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The basics:

• NJBIZ chats with NJMPTC member Janice Kovach at Film Expo in Secaucus
• Banks, accountants and local businesses increasingly serving productions
• About 60 municipalities and counties have achieved Film Ready certification
• New studio projects expected to boost film production across New Jersey

The economic impact of New Jersey’s film and television industry extends well beyond movie sets and soundstages — and an increasing number of businesses are taking notice.

“Stay tuned. There’s more coming,” New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission member and the Town of Clinton Mayor Janice Kovach told NJBIZ during the Film Expo April 30 in Secaucus, where more than 4,000 attendees gathered to discuss opportunities tied to the state’s growing production sector.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event at the Meadowlands Exposition Center, which NJBIZ reported extensively on, Kovach said the industry’s momentum is evident throughout the expo, which drew attendees from across New Jersey’s film and television ecosystem.

“It’s much larger. It’s much more exciting. There’s more people engaged, and I think we have over 4,000 people registered,” said Kovach, who also served as president of the New Jersey League of Municipalities in 2021.

For Kovach, one of the clearest signs of the industry’s evolution is the growing range of businesses that now see opportunities tied to film and television production, from local small businesses to financial institutions and professional services firms, which was on full display at the Expo.

High-touch industry

“It’s so important because they all touch it in some way, shape or form,” she said. “That’s why I try to make sure we talk about coffee shops, the balloon shops, the sub shops, the garbage companies, the sign companies — all of those different pieces that are really key to the industry.”

The industry’s continued growth is also attracting new interest from banks, accounting firms, and other professional service providers that increasingly view film production as a stable and growing sector of the state’s economy.

“They’re recognizing that, hey, this really is growing. It’s not a fluke,” Kovach stressed. “Everyone kind of thought initially it was going to be a fluke. The first iteration of the [production tax credits] bill was very small.

It’s not a fluke.
—Janice Kovach

“Because it was a slow growth, and that’s why you’re seeing this is kind of a slow growth as well, because it’s now expanding, and people are recognizing, people are here. You’ve got so many more productions taking place, so many more that needs these services that maybe didn’t need them before,” said Kovach.

Kovach said financial institutions are becoming more engaged as they learn the mechanics of production financing and New Jersey’s film tax credit program, including opportunities related to tax credit transfers and project financing.

Film Ready NJ

A major component of the industry’s expansion has been the state’s Film Ready New Jersey program, which helps municipalities and counties establish clear permitting processes and local points of contact for productions. Kovach has played a pivotal role in establishing the program. She said roughly 60 municipalities and counties have completed the certification process, while another 90 are working toward designation.

“It’s slow,” she said. “More than 300 towns with less than 10,000 residents, have part-time employees. So, this is a commitment. You need to give someone the ability to be the liaison to the Film Commission. It doesn’t mean you’re not going to get filming if you don’t do it. But some of them are just kind of touching it first to see if it’s something that they want to do, number one.

“And some are saying, well, you know what, we’re not quite ready yet. Think about some of the rural towns out in the county that don’t even have a full-time clerk. So, for them, this is a big leap,” she continued. “I think it’s a slow roll – and we’ll start to see more and more come on. And it makes sense. It’s the right thing to do.”

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Although communities do not need Film Ready certification to host productions, Kovach said the program helps local officials understand the logistical, public safety and operational considerations that come with filming activity.

“It helps productions, but it helps towns,” Kovach explained. “Even if they don’t get Film Ready, coming to the program to understand what to expect – the circus is coming to town and this is what you need to be prepared for. The Jersey Shore towns understand an influx. Rural communities like Hunterdon County, when they filmed ‘Echo Valley’, was right as the strike was happening. And everyone’s like, ‘Oh, we’re not going to see any strikers.

“On a rural road, you had people who were holding picket signs. That was a little overwhelming for a town that only had two or three police officers,” Kovach explained. “So, those are the things that we have to think about.”

She added about the Film Ready program, “It streamlines it so that they know what to expect as far as turning around permits, who to reach out to for permits, what the cost of the permits are. There are some towns that don’t even have a permit process.

“But I think it’s slowly but surely coming around. It’s getting people engaged. And it’s exciting. Everyone wants to have Adam Sandler in their town.”

More settings for scenes and screens

As production activity increases, filmmakers are increasingly exploring locations beyond the state’s traditional filming hubs. Kovach said communities in South Jersey, Hunterdon County and other less-developed production markets are beginning to attract attention from location scouts and studios looking for new settings.

“There’s so much potential,” said Kovach. “There’s so many productions – they need places to film.”

That demand is expected to grow still once several major studio projects under development across New Jersey become operational. Those include Netflix (Fort Monmouth), 1888 Studios (Bayonne) and Lionsgate (Newark).

While the facilities will add much-needed production capacity, Kovach said they will also help ease some of the pressure that location shoots can place on smaller communities.

“I’m excited for the stages to be open so that we can get some of the stuff that would be on location in stage,” she explained. “Some of it is overwhelming to a small community.

“We’re always trying to be creative so that the town is not overwhelmed. I’m the advocate for the town. I want to make sure that they’re taken care of – because I understand their role,” Kovach continued. “At the same time, the production has a requirement. So, how do we get to this compromise?”

The prequel phase

Looking ahead, Kovach said the industry remains focused on workforce development, improving permitting processes and expanding initiatives such as NJ Take 2 Upcycling Program, which repurposes production sets, wardrobe and materials for schools, nonprofits and other community organizations.

She pointed to a recent example involving the television show “Project Runway.” After it finished filming in Jersey City, the production donated sewing machines and supplies to the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility through a partnership connected to the prison’s educational programming.

“These are women that may never get out of prison and they’re being treated like human beings,” said Kovach. “And they’re getting a challenge from Heidi Klum. It’s really exciting that something was given to them – when they rarely get anything.”

You’re going to see productions hitting your towns and your communities over the next couple of years,” she said. “And it’s going to be exciting for everyone.
—Janice Kovach

Those types of community benefits, she said, illustrate how the industry’s impact can extend beyond direct economic activity. For now, however, Kovach believes New Jersey’s film and television boom is still in its early chapters.

As the conversation wound down, Kovach reiterated there’s more coming.

“You’re going to see productions hitting your towns and your communities over the next couple of years,” she said. “And it’s going to be exciting for everyone.”