By Sunayana Prabhu
LINCROFT – With Netflix in Eatontown, Lionsgate in Newark, Palisades Stages in Kearny and Cinelease in Jersey City, New Jersey’s film industry is experiencing a grand surge in film production studios. Now, the Two River area is ready to produce a trained workforce to match the demands.
Elected officials from the state and county, along with college leaders and industry experts, officially launched the New Jersey Film Academy Dec. 4 at Brookdale Community College’s Lincroft campus. Classes will begin in 2025.
The event marks a significant milestone in New Jersey’s workforce development as the state prepares to launch training programs in the entertainment industry across multiple community colleges next year.
The statewide NJ Pathways to Career Opportunities initiative will offer a New Jersey Film Academy at four community colleges besides Brookdale: Mercer County Community College, Camden County College and Hudson County Community College.
The film academy is a brainchild of Diane Raver, director of the New Jersey Film Academy and founder of the Garden State Film Festival, who had been trying to put an educational component in the film festival for years. With Netflix setting up a new studio at Fort Monmouth, “the opportunity for us here at Brookdale” is incredible, said Raver.
Thirteen other community colleges statewide have expressed their intent to partner with New Jersey Film Academy to focus on the next generation of film and television professionals. The launch of the film academy also adds an exciting new chapter in the Two-River area, where Hollywood celebrities have been routinely spotted filming major motion pictures. In the last few years, Adam Sandler was seen filming the sequel to “Happy Gilmore” in Atlantic Highlands, Timothée Chalamet was filming the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” in Red Bank, Highlands and surrounding areas, and a musical adaptation of the “Mean Girls” movie cast local talent as extras when a majority of the movie was filmed at the former home of Mater Dei Prep, the Middletown Catholic school that shuttered in 2022.
“This is going to be the hub of not only New Jersey, but I think the Northeast for film and television, too,” said Assemblymember Gerry Scharfenberger (R-13) during the event. Scharfenberger is no stranger to the film industry; he appeared in the movie “Miranda’s Victim,” produced by Rumson resident George Kolber and shot extensively in Red Bank, Middletown and West Long Branch. Scharfenberger believes the local talent, the resources offered in the Two River community and the area’s close proximity to New York City, make it an attractive destination for film professionals.
As Netflix’s plans gain momentum, many believe homegrown talent is set to help revive the state’s once-thriving entertainment industry.
“This is going to be a wonderful addition to Monmouth County and to the state of New Jersey,” said state Sen. Declan O’Scanlon (R-13), presenting Brookdale board members and the New Jersey Film Academy with a proclamation.
“It’s going to fall right in line with Netflix coming. It really is an amazing moment.”
In addition to O’Scanlon and Scharfenberger, other elected officials at the event included Assemblymember Margie Donlon (D-11), Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas Arnone and Commissioner Erik Anderson.
The film academy at Brookdale will offer a range of non-credit certification programs covering cinematography, post-production, production management and visual effects with three tailored courses, On Set Production, Production Office and Accounting, and Hair, Makeup, and Wardrobe. Each track includes the prerequisite course Script to Screen: Introduction to the Entertainment Industry. Courses may lead to internship opportunities that provide students with practical, real-world experience.
In addition, the New Jersey Film Academy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has been established to support students by providing scholarships and resources to enhance their educational experience.
Brookdale President David Stout, Ph.D., said the goal is to build a pipeline of skilled talent to support the influx of major film and TV productions coming to New Jersey. “This is truly a statewide effort, and we’re going to make sure that we’re providing for the workforce development so that the film industry is sustainable here in the state.”
After decades of decline, the state’s film industry is experiencing a renaissance, fueled by new tax incentives, infrastructure investments and the arrival of deep-pocketed streaming platforms. Netflix’s decision last year to establish a production hub at the former Fort Monmouth on a 292-acre parcel that spans Oceanport and Eatontown was a major coup. The company pledged to invest $900 million and create 1,500 production-related jobs in the state. Other major studios, including Sony Pictures and Lionsgate, have also announced plans to open facilities in New Jersey.
“Instead of sending raw talent to Netflix and hope they train them correctly, let’s train them correctly and send out a product that already has some foundation to Netflix, so we get a chance to put our thumbprint in a good way on what’s really pure and good about the arts and film,” said David Angstadt, trustee of the New Jersey Film Academy.
Students who complete the program will earn industry-recognized credentials that will make them attractive hires for film and TV productions. “We’re going to be launching classes that will lead to certifications – industry-valued credentials,” Stout said, noting those credentials could lead to jobs in the film industry.
The initiative also aims to make these opportunities accessible to a diverse pool of aspiring filmmakers through scholarship funding. “The fundraising component will be providing scholarship dollars for students that may not be able to pay their own way for the certifications,” Stout said.
“It is truly an honor and a privilege for me to bring this training to our great state of New Jersey as we work to revitalize and return this vital industry to its birthplace,” Raver said. Major studios like Edison Manufacturing Company and Fox Film Corporation had operations in New Jersey, once a hub for film production that earned the state the nickname “Hollywood East.” But that was during the silent film era. In a post-advanced digital age, can storytellers beat the threat of artificial intelligence taking over art?
“Nothing wrong with A.I., but we need to make sure that the human element, the human suffering and the inspiration that goes into the arts is protected,” Angstadt said.
Raver is optimistic. “Films will always be made by people.”
The article originally appeared in the December 12 – December 18, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
