The Cobalt Insider.

Almost every producer has gotten feedback like, “We built this beautiful set, but I don’t see any of it!” It happens, and it’s usually because of unclear communication in the planning stages :/
Prioritizing Previz PAYS, and it can even be painless! Here’s why we advise spending lavish attention on the previsualization process—photography, storyboards, animatics, and the like:

You cultivate relationships with talented, reliable people who add value to your team—but have you thought about the role that venues and vendors play? Relationships that are peripheral to your production also influence productivity, creativity and the overall culture onset.
Ask yourself 3 Quick Questions to see if a potential venue or vendor is worth working with.

If you’re a producer, then you know how challenging it is to create excellent work without going over budget. Before you compromise on a creative concept in order to control costs, it pays to investigate some out-of-the-box strategies for elevating your project without breaking the bank.

Read on to learn our Top 7 Cost-Containment Strategies for bringing your production project in under budget.

We’ve expanded to serve you better.
You asked, we delivered! We’re pleased to announce the launch of “THE HOBOKEN HOUSE”, our new annex at “Hollywood on the Hudson!” Cobalt’s newest property is a mere three blocks from our soundstage, making it the perfect place to park your productions! Set up shop (or shoot if you wish) in this private oasis while leveraging our nearby soundstage—a controlled environment for using our Virtual Set, Motion Control, and other onsite production tools—the absolute best of both worlds!

Virtual Set is trending and it’s no surprise.
Virtual Set is an invaluable production tool offering camera tracking, keying and live compositing of computer-generated environments with live action green screen contents for a fraction of the time, cost, and environmental impact of “practical” sets. We put together this quick guide to help inspire and educate everyone who might be interested in exploring this useful and simple-to-use technology. So without further ado...

Your Plug & Play Production Solution
Since 1995, we’ve been perfecting Cobalt Stages. This is how we've become greater NYC’s all-inclusive production paradise. It doesn't happen overnight! With 23 years to work out all the kinks, we’re extremely well-equipped to serve the diverse needs of the production community. Because a key part of our mission is to save you money, our comprehensive package comes with a generous inventory of extras—just take a look at our 8 page list.

We power diverse productions.

Our turnkey facilities are the right size to host TV, film, and advertising productions. We welcome smaller projects, too! A studio’s versatility comes down to one simple thing: the ability to deliver POWER. While smaller studios that cater to web, stills, and social media may literally offer a mere HANDFUL of 20 amp OUTLETS, we offer 1500 amps of dedicated power on our main stage. We’re uniquely-equipped to host episodics and feature films, as evidenced by our recent clients.

With our vast equipment inventory and comprehensive capabilities, we’ve been compared to a Swiss Army Knife—and yes, we do have a corkscrew. From our onsite scissor lift to our well-stocked woodshop, our space is equipped with thoughtful amenities that we offer our clients, gratis, for productivity and convenience.

NJ’s Film and TV Tax Credit is back!
After a three year hiatus, New Jersey’s film and television production tax credit is now in effect for the fiscal year of 2019. According to New Jersey’s Motion Picture and Television Commission Associate Director, David W. Schoner, the program includes credits of $75 million per fiscal year for film and television projects. Get a load of that, NY ;-)

For the better part of a decade, Hollywood filmmakers have used Virtual Sets to place stories in any setting they can imagine, for a fraction of the cost, time and ecological impact of shooting on location or set-building.