Tax credit means more movies could come film in NJ

Television and movie producers say that filming their projects in New Jersey is a viable option once again thanks to new tax credits.
Producer Gretchen McGowan says that her upcoming feature film is set in the Pacific Northwest. But she says that she is looking to shoot parts of it in the Garden State.
“I’ve been waiting for this tax credit to be initiated,” she says. “I’m thrilled.”
McGowan visited the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission in Newark. The commission helps productions find shooting locations in New Jersey. The office’s walls are lined with posters of movies shot in the state, such as “The Dark Knight” series and “The Hunger Games.”
But the commission’s director says that major production had all but dried up when the tax credits were discontinued several years ago.
“The industry is just thrilled to death,” says director Steven Gorelick. “They’re just coming screaming into the state.”
The movie “Joker,” based on the Batman villain of the same name, is set to begin filming this weekend in Jersey City. It will be one of the first major films to start shooting in the state since the 35 percent tax credit resumed this July. 
“It’s a definite savings for film companies and enables their production dollar to go further,” Gorelick says.
Productions must agree to spend either $1 million or 60 percent of their production budget in New Jersey to qualify for the tax credit.