in New Jersey's quest to become the Hollywood of the East the Economic Development Authority held its inaugural NJ film expo a sort of showand tell for all the production capabilities that are now possible in the state industry leaders joined with creative developers and more than 60 exhibitors at the Meadowlands yesterday where they met up with Ted Goldberg to explain why the state is so perfectly suited to expand the film and TV industry seeing is believing Ted seeing is believing when you walk in here and you see this you say to yourself "They've got everything we need right here in New Jersey."

The inaugural New Jersey Film Expo was equal parts celebration and networking event for people in film and TV we're taking this advantage here at the NJ Film Expo to showcase to show what we're about and as a director to also inspire others i am definitely somebody who is here to network i'm here to meet new faces there were plenty of faces at Meadowlands Arena and around 70 exhibitors including purveyors of lights cameras even prop rats as New Jersey hosts more productions statewide more companies are starting or expanding to New Jersey to serve them we moved to New Jersey specifically to follow all of our customers that were coming here to start their productions the stars need a luxury SUV the crew and cast may need transit vans to get to the location maybe a bus and then you need trucks for the lights and the props and the catering tables that's where companies like Edge Auto Rental step in as of March the state says 42 film and TV projects are committed to shoot in New Jersey during the first and second quarter putting the state on track to beat its total production of the last two years combined john Crowley leader of the state's motion picture and television commission says there are a few reasons why you can go from a mountain with snow to the ocean in 90 minutes it's a geographically compact state with a lot a wide variety of looks you can have a Queen Anne or a Victorian right next to a mid-century ranch you have a little town like Mayberry RFD or a big city lookalike for Washington DC or even Time Square new Jersey has always had diverse housing and geography the recent catalyst some say is tax credits for production companies what shifted is in 2018 Governor Murphy reopened the film incentive reopened a tax credit that allowed for our clients uh based all over the world to sort of understand the economics of how to do business in the state of New Jersey within really two years you saw a flood of businesses our competitive tax credits make it rewarding to film your next project here lieutenant Governor Tahesa Wei says the state has brought in more than a billion dollars in revenue since 30 to 35% tax incentives were given to productions including the recent Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown which was filmed in several places in the Garden State productions are saving money while hiring New Jerseyy's talent and spending their dollars here not everywhere has this the special close relationship that I see you guys developing and that's critical because it means you can move quickly we make the assumption that it's the studio and the studio only but you have craft services you have cameras you have pre and postp production you have makeup artists all of these services are part of the productions that take place clinton Mayor Janice Kovatch sits on the motion picture and television commission and hopes to bring more productions to her town i'm always a bridesmaid never a bride the last film that was done was Raode's Turbulence in back in the 80s leaders say tax incentives are just part of the equation there are also more places to shoot like the Sinny Studios in Jersey City or the upcoming Netflix studio at Fort Monmouth productions initially didn't realize how good New Jersey is as a a shooting uh uh destination and now that there are uh sound stages here in Jersey it's an option for them the Screen Alliance of New Jersey hosted this expo and hopes it helps New Jersey become Hollywood East something that might have sounded silly a few years ago but is now becoming closer to reality at the Meadowlands i'm Ted Goldberg NJ Spotlight News