MANCHESTER – Move over Hollywood, township officials are looking at the township becoming a production site for future big screen films, television series and streaming service productions.
Council Vice President James Vaccaro brought up the idea. Normally, Vaccaro who coined the phrase that was repeated during the meeting of Manchester Township being “the gemstone of the Jersey Shore” (upgraded from its original Ocean County slogan) has a few standard points he likes to emphasize to the residents, fellow council members and mayor of the township.
They include the need to draw new commercial ratables to the community in the form of businesses, a healthcare campus for seniors that would also bring jobs to the township, a senior citizen/youth recreation center to the municipality and a restart of the township’s shop local program.
This evening, he added a new idea which drew some excitement from those on the dais. “We have great pride in Manchester Township. It is our home and residence and is also known as the gateway to the Jersey shore. I would like Manchester Township to prepare to become a film ready for the potential of being chosen for on location shots by motion picture and TV companies.”
The Film Ready New Jersey program is a five-step certification initiative by the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission that prepares municipalities to host film and TV productions. It ensures consistent, streamlined permitting and training to attract industry projects and drive economic growth in local communities.
The 5 Step Certification Includes:
- Attend Workshop: Municipal leaders attend a “How to Become a Film Ready Locality” session to learn about production basics, ordinances, and economic impact.
- Designate Liaison: The town or county designates a knowledgeable staff member as the official point of contact for production companies.
- Adopt Permitting Process: Localities establish formal, consistent film permit processes or ordinances.
- Upload Location Photos: Municipalities submit at least 15 photos of local filming spots for inclusion in the location database.
- Submit Local Resources: Compile a list of local businesses (lodging, caterers, suppliers) for production crews to use.
“This helps communities to effectively market themselves as a desirable film destination for a location. There is an abundance of revenue that we can earn if we become certified. In state, productions from films made $833 million last year,” Vaccaro said.
He named some of the sites that could be used for filming locations such as “the abandonment of railroad lines in Whiting, pine barrens and the Pinelands – areas where the Jersey Devil still resides.”
“We have the Heritage Minerals site and numerous other sites that I’m sure exist,” Vaccaro added.
Council President Roxy Conniff said she was onboard with the idea. “I’ve already asked our attorney (Lauren Staiger) to prepare a draft ordinance to become a film ready township. It essentially makes it easier for the town to work with the film industry, especially since we have Netflix right in our back yard.”
Conniff was referencing the streaming service company’s developing a massive over $900 million, 292-acre production studio at the former Fort Monmouth army base in Eatontown and Oceanport in Monmouth County.
“There is already filming going on in Ocean County,” the council president said. “This helps to navigate this better and helps assure the production company is following our ordinances and staying within the guidelines so we hope to become a film ready township.”
On a smaller scale yet related subject, toward the close of the meeting a resident asked the governing body if there were any plans to have municipal meetings such as the council, planning board and zoning board sessions, live streamed and accessible online for later use for those who might miss a meeting.
Conniff said that such an idea has been kicked around and is being studied for equipment costs and feasibility and noted that it was something residents have requested in the past.
