Hollywood East Is Coming
What New Jersey's Growing Film Industry Means for Parents of Young Performers
For decades, aspiring actors, performers, and content creators often looked to California, New York, or Atlanta when pursuing opportunities in the entertainment industry. Today, New Jersey is positioning itself to become a major player in film, television, and media production.
With major studios such as Netflix, Paramount, Lionsgate, and others building studio facilities throughout the state, New Jersey's entertainment industry is entering an exciting new chapter. While much of the public conversation has focused on jobs and economic development, there is another opportunity worth paying attention to: what this growth could mean for talented children and young performers.
For parents of aspiring actors, models, musicians, dancers, content creators, and performers, more productions in New Jersey could mean more opportunities closer to home.
That is exciting news. However, many parents are familiar with auditions and opportunities but far less familiar with the legal and business side of the entertainment industry.
As an entertainment attorney, I've seen how quickly a promising opportunity can come with contracts, talent agreements, releases, intellectual property issues, compensation questions, and other legal considerations that parents may not have anticipated.
The opportunity itself is often the easy part.
Understanding what is being signed—and how those decisions may affect a child in the future—is where parents need to slow down and ask questions.
That doesn't mean parents should be fearful of opportunities in the entertainment industry. It simply means they should be informed.
As New Jersey's film and television industry continues to expand, parents of talented children may find themselves navigating opportunities that previous generations rarely encountered. The families who are best positioned to take advantage of those opportunities will be the ones who understand both the creative and business sides of the industry.
Hollywood East is arriving in New Jersey.
For parents of young performers, now is a good time to start paying attention.