The New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission (NJMPTVC), in partnership with the Somerset County Film Commission, announced Feb. 10 that four Somerset County towns make up the inaugural class of New Jersey’s Film Ready Communities.

The commission says that Franklin, Hillsborough, South Bound Brook and Watchung have completed the multistep training and certification process and are designated as Film Ready Communities that are prepared to work with movie and television producers.

The Film Ready New Jersey program launched as a pilot in Somerset County this past September and is slated to expand statewide this spring. It marks the latest efforts to grow the ecosystem around the Garden State’s booming film and television production industry, allowing counties and towns to get in on the action.

In July, NJBIZ chronicled the efforts by communities all over the state to attract more productions.

This latest initiative comes on the heels of a record-breaking 2022 for the industry in New Jersey with production spending exceeding $650 million, smashing the previous the high of $500 million set in 2021.

“The State of New Jersey offers many advantages to the film and television industry, and cooperation is foremost among them. We are encouraging our cities and towns to welcome filmmakers with open arms, and enjoy the many important benefits to be attained when production crews come into your community,” said NJMPTVC Executive Director Steve Gorelick. “Partnerships with our municipal governments are vital to the state’s success.”

Getting ready

The NJMPTVC describes Film Ready New Jersey as a five-step certification and marketing program that educates municipalities on the basics of motion picture and television production, enabling them to effectively accommodate on-location filming and market their communities as filming destinations.

The “film-ready” designation provides an elevated platform so that communities can promote themselves as filming destinations to help connect with production professionals and liaisons across the state to create easier, faster and better access to nearby resources and location information.

Somerset County Commissioner Director Shanel Robinson said that Somerset County is pleased to host the inaugural class of the program.

“Demonstrating the fantastic opportunities our diverse filming locations, local businesses, and proximity to major cities and transportation hubs offer film and television productions,” said Robinson. “I want to thank each of our municipalities who worked so hard to become Film Ready, and the NJ Motion Picture & Television Commission for choosing Somerset County to kick off this project.”

The commission says that municipal governments will be invited to participate in a one-day workshop, which is the first step toward certification, with representatives receiving training and guidance from industry professionals, local mayors and NJMPTVC staff to learn about the economic impact, opportunities and process of bringing film production to their communities. The participants will learn about the necessary steps required to be certified as a Film Ready Community.

The workshop will also feature a fire and police component that is designed to educate and train police and fire chiefs in public safety and motion picture and entertainment safety.

The inaugural class emerged with positive feedback about the certification process:

With farms, parks, rivers and canals, rural and urban areas, and people from all walks of life, Franklin Township is a unique microcosm of the great State of New Jersey. We are so proud to work with the Film Ready New Jersey program in order to showcase this to the world.
— Franklin Township Special Projects Manager Saffie Kallon

The Film Ready designation demonstrates to the production industry that New Jersey and its municipalities are enthusiastic about filmmaking and film-ready. ACTION! Watchung is ready and excited to host NJ Film and TV productions with unique locations and unwavering support.
— Former Watchung Mayor Keith Balla

We are excited to be participating in the Film Ready Certification process through NJMPTVC. We are proud of the uniqueness of our community from the bustling center of town to our rolling hills and farmland and look forward to being able to share that beyond Hillsborough.
— Hillsborough Township Mayor Shawn Lipani

The NJMPTVC says that workshops will be offered on a regional basis, by invitation, beginning in April.

Interested municipalities can register to receive more information here.