NJ Is the Current State TO WATCH for TV and FILM Opportunities

Over the recent decade, we’ve seen the birth and surge of the Atlanta entertainment market as well as massive film & tv growth in the Big Apple. Even with California piling on tax breaks, we are seeing more and more professionals turn their attention to the east coast for big on camera projects.

The industry’s new darling, however, isn’t NY or GA. NEW JERSEY is quickly growing to accommodate east coast entertainment companies. The combination of generous state incentives, strategic location, and rapid infrastructure expansion has led to record breaking spending in this area in the Garden State.

How did this tiny little state get a foothold among these large competitors?

Let’s break it down.

Financial Incentives: The state’s Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program, reinstated in 2018, is a major draw. It offers highly competitive tax credits:

• Up to 40% tax credit for qualifying film and digital media
• Up to 35% tax credit for qualified statewide labor.
• An additional 4% bonus is available for productions that hire at least 25% of talent from economically disadvantaged areas.

Expanding Infrastructure: Major studios are investing heavily in new production facilities, which signals a long-term commitment to the state– what does that mean? Jersey is trending upwards Baby! With these spaces planned to come online– actors can expect to see more NJ projects looking for talent. Here are some new spaces being added to NJ’s list of film studios.

• Netflix Studios is building a $1 billion complex with soundstages and post facilities
• Lionsgate Newark Studios is establishing a 300,000 sq. ft. facility
• 1888 Studios in Bayonne is set to be one of the largest film studio complexes in the US.

Strategic Location and Cost Advantage: New Jersey offers the key benefit of proximity to New York City and Philadelphia, but with lower production costs. It falls within the New York Studio Film Zone and provides lower location fees, easier permitting, and more space than NYC.

Diverse Filming Locations: The state’s geography provides a wide variety of backdrops—cityscapes, beaches, farmland, small towns etc. New Jersey can easily imitate various settings like 1950s New York or even Midwestern towns. NJ already has a bright filming history (Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Law & Order etc), and is easily poised to continue that legacy.

Experienced Workforce: The New York/New Jersey metro area is home to one of the largest concentrations of film and television professionals outside of Los Angeles. The crew base is increasingly relocating to the state to be part of the growing activity, and the tax incentives encourage hiring local cast and crew. Layman’s terms— truly all entertainment labor in NY and NJ (even PA and CT) will benefit since the labor force is already shared– but moving to NJ as an entertainment professional actually SAVES production costs by helping them become eligible for incentives and hiring bonuses!

So 2026 is NOT the year to sleep on NJ. Maybe it’s time to save yourself from those hefty NYC rents and head across the Hudson. Or at the very least– start getting familiar with those train schedules!