{"id":46970,"date":"2023-08-15T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-16T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zombiegaming.org\/?p=46970"},"modified":"2024-02-25T21:18:59","modified_gmt":"2024-02-26T05:18:59","slug":"studio-owned-by-weekly-world-news-is-making-zombie-movies-and-more-in-vineland-njarts-net-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zombiegaming.org\/2023\/08\/15\/studio-owned-by-weekly-world-news-is-making-zombie-movies-and-more-in-vineland-njarts-net-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Studio owned by Weekly World News is making zombie movies and more in Vineland – njarts.net"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n

JEFF HARRIS<\/p>\n

Weekly World News Studios in Vineland.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

When Greg D\u2019Alessandro was searching for a place to establish a film production studio, a fellow producer suggested he take a look at Vineland, an agricultural community in the far southwestern section of the state.<\/p>\n

Vineland may be New Jersey\u2019s most laid-back city. If New York is a town that never sleeps, you could say Vineland is a town that\u2019s apt to take a nap now and then. Known more for annual Dandelion Dinners than Oscar after-parties, this quiet Cumberland County community would not be on anyone\u2019s short list for film locations.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

JEFF HARRIS<\/p>\n

GREG D\u2019ALESSANDRO<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

But after touring the area and a nearly 40,000-square-foot, two-story building in the heart of downtown, D\u2019Alessandro, CEO and editor-in chief-of Weekly World News, decided Vineland would do just fine after all.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t hurt that the city was eager to offer economic incentives for the company to move into the city\u2019s Urban Enterprise Zone as part of the town\u2019s continuing efforts to revitalize the business district along Landis Avenue.<\/p>\n

So last September, Weekly World News, an online and social media site that publishes fictional and satirical news, also officially became New Jersey\u2019s latest film studio, with initial plans to produce three movies in Vineland featuring its established fictional characters.<\/p>\n

Zombies will reign \u2014 at least for now.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s first movie, \u201cZombie Wedding,\u201d just wrapped up and D\u2019Alessandro couldn\u2019t be happier about the marriage, both with the film and the real estate arrangement.<\/p>\n

\u201cVineland is the perfect place for building our business,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are wide-open spaces. And the center of town looks like any Main Street. It could be anywhere USA.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is hard, however, to imagine anywhere else in the USA where a town would be willing to invest in a zombie movie. Yes, Vineland owns a share of \u201cZombie Wedding\u201d as part of the deal, having made a $1 million investment through the Vineland Development Corp.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a partner on just the first movie,\u201d said Sandra Forosisky, the city\u2019s economic development director. \u201cLike other equity investors, once they sell the movie, we get paid back first, and if it\u2019s profitable we will share in the revenue. So we\u2019re excited. The mayor (Anthony Fanucci) is very supportive of having Vineland become a film-shooting destination.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if \u2018Zombie Wedding\u2019 doesn\u2019t succeed, the fact that they have a studio here and are bringing new business into the community \u2026 that\u2019s exactly what economic development is supposed to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

JEFF HARRIS<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cZombie Wedding\u201d actor Lawrