New Jersey Film Academy

What New Jersey Film Academy does

New Jersey Film Academy (NJFA) is a New Jersey 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded in 2024 that delivers credentialed film and television production training through a network of 11 partner community colleges spanning all major New Jersey counties, with its primary hub at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft. Its core curriculum consists of a mandatory prerequisite course (Script to Screen: Introduction to the Entertainment Industry) plus ten specialized electives covering production accounting, production coordinating, location management, hair and makeup, costuming, assistant editing, editing, set construction and scenic painting, set lighting, and grip and rigging. Training uses industry-standard tools including Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro, and DaVinci Resolve, and the curriculum was developed by industry veterans and educational experts to align with documented workforce needs.

NJFA serves aspiring film and television professionals — ranging from recent high school graduates to career changers — who need an entry-level pathway into production employment. The academy supplements coursework with the Breaking In Lecture Series and An Evening With events featuring Hollywood professionals such as Francis Ford Coppola and Michael Uslan, hosted at venues including Brookdale's Performing Arts Center and the Count Basie Center for the Arts.

The business model is a three-stream nonprofit structure: (1) certification course fees collected via partner community colleges (pricing set per institution), (2) ticketed public event revenue at $25 general admission with free student admission, and (3) tax-deductible donations processed through the Network for Good donation portal. Demand-side alignment is anchored to New Jersey's emerging production economy, including Netflix's $1 billion Fort Monmouth Studio project, Unlimited Studios in Long Branch, and Cinelease Studios in Jersey City. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Brookdale Community College President Dr. David M. Stout and led operationally by Executive Director Diane Raver, who also co-founded the Garden State Film Festival in 2002.

Name

New Jersey Film Academy

Legal name

New Jersey Film Academy, a New Jersey Non-Profit Corporation

Website

https://njfilmacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

New Jersey Film Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing credentialed film and television production training through 11 partner community colleges across New Jersey, serving aspiring production professionals and aligning curriculum with state employer demand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Television Production Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAE)

Keywords

• Film production training
• Television industry education
• Certification courses
• Workforce development
• Community college programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lincroft

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Certification Course Fees: Revenue generated from industry-focused certification courses offered through partner community colleges across New Jersey. Students pay tuition/fees to enroll in credentialed curriculum tracks.
2. Public Event Tickets: Revenue from ticketed public events such as the Breaking In Lecture Series and An Evening With events featuring Hollywood professionals. Tickets priced at $25 for general admission with free admission for students.
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, NJFA accepts tax-deductible donations through Network for Good donation portal to support educational opportunities and workforce development programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

New Jersey Film Academy delivers credentialed, industry-aligned film and television production certification courses through a network of 11 partner community colleges across New Jersey. Its curriculum comprises a mandatory Script to Screen prerequisite plus ten specialized electives covering production accounting, production office management, location management, hair and makeup, costuming, assistant editing, editing, set construction, scenic painting, set lighting, and grip and rigging, with hands-on training on industry-standard software and equipment. The academy supplements classroom training with the Breaking In Lecture Series featuring Hollywood professionals and access to industry pipelines for internships and job placement.

Product overview

New Jersey Film Academy is a nonprofit organization providing credentialed curriculum tracks for film and television training at partner community colleges across New Jersey. The core offering consists of a mandatory prerequisite course (Script to Screen) plus ten specialized elective courses covering production accounting, production management, location management, hair & makeup, costuming, editing (assistant and introduction), set construction, set lighting, and grip & rigging. The academy supplements its courses with the Breaking In Lecture Series featuring Hollywood professionals. All programs are delivered through a network of partner educational institutions including Brookdale Community College (main campus), Atlantic Cape Community College, Camden County College, County College of Morris, Essex County College, Hudson County Community College, Mercer County Community College, Middlesex College, Raritan Valley Community College, Rowan College of South Jersey, and Union College of Union County. The academy also maintains the NJ Production Guide as a resource for the film industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Script to Screen: Introduction to the Entertainment Industry Mandatory prerequisite course providing foundational knowledge about the different stages of production, job opportunities, and professional expectations in film and television, taken before specialization in any NJFA discipline.
• Introduction to Production Accounting for Film and Television Specialized elective covering skills, terminology, and workflow used in production accounting offices across the entertainment industry, including relationships with cast, crew, studios, labor unions, vendors, banks, payroll processors, insurance and incentive personnel.
• Introduction to Production Office: Production Coordinating & Management Specialized elective exploring the essential functions of a production office and the responsibilities of Production Managers and Coordinators in providing logistical support and managing administrative tasks for film and television productions.
• Introduction to Location Management Specialized elective providing in-depth understanding of the locations department role in film and television production, spanning script breakdown, scouting, contracting, logistical planning, and wrap out.
• Introduction to Hair & Makeup for Film Specialized elective providing introduction to working on set as a hair or makeup artist on film or television productions, including presentations, script breakdowns, and instructor-led demonstrations.
• Costuming for Film & Television Specialized elective covering cinematic costume history, iconic industry designers, costume office organizational structure, job roles in the Costume Department, and equipment protocols.
• Introduction to Assistant Editing Specialized elective covering techniques and daily operations of professional assistant editing for film and television using industry-standard software including Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere, and DaVinci Resolve, including media ingest, bin organization, and file preparation for offline and online workflows.
• Introduction to Editing Foundational specialized elective in video editing for film and television using Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere Pro, covering core non-linear editing principles, 3-point editing, trimming, audio fundamentals, and basic transitions.
• Introduction to Set Construction, Scenic Painting and Set Dressing Specialized elective providing an introduction to the fundamental principles and techniques of set construction, scenic painting, and set dressing for film and television, including basic carpentry and standard painting techniques.
• Introduction to Set Lighting & The Electric Department Specialized elective providing an introduction to modern set lighting including history and theory, with hands-on exercises covering industry-specific on-set standards, terminology, and electric department integration.
• Grip & Rigging for Film & Television Specialized elective providing an introduction to the Grip Department and the fundamental rigging skills needed to create camera support and lighting rigs for film sets, covering tools, gear, equipment, and light and exposure techniques.
• Breaking In Lecture Series Ticketed public event series featuring Hollywood industry professionals who share insights and experiences to help aspiring filmmakers enter the entertainment industry; past speakers include Michael Uslan, Francis Ford Coppola, Cheryl Quarantiello Schnitzler, and Armand Assante.

