, “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” a feature adaptation of the award-winning Broadway musical, and the upcoming crime thriller “RIP” spent four months at the studio.
“For ‘RIP,’ the state supported production with coordination of location support needs, additional space needs, and of course, the expansive tax incentives benefitted the overall production budget,” Levy shares.
With another three major production facilities under construction, the state has the potential to become the country’s biggest backlot by 2027. “These facilities will definitely put us on even footing with any of our domestic counterparts,” says Jon Crowley, the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission’s executive director.
Michael Uslan, chairman of the New Jersey Film Commission and executive producer of the “Batman” franchise of motion pictures, adds: “We are nipping at Atlanta’s heels, and once the stage walls are up at various studio builds, I’m confident we’ll slide into the No. 3 spot for domestic production, right after New York and L.A.”
Netflix will transform a 292-acre parcel in Monmouth County into 12 soundstages totaling nearly 500,000 square feet of new development, with the remainder of the property slated for redevelopment with supporting film uses and community amenities. The campus is projected to be an economic engine, creating more than 1,500 permanent production jobs and more than 3,500 construction-related jobs.
Situated on 58 acres of land in the Bergen Point neighborhood of Bayonne, 1888 Studio will feature 350,000 square feet of production support space, outdoor backlot space, office spaces, lighting and grip facilities and a parking garage.
Additionally, the 12-acre Great Point Studios will construct a full-service 300,000-square-foot complex that includes production stages ranging from 20,000 to 30,000 square feet, as well as offices, support space and parking.
“The cherry on the cake is what the studios are doing to the neighborhood — it’s going to be transformative,” says Gov. Phil Murphy.
New Jersey’s significant investment in infrastructure doesn’t stop at soundstages. LED panels, grip and electric gear, cameras and set-construction facilities have been popping up all over the state in the last 12 months.
“A lot of people from the West Coast have no idea what New Jersey is all about. And they don’t know if we have the infrastructure,” says Crowley. “We have everything you need for production. If you want to do work on a volume stage, we have three different companies that handle that. You need G&E gear — got it. We did not have motion picture cameras in the state for a time. Now, one of our companies, PRG Gear, took on the task and brought in [several].”
The state is also home to two lumber companies: LeNoble Lumber in Edison and Prince Lumber in Newark. New Jersey also boasts Levy’s Eastern Effects, a location lighting equipment and studio rental and trucking company. Levy brought the company to Wood-Ridge in 2021 after 25 years in New York.
“We moved Eastern Effects to New Jersey to capitalize on the much better cost of operating in New Jersey as a business,” says Levy. “Every type of service we have used has been less expensive than in New York. All boats rise with more business in Jersey. More soundstages and studios will help draw more full-time workers, more productions, and thus, more economic benefit to the state.”
Scott Levy was one of them. In 2021, over the course of a year, he built and outfitted 10 Basin Studios in Kearny. The result is a 46,840-square-foot facility that includes a 36,0000-square-foot stage. The remaining 10,840 square feet are used as office space, flex space and on-premise parking.
“We sound-attenuated all the openings in the stage space with real sound-attenuated doors and walls,” says Levy. “We added 150 tons of HVAC to the building, which is completely soundproof.”
The building’s roof was reinforced with structural steel, and the entire facility was insulated. “We did everything needed to really make this professional and functional for film and television productions,” says Levy.
The effort paid off. In the past two years, several productions have utilized 10 Basin Studios — one of 70 stages in New Jersey. Most recently, “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” a feature adaptation of the award-winning Broadway musical, and the upcoming crime thriller “RIP” spent four months at the studio.
“For ‘RIP,’ the state supported production with coordination of location support needs, additional space needs, and of course, the expansive tax incentives benefitted the overall production budget,” Levy shares.
With another three major production facilities under construction, the state has the potential to become the country’s biggest backlot by 2027. “These facilities will definitely put us on even footing with any of our domestic counterparts,” says Jon Crowley, the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission’s executive director.
Michael Uslan, chairman of the New Jersey Film Commission and executive producer of the “Batman” franchise of motion pictures, adds: “We are nipping at Atlanta’s heels, and once the stage walls are up at various studio builds, I’m confident we’ll slide into the No. 3 spot for domestic production, right after New York and L.A.”
Netflix will transform a 292-acre parcel in Monmouth County into 12 soundstages totaling nearly 500,000 square feet of new development, with the remainder of the property slated for redevelopment with supporting film uses and community amenities. The campus is projected to be an economic engine, creating more than 1,500 permanent production jobs and more than 3,500 construction-related jobs.
Situated on 58 acres of land in the Bergen Point neighborhood of Bayonne, 1888 Studio will feature 350,000 square feet of production support space, outdoor backlot space, office spaces, lighting and grip facilities and a parking garage.
Additionally, the 12-acre Great Point Studios will construct a full-service 300,000-square-foot complex that includes production stages ranging from 20,000 to 30,000 square feet, as well as offices, support space and parking.
“The cherry on the cake is what the studios are doing to the neighborhood — it’s going to be transformative,” says Gov. Phil Murphy.
New Jersey’s significant investment in infrastructure doesn’t stop at soundstages. LED panels, grip and electric gear, cameras and set-construction facilities have been popping up all over the state in the last 12 months.
“A lot of people from the West Coast have no idea what New Jersey is all about. And they don’t know if we have the infrastructure,” says Crowley. “We have everything you need for production. If you want to do work on a volume stage, we have three different companies that handle that. You need G&E gear — got it. We did not have motion picture cameras in the state for a time. Now, one of our companies, PRG Gear, took on the task and brought in [several].”
The state is also home to two lumber companies: LeNoble Lumber in Edison and Prince Lumber in Newark. New Jersey also boasts Levy’s Eastern Effects, a location lighting equipment and studio rental and trucking company. Levy brought the company to Wood-Ridge in 2021 after 25 years in New York.
“We moved Eastern Effects to New Jersey to capitalize on the much better cost of operating in New Jersey as a business,” says Levy. “Every type of service we have used has been less expensive than in New York. All boats rise with more business in Jersey. More soundstages and studios will help draw more full-time workers, more productions, and thus, more economic benefit to the state.”