Given its history as the birthplace of motion pictures, it was only a matter of time until New Jersey reclaimed a starring role in the film industry.
“I am thrilled to report that total production spending has grown significantly in the past two years,” says Gov. Phil Murphy.
Film productions generated $67 million in 2017. In 2023, the annual amount of production spending surged to $592 million. Despite a national downturn in production, as the industry grappled with the effects of the multiple union strikes and work stoppages, spending was poised to hit $600 million in 2024.
“Our top-notch tax incentives make filming here a smart economic choice,” Murphy says. “And because our administration made those incentives a priority, our film industry is rapidly expanding.”
While the final accounting for 2024 won’t be available until early 2025, numbers from 2023 indicate the industry has taken notice: 547 projects were filmed in New Jersey, generating $592 million in total qualified spend.
To put things in cause-and-effect perspective, in 2017 — the last full year before Murphy’s tax program was introduced — projects filmed in New Jersey only generated some $67 million in revenue.
So what’s the secret? Well, it helps that the state’s incentives are generous and apply across a broad spectrum of content creation.
Film-lease production companies and studio partners can qualify for 40-45% and 35-40% in tax credits, respectively, for feature film, television series and digital media productions at targeted facilities.
Aligning business interests with social progress is also key — New Jersey offers an additional 2 or 4% in incentives for productions that meet diversity criteria. Specifically, the program incentivizes productions to include diversity plans for recruiting and hiring marginalized groups across all areas of production, with additional benefits for those that hire union performers who are women and/or minorities and state residents. The results speak for themselves: In 2024, 33 out of 35 projects qualified for the diversity bonus.
“We are laser-focused on creating a stronger and fairer New Jersey for everyone, and that means expanding economic opportunities for communities that have previously been excluded,” says Murphy. “I am very proud that it is utilized by a whopping 92% of all productions that take part in our tax incentive program.”
The extension of the tax credit program has also been a clear signal to studios and networks that New Jersey is the hub for East Coast production and has given them the confidence to commit a larger portion of their production slate as they plan future projects.
“We’ve made the tax credits really long term — our programming is on the books until 2039, which has given the industry a high degree of confidence,” says Tim Sullivan, CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. “If you’re thinking about shooting a TV show — [given] most showrunners are hoping to do three, four, five, if not 15 seasons — you want that predictability.”
BTS – The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC
Gene Page/AMC
Put another way, the incentives are designed to keep productions on the ground longer.
“There are more discussions about bringing series here — which is great because that keeps our crews employed for far longer,” says Jon Crowley, executive director of the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission. “We have talk shows moving into the state, which represents a commitment of 40 to 50 weeks … a definite ‘needle mover’ in terms of jobs and local spend. Our incentives, experienced crews and variety of locations have a lot of projects planting their flags here in the first and second quarters for 2025.”
While the goal of the tax incentive program is to attract production companies to film in New Jersey, the associated economic benefits — from permanent job creation and decent living wages to increased tourism activity and spending, and support for local small businesses and vendors — tell a compelling story of overall economic growth.
In 2022, filming activity supported approximately 8,500 jobs in fields like set design, construction, catering and security, while the film and digital media tax credits helped subsidize more than 14,600 in-state jobs that year. The state’s Film Ready program, launched in April 2023 after a successful pilot, is helping standardize the filming process across New Jersey. To date, 22 municipalities and counties hold the Film Ready designation, with approximately 150 more working toward certification.
“The economic impact of a growing film industry will be felt far beyond the soundstage, and will take the form of permanent jobs in a host of ancillary services,” says Murphy. “These projects are filmed throughout the state, creating a need for lodging, food, fuel, tutors, lumber, cleaners, hardware… the list is endless. The dollars from movies and television series are spread on a local level throughout the state.”
