Chris Vaglio, left, and Mark Serao are the co-founders of Grey Sky Films.-(PHOTO BY AARON HOUSTON)
Roll the credits for the more than 15,000 New Jersey residents that make their living as producers, directors, writers, actors, editors and more. Some of them have even figured out that they don’t need to leave the state to do so.
According to the 2013 New Jersey Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 10 percent of these residents make their wages in-state — a fact the proposed Garden State Film and Digital Media Jobs Act aims to change by increasing film production tax credits.
But as the debate rages on about whether such incentives would actually improve the state’s economy, there are those in the industry that wouldn’t dream of bringing their production companies elsewhere.
And they’ve been helping New Jersey businesses thrive for years.
Having figured out early on that the state’s smaller, less-saturated market would offer better job growth opportunities, these Garden State entrepreneurs put their film and theater degrees to good use by successfully creating New York- and Los Angeles-style production companies right in their own backyards — and using their movie-making skills to build better businesses:
THE NEWBIES: Silver style pictures
While Jon Altino was attending Ramapo College for digital filmmaking, it was his older brother Michael — who graduated from Monmouth University with a business degree — who officially incorporated Silver Style Pictures in 2011.
“The corporate world is looking to compel their viewer to buy products and services,” Michael said.
“And no matter the project, filmmakers just want people to watch their work.”
Silver Style Pictures in Red Bank specializes in commercials and branded media, creating marketing content for local businesses such as Rigoletto Trattoria in Middletown and Shorefire Recording Studio in Long Branch, plus larger corporations such as Macy’s and Fiat.
The Altino brothers even found a reason to travel to the community of Procida in Italy to film an international tourism video. And they were featured in April on ABC Network for their documentary film work with the nonprofit organization The Wave Set, which raises awareness on the importance of organ donation.
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