Filming in Hoboken: Safe Shoots with a Small Town Vibe
Aaron Sorkin Filming in Hoboken
Chill Out in "The Mile Square City"
Just fifteen minutes from Midtown, Hoboken's college town vibe feels a world away from big city traffic and crowds. We love coming to work in this laid-back village atmosphere, but our Hoboken home base is also prime real estate for productivity! Getting here is easy. Our Turnkey equipment inventory is second to none for convenience. And NJ's spacious and well-stocked prop shops, grip houses, and suppliers have big old American parking lots for easy drive-up access.
Shoot, Stay and Work at The Hoboken House
The Hoboken House is our sun-drenched 2000 square foot Carriage House, three blocks from our soundstage. This ultra-flexible furnished space has three bedrooms, three full baths, and a modern, Euro-style chef's kitchen. Hobo House's off-the-street private location is protected from the sights and sounds of street traffic by its insulated courtyard, and its secure breezeway enables worry-free shipping and receiving. Clients often set up the private patio as a food tent or talent holding space, too.
The Cobalt Experience
Repeat clients like HBO and Netflix have shared that their VIP’s ask for Cobalt because of our exclusive, social-distance-friendly VIP suite. Throughout our facilities, you'll find flexible, wired workspaces to enhance your team's efficiency, safety, and yes—happiness. And in addition to Video Village, World-Class Livestreaming, Motion Control Robotics, and the East Coast's first Virtual Backlot, you'll find extras like our Spa Trolley, Meditation Room, and cozy furnishings to help you feel good and stay focused.
New Jersey leads the nation in safe shoots
and Hoboken is closer to midtown than Brooklyn.
If you haven't shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.
What is a Turnkey Soundstage?
Turkey means that all the tools and amenities you need are already here—sanitized and ready to roll.
As a “by-producers, for-producers” soundstage, we understand your need for streamlined processes, practical solutions, and uncompromising value. We believe that the most meaningful way to do that is by being Turnkey. Cobalt’s Turnkey status means that all the most sought after tools and amenities you need are already here—sanitized and ready to roll.
Basic Turnkey
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Awesome Additions
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New Jersey leads the nation in safe shoots
and Hoboken is closer to midtown than Brooklyn.
If you haven't shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.
Look Who's Shooting in New Jersey.
Seinfeld, Sopranos,
an Oscar-contender, and More.
Aaron Sorkin's "The Trial of the Chicago 7"
One of many major productions shot in New Jersey, and serious Oscar contender, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” was written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. Sorkin, who won Best Adapted Screenplay for "The Social Network", is perhaps best known for the hit TV series “The West Wing.”
HBO's Long-awaited Sopranos Prequel.
Sopranos prequel "The Many Saints of Newark" is back in New Jersey shooting! To create this historical drama, Branford Place (a street in Newark) was transported back to the 1960s. This included, detailing storefronts, the old Adams Theatre marquee, and the retro neon sign for Hobby's Delicatessen.
Fun fact: A retired Newark police officer served as a technical adviser for the film :)
Annnnd Who's Shooting at Cobalt.
In the past year, we've hosted numerous Netflix and HBO comedy productions! Jerry Seinfeld's "23 Hours to Kill" and John Mulaney's "Sack Lunch Bunch" comedy specials both took advantage of our next-level VIP suite and amenities. "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" is a repeat client who chooses Cobalt for the convenience and confidence that only our Safe Shoots can deliver. In addition to these comedy shows, our pandemic-smart breakout spaces and vast "space to spread out" has attracted the NFL, the Metropolitan Opera, and a steady stream of commercial productions since we safely re-opened.
New Jersey leads the nation in safe shoots
and Hoboken is closer to midtown than Brooklyn.
If you haven't shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.
Netflix Back at Cobalt with Jerry Seinfeld
Challenge
For a recent promo shoot with Jerry Seinfeld, Netflix needed a location convenient to NYC, combined with an extraordinary level of comfort, convenience, and privacy. As a repeat Cobalt client, they knew just where to park their production! What they didn’t know yet, was that impromptu creative ideas would come up in the course of the shoot that only Cobalt’s “Swiss Army Knife of Studios” could make happen.
