New Jersey Helps Tell "West Side Story"
Steven Spielberg came to Paterson and Newark, New Jersey, to film significant portions of his vibrant remake of the classic musical West Side Story. Streets in Paterson and Newark were redressed to bring to life late-1950s New York, the territory of the rival Sharks and Jets gangs. Paterson’s Downtown Historic District was used to build sets in the parking lots between Veterans Place and Hamilton Street across from Paterson’s Center City Mall. Businesses on Ellison Street were transformed to recreate Broadway and 68th Street in Manhattan in the movie. Filming also took place in downtown Newark. The interior of the National Newark Building and the exterior of the former Bamberger’s were used to recreate Gimbels Department Store.
“From the moment we conceived of this film, it was clear the story needed to come off the stage and onto the streets of New York in order to evoke the grit and authenticity we were striving for in recreating 1950’s New York,” said Spielberg. “New York itself served us very well as a primary filming location, and New Jersey afforded us another incredible backdrop for much of our story. The communities that welcomed us in both Paterson and Newark were fantastic partners, working closely and collaboratively with our production at every turn.”
Spielberg is no stranger to New Jersey, having briefly lived in Haddon Township as a child. He returned to the state previously to direct two other features including 2002’s Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio–which was partially shot in Orange–and the 2005 film War of the Worlds, starring Tom Cruise, which was filmed extensively on location in Newark and Bayonne.
Lensing's Impact On New Mexico
The New Mexico Economic Development Department and the New Mexico Film Office released an economic impact study on New Mexico’s film and TV industry. The independent study, commissioned by the film office, was completed by Olsberg SPI, an international consultant firm specializing in the global screen sector. The study looked at the industry from fiscal year 2020 through 2021. In summary, findings revealed that the New Mexico film tax credit delivers strong economic benefits to the state across all key metrics. Data illustrated that the New Mexico film tax incentive program generated:
- An economic return on investment (ROI) of 8.4, meaning that for every $1 invested through the program, the state’s economy is benefited by $8.40.
- For 92% of productions in New Mexico, the incentive is the most important factor identified by decision-makers when choosing where to produce film and television projects. Only 8% of total production would have existed in New Mexico without the film incentive.
- Significant direct, indirect, and induced economic benefits and impact to New Mexico amounted to an estimated $1.37 billion in economic output in just two years.
New Mexico offers a 25-35% refundable tax credit on eligible spend in the state with an annual budget cap set at $110 million. New Mexico Film Office previously announced in fiscal year 2021, despite the global shutdown of production due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that the state recorded an estimated $623.8 million in direct spend by film and television productions in New Mexico, breaking all previous records for the state.
“The findings of this study prove the success and importance of the film incentive and the immense economic benefit this surging industry has on New Mexico. The film industry injects hundreds of millions of outside dollars into New Mexico’s economy every year, supports thousands of jobs, creates revenue streams for local businesses, and generates opportunity and prosperity, while improving the overall quality of life for New Mexicans,” said Amber Dodson, director of the New Mexico Film Office.