Quantifiable outcome

• Certificate holders placed at major productions including Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve in Times Square
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Brookdale Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 December 2024Primary host institution and lead partner for NJFA programs. Brookdale serves as the main location for the ribbon cutting ceremony and hosts the Breaking In Lecture Series. Brookdale President Dr. David Stout serves as NJFA Board Chair. Located at 765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ.
• Atlantic Cape Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in Atlantic and Cape May counties offering NJFA certification courses.
• Camden County CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in Camden County offering NJFA professional film, television and digital media training programs.
• County College of MorriscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in Morris County offering NJFA certification courses.
• Essex County CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in Essex County offering NJFA certification courses.
• Hudson County Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in Hudson County offering NJFA certification courses. Contact: [email protected] or Karina Arango at 201-360-5463.
• Mercer County Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in Mercer County offering NJFA certification courses.
• Middlesex CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in Middlesex County offering NJFA industry credentials and certification courses.
• Raritan Valley Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution serving Somerset and Hunterdon counties offering Script to Screen certification program.
• Rowan College of South JerseycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution serving Gloucester and Cumberland counties offering NJFA certification courses.
• Union College of Union CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in Union County offering Entertainment Industry Certification Courses launched December 2025.
• NJEDA (New Jersey Economic Development Authority)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustaining partner supporting NJ film and digital media workforce development initiatives through workforce development programs.
• Garden State Film FestivalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustaining partner. Founded by NJFA Executive Director Diane Raver in 2002, the GSFF is an internationally celebrated annual event attracting 20,000+ attendees to Asbury Park.
• NJ PathwayssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustaining partner through NJ Community Colleges focused on workforce and economic development initiatives.
• NetflixsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor production company establishing $1B Fort Monmouth Studio in New Jersey. NJFA trains workforce for Netflix productions. Netflix has begun hiring at Fort Monmouth project.
• Count Basie Center for the ArtssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for An Evening With events including Francis Ford Coppola appearance on July 20, 2025. Located at 99 Monmouth St, Red Bank, NJ.
• Cinelease StudiossupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerJersey City-based film studio where NJFA Trustee Daniel Basso serves as Area Manager. Provides positive client experiences and supports NJ filming growth.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Full Sail University: Full Sail University offers accelerated career-focused degrees in film, computer animation, and entertainment technology. Its emphasis on hands-on production skills and industry-standard software mirrors NJFA's training philosophy.
• New York Film Academy: New York Film Academy offers hands-on film and media training programs with campuses in NYC and Los Angeles, plus online options. It is the closest direct peer to NJFA in providing industry-focused, credential-based film production training rather than traditional academic film studies.
• Los Angeles Film School: The Los Angeles Film School is a for-profit institution offering associate, bachelor's, and certificate programs in film, animation, audio, and entertainment business. Its career-focused, industry-aligned certificate offerings closely parallel NJFA's credentialed curriculum approach.
• Brooklyn College Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema: Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, located in Steiner Studios at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, offers graduate film programs with deep NYC production industry integration. It is comparable as a film school adjacent to a major studio production hub (NJ's Netflix Fort Monmouth).

Emerging players

• Maine Media Workshops + College: Maine Media provides hands-on workshops and certificate programs in filmmaking, photography, and media arts. It is comparable to NJFA as a workshop/certificate-focused film training provider rather than a traditional degree program, though operating in a different geographic market.
• Reel Works Teen Filmmaking: Reel Works provides film production training and mentorship programs primarily for youth and underserved communities in New York City. Comparable to NJFA's community-employability mission and hands-on production training approach, though focused on a younger demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Emerson College: Emerson College offers undergraduate and graduate film programs with strong industry ties in Boston and Los Angeles. It is comparable as an established film-focused institution, though broader than NJFA in offering full degree programs and broader media disciplines.
• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD): SCAD is an established, accredited institution offering comprehensive film and digital media degree programs with strong industry placement. It is broader than NJFA in scope (degree-granting, multi-discipline arts) but competes for the same population of aspiring film professionals.

Regional players

• Miami Dade College School of Entertainment & Design Technology: Miami Dade College's School of Entertainment & Design Technology offers film and digital media programs as part of a large community college system in a region with growing film production activity. Comparable to NJFA as a community-college-anchored film training program serving a state with active production incentives.

Others

• IATSE Entertainment and Exhibition Industries Training Trust Fund: The IATSE Training Trust provides workforce training for unionized film, television, and live entertainment production workers. It is comparable as an industry-aligned production skills training provider, though focused on incumbent union members rather than entry-level workforce entry.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/newjerseyfilmacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/njfilmacademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/njfilmacademy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about New Jersey Film Academy