By Diane Raver 

Long before Hollywood became synonymous with American cinema, New Jersey was the epicenter of the film industry. Thomas Edison pioneered motion pictures in Menlo Park, and Fort Lee boasted 49 film studios where groundbreaking director Alice Guy-Blaché, first woman director and studio owner, invented the narrative film format.

Now, through the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative, the Garden State is reclaiming its cinematic legacy by building a robust pipeline of skilled film and television workers through its community college system.

A statewide training network 

The New Jersey Film Academy has established an impressive network of 13 community colleges, with Brookdale Community College serving as the lead institution. This partnership model includes Atlantic Cape, Bergen County Community College, Camden County College, Essex County College, Hudson County Community College, Mercer County Community College, Middlesex Community College, County College of Morris, Raritan Valley Community College, Rowan College of South Jersey, Sussex County Community College and Union College of Union County.

The academy has also forged partnerships with four-year institutions including Rutgers and Fairleigh Dickinson University, plus Red Bank Regional High School.

Joan Scocco, dean of the School of Business, Humanities and Social Sciences at Brookdale Community College, has been an excellent partner working to create workforce development opportunities across diverse regions of the state.

Real results, real careers 

The numbers tell a compelling story. Since January 2025, the academy has served 216 students across multiple institutions, with Brookdale awarding 67 certificates in specialized areas including Production Office Coordination & Management, Production Accounting, Location Management, and Hair & Makeup. Hudson County Community College has successfully launched three cohorts of the prerequisite “Script to Screen“ course, establishing a proven model for other partner colleges to follow.

Perhaps most impressive is the academy’s work-based learning program, which has placed students in real-world production environments on active film and television sets throughout New Jersey. These placements provide invaluable hands-on experience in roles ranging from production assistants to accounting department support, location management and hair and makeup departments. Several students have already secured paid positions on subsequent productions after completing their placements—a direct pathway from classroom to career.

Industry-standard training 

The academy leverages curriculum developed by the same team behind the highly successful Georgia Film Academy, ensuring students receive training that meets industry standards. Emmy Award-winning line producer Joe Colicelli serves as program manager, bringing over 15 years of experience from major productions including “The Talk,“ “American Idol,“ and Dave Chappelle’s stand-up specials.

All instructors undergo thorough vetting to ensure they possess both relevant industry experience and demonstrated teaching ability. The Academy also offers a “Breaking In“ lecture series featuring industry professionals like producer Michael Uslan, Cheryl Quareentello Schnitzler and Armand Assante, providing students with networking opportunities and insider perspectives.

Building for the future 

Thanks to a generous grant from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) and ongoing support from the New Jersey Council of Community Colleges, we are able to provide scholarship programs. The academy is removing barriers to entry for aspiring film professionals. The initiative’s sustainable revenue model aims to reduce reliance on external funding over time while continuing to expand course offerings, including upcoming programs in Costuming for Film & Television and Editing.

As New Jersey’s film industry experiences rapid growth, the film academy isn’t just training workers, it’s reclaiming the state’s rightful place in cinema history, one graduate at a time.

Diane Raver is director of the New Jersey Film Academy at Brookdale Community College. She can be reached at draver@brookdalecc.edu.