West Orange Is ‘Film Ready’ For Movie Producers, NJ Officials Declare

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Need to shoot a movie, television show or other production? West Orange should be one of the hotspots you check off on your list in New Jersey, state officials recently announced.

Last week, the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission included West Orange on a list of 14 municipalities and four counties that it has deemed a “Film Ready Community.” Each of the awardees has completed the Film Ready New Jersey Program, a state-led training and certification process that prepares towns to work with movie and television producers – and market themselves as potential film destinations.

The list includes Berkeley Heights, Cranford, Fair Lawn, Jersey City, Manville, Newark, Plainfield, Pompton Lakes, Rahway, Ridgefield Park, Ringwood, Roseland, West Orange and Westwood, as well as Bergen, Passaic, Somerset and Union counties.

The film commission noted that West Orange is home to the Thomas Edison National Historical Park, where the world's first film studio, The Black Maria, once stood.

“Some of the earliest silent films were shot in this studio,” the commission said. “It's also here that Thomas Edison invited the motion picture camera.”

“Being chosen for the Film Ready New Jersey program is not only an honor, but it's an appropriate testament to the history that is deeply interwoven into our own community,” West Orange Mayor Susan McCartney said.

“The birth of the film industry in West Orange occurred through the genius of Thomas Edison and others,” McCartney said. “His legacy has now manifested in shaping the narrative of the future as West Orange will continue to be the canvas upon which cinematic dreams unfold.”

West Orange’s town council recently voted to approve a redevelopment agreement that could bring a new movie studio to the township.

• See Related: West Orange Council Takes Crucial Vote On Movie Studio Proposal
• See Related: West Orange Seeks To Bolster Film Studio Plans With More Development

Recent filming in West Orange has included “Walking Dead” spinoff show, “The Walking Dead: Dead City,” and “Exhibiting Forgiveness,” which was selected to screen at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

• See Related: New 'Walking Dead' Spinoff Filmed In West Orange
• See Related: Movies Filmed In The Oranges Will Appear At 2024 Sundance Fest

The town has also dabbled in its own moviemaking efforts, recently releasing a promotional video that aims to attract more businesses – and homeowners – to the township.

• See Related: Watch West Orange’s New Promotional Video

FILMING IN NEW JERSEY

Two years ago, New Jersey expanded its Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program. Since then, the state has attracted 166 feature films, television shows and digital media projects. This activity has generated $2.3 billion in spending, state officials say.

• See Related: NJ Tax Incentive For Film, TV Production Expanded
• See Related: Tax Breaks From NJ Helped Bring 'Joker' Movie To Essex County

Two major film studio projects have been announced in New Jersey in the recent past.

A partnership with Lionsgate will bring a gargantuan TV and movie studio to Newark in “late 2024,” officials previously said. The 12-acre, $125 million facility is expected to create 600 jobs and more than $800 million of “annual economic impact.”

• See Related: Lionsgate Will Get Extra Tax Breaks To Make Movies, Shows In Newark

Meanwhile, Netflix has announced they will pay $55 million to buy 292 acres at Fort Monmouth. Netflix plans to construct one of their biggest film studios in the world there, including 12 soundstages, rivaling their current 300-acre production facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

• See Related: Netflix's Massive NJ Studio Takes Big Step Forward, Report Says

Production companies like these will be among the moviemakers who can benefit from the new cohort of “Film Ready Communities,” state officials say.

“As more productions choose New Jersey as their backdrop, the training provided by the Film Ready Program will generate an economic boost for communities across the state by creating jobs, supporting small businesses and attracting tourism,” said Tim Sullivan, CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

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