The introduction of a possible future film studies and production program is underway this semester, as Monmouth University is set to partner with Netflix’s upcoming studio at Fort Monmouth.
David Golland, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of history, said, “In the fall of 2022 when we were first hearing the rumblings about what Netflix was planning to do at Fort Monmouth, the provost at the time, Pamela Scott-Johnson, tasked me with pulling together a group of people on campus to talk about building some sort of an academic program in film so that we could ensure that our students could best take advantage of what Netflix was planning to do.”
Deanna Shoemaker, Chair of the Communications Department and Professor of Communication and Performance Studies, said, “Netflix has been on campus and has spoken with high level administrators… They’re still in the building process but they’ve worked really hard to make sure that they’re going to be a community partner in this region, so we’re absolutely working to build a strong relationship with Netflix.”
Netflix is building a $903 million film and television production campus at Fort Monmouth, a former U.S. Army base, set to open in 2028. It is expected to employ 1,400 people once operational.
Shoemaker said, “We’re starting right now in bringing in classes that students haven’t gotten to take… Video Post-Production is an example for this fall, Making the Short Film and Documentary Film and Video will also be available in the spring.”
“We did not want to create a traditional film program, because if students want to go to film school, they can go to NYU, they can go to Brooklyn College, somewhere else that has a traditional film program,” said Golland. “And because we don’t have, at this point, the resources to do a traditional film program in terms of the human and the technical people and equipment resources, we agreed that the program should be interdisciplinary. Students coming out of this program should have studied across multiple departments and so that’s where the word ‘studies’ comes in.”
“We did a very competitive job search for a film production professor, a tenure track… and Jake Yuzna has been hired to help us build out a film program,” explained Shoemaker.
Golland added, “We were hoping that the program would be finalized this year so that we could admit freshmen in the program next fall. That is still technically possible so we’re still hoping for that but it is more and more likely that it will be for the fall of 2027.”
“The Communication Department has actually wanted to build more film elements into our major for quite a while and there have been roadblocks. Film programs are expensive and so they need to be supported financially,” said Shoemaker.
A screen studies minor within the Communication Department has been available to students for a number of years offering classes; History of the Motion Picture and Introduction to Screen Studies.
“Our operating budget is based largely on how many freshmen we admit and because we are a private institution…the name of the game for long term survival for institutions like ours is to do things that attract students. Given that Netflix is dropping down into our neighborhood it seems like a really good opportunity to create something that I think will be very attractive to your next generation of graduating high school students,” said Golland.
Erin Fleming, Director of Production Services said, “For the past couple years all you’ve been hearing is Netflix. I believe in spring of next year they’re going to be opening up a Lionsgate studio in Newark that’s going to be as big and as important as the Netflix studio and I don’t hear anyone mention it. Netflix and Lionsgate are just two of the monster studios but there are a slew of small mom-and-pop shops opening up everywhere. I think it’s a little short-sighted for us to keep saying ‘but Netflix is coming,’ when film is already here.”
In 2022, New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy announced Lionsgate’s $125 million Newark studio that will be opening in 2026. The studio is located at the former Seth Boyden housing projects and is anticipated to generate more than 600 jobs.
As for what students might get out of this program, Jake Yuzna, Assistant Professor in the Communication Department, said, “My hope is number one, they’re enjoying themselves and having fun… I also really support each of their individual voices; I think it’s really important for students to trust their creative instincts and what gets them excited, and then teaching them the history so they understand why it is the way it is.”
Cynthia Weaver, a junior communication major said, “I think adding a film program is really awesome and to be able to partner with Netflix will be really important for those students interested in film. I also think that it could help communication majors and those interested in media, production, and public relations.”