Solution
Cobalt’s VIP rooms and spacious, well-appointed workspaces add a layer of hospitality you won’t find at a bare-bones soundstage. Celebrity talent like Jerry love shooting at Cobalt, where they can take over our separate second-floor production suite—complete with stage views, networked Video Village monitors, and a private bathroom with shower, washer, and dryer. When the production wanted to try out an ambitious last-minute scene (involving Jerry strapped to a table and threatened with a James Bond-style laser beam), Team Cobalt pulled out all the stops to MacGyver a solution on the spot.
Impact
We did more than host a VIP in complete comfort and privacy. With our Turnkey solution, Team Cobalt was able to quickly set up a custom Motion Control rig to move the “laser beam” smoothly and precisely in three directions to show Seinfeld’s character in mortal peril at the hands of a madman. Not only did Cobalt have the mechanical parts and expertise on hand to do the job, but we also had the emergency expendables to make the prop visually convincing. The concept was successfully executed without creative compromises. And nobody was stressed out or sent out shopping in a pandemic — so the vibe onset was fun and productive from start to finish.
New Jersey leads the nation in safe shoots
and Hoboken is closer to midtown than Brooklyn.
If you haven't shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.
Shooting in New Jersey is Trending
Jerry Seinfeld, Netflix, and the NFL at Cobalt
Cobalt and our New Jersey home base provide a safe and flexible place for productions where VIP talent feels secure and comfortable lol. We're incredibly grateful for the recent opportunities to host repeat client Netflix, their star Jerry Seinfeld, and the NFL here at “Hollywood on the Hudson.”
Hosting VIP Talent at Cobalt
Needing to shoot a promo for Jerry Seinfeld's "23 Hours to Kill" comedy special, repeat client Netflix knew precisely where to find world-class convenience, comfort, security, and privacy. And VIPs like Jerry love taking over our separate 2nd Floor Production Suite—complete with upstairs stage views, hair and makeup areas, networked Video Village monitors, and private bathroom with shower, washer, and dryer. VIPs can also use our private drive-in garage for next-level privacy and security. You can literally roll up, and the gates roll down.
Pretty smooth, huh?
New Jersey is Trending
While hosting Safe Shoots, The Garden State has thankfully avoided imposing a maximum crew size. Cobalt's in-house Livestreaming, Virtual Set, and Remote Camerawork offerings add another layer of convenience and value by making it easy to social distance on set without compromising creativity. NJ's Film and Digital Media Jobs Act also saves productions up to 35% on ABOVE AND BELOW THE LINE expenses, while NY's tax credit is limited to below the line expenses.
We're All in This Together
We're so grateful to the Tri-State production community for adopting NJ’s Safe Shoot guidelines encompassing distancing, sanitizing, mask and glove use, as well as limiting cast and crew on set to only those required. We’re working with a bit more complexity than we're all used to, but we're making it a very functional, great experience and we couldn't do it without you. If you haven't shot in New Jersey lately, there's a lot to catch up on ;)
New Jersey leads the nation in safe shoots
and Hoboken is closer to midtown than Brooklyn.
If you haven't shot in NJ lately, there’s a lot to catch up on.
No Max Crew Size in New Jersey!
Our success hosting larger crews is thanks to You!
Ever-responsive to the Tri-State production community’s needs, New Jersey provides a safe and flexible home for larger productions. Part of NJ’s success in hosting larger crews is thanks to you. Strict adherence to the state’s protocols is a team effort, and we’re not just meeting state requirements—we’re exceeding them! Here's a big thanks to everyone who’s been working within our Safe Shoot guidelines to encompass distancing, sanitizing, mask and glove use, as well as limiting cast and crew on set to only those required. That means anyone who can work remotely should, and our world-class Livestreaming setup is here to help you make that a great experience. However, if you need to be on set, we welcome you (and your social distance smile that radiates whether we can see it through your mask or not :)
How NJ is leading the nation:
New Jersey is responsive to the unique needs of productions.
New Jersey's guidelines are that we adhere to the state’s Safe Shoot protocols, but they kindly don’t specify a maximum crew size.
The Garden State's Film and Digital Media Jobs Act saves productions up to 35% on ABOVE AND BELOW THE LINE expenses. (New York’s tax credit is limited to below the line expenses.)
If you haven't shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.
New Jersey is leading the nation in safe shoots
and Hoboken is closer to Midtown than Brooklyn.
We want to recognize The New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission for their extraordinary leadership. We always celebrate our Hoboken location for its small-town vibe and for being closer, safer, and more convenient to Midtown than Brooklyn. Now, we want to give a shout out to The Garden State for being the Safe Shoot leader.
How NJ is leading the nation:
New Jersey is responsive to the unique needs of productions.
New Jersey's guidelines are that we adhere to the state’s Safe Shoot protocols, but they kindly don’t specify a maximum crew size.
The Garden State's Film and Digital Media Jobs Act saves productions up to 35% on ABOVE AND BELOW THE LINE expenses. (New York’s tax credit is limited to below the line expenses.)
If you haven't shot in NJ lately,
there’s a lot to catch up on.
Livestreaming at Cobalt
For today’s remote production needs,
Wi-Fi just won’t cut it.
WE OFFER
Reliable hardwired internet
850mb per second bandwidth
Isolated Livestream SSID for stability
Excellent audio quality
Group and private sidebar chat
All-in-one encoder, switcher, and recorder to minimize crew size
Video format conversion to accept footage in any HD format
Call us and let’s work together!
Case Study: Solving Livestreaming Complexity for a Commercial Production
Challenge
A producer and longtime Cobalt client came to us with this Safe Shoot challenge. The producer’s client, a well-known health & beauty brand, needed to connect about twenty-five collaborators via Livestream. Team members were spread out across many different U.S. cities, and the project required high-res images, shared in real-time, from multiple sources. Our producer-client wanted to know, could we make it bulletproof?
Solution
Thankfully, Team Cobalt has the technical expertise and tools in place to solve Livestreaming challenges just like this one. We provided the production team—a hybrid of in-person and remote collaborators—with HD footage straight from the camera, but that’s not all! We also set up a camera in the wardrobe department, so decision-makers could make real-time wardrobe approvals from anywhere. To manage a high number of collaborators, we handpicked our video conference platform for its robust group chat and private sidebar chat features. Our facility is equipped with reliable hardwired internet with 850mb per second bandwidth for ultimate speed and stability. To reduce crew size onset, we employed an all-in-one encoder, switcher, and recorder. And to maximize versatility, we’re set up with world-class video format conversion capabilities—that means we can accept footage in any HD format. This alone is a major consideration since there are at least a dozen HD formats in use.
Impact
We were able to meet the project’s complex Livestreaming requirements beautifully, and our client didn’t have to worry about a thing. With our copious private breakout spaces, the Livestream’s chief engineer (Team Cobalt’s Chloe) was able to maintain her distance to reduce the number of people on set. And while we offered some options that this production didn’t use (like recording), we were able to go the extra mile by branding the livestream with our clients logo to the HD teleconference footage for a highly-polished presentation.
The Cobalt Experience and Why it Matters
As a "by producers, for producers" Turnkey Soundstage, we understand the pressure productions feel even during the best of times. We manage teams, budgets, and all sorts of complexity. We also nurture creativity and collaboration— all at the same time. It’s a tall order anytime! But during these times... everything is magnified... So, if your workspace is uncomfortable or inconvenient, you’re really gonna feel it.
Nothing kills good energy and creativity more than stress and struggle; therefore, our “Soundstage Reimagined” mindset is all about practicality and thoughtfulness. We care deeply about helping our clients raise the vibration onset, so everyone can feel their best, to focus on the work. With non-traditional soundstage amenities like relaxation areas, aromatherapy, cozy furnishings, and our VIP Spa Trolley, we welcome you to make yourself a home away from home with us.
Clients tell us their days on set are invigorated by access to ‘social-distance-friendly’ breakout spaces with flexible work stations, private conference rooms, and unique accommodations like The Hoboken House. Private spaces are essential to us, as are the areas that also support collaborative work. Throughout our facility you’ll find a balance of both — designed to boost performance, productivity, and yes—Happiness :)
Providing a production environment that’s furnished, with access to an exceptional inventory of tools and technology is our pleasure. We offer advanced Livestreaming and Video Village with networked monitors and stage views strategically positioned throughout our space. This way, teams can spread out, share ideas, keep track of shooting, and collaborate in real-time. And our sweet Hoboken Village offers a chill vibe to help everyone relax just a titch more than they might in good ole, industrial Brooklyn.
If you haven’t already, please come by to check us out—either virtually or in-person. We love turning people on to Hoboken’s unique charm, and sharing all that EXTRA hospitality we put into the Cobalt experience.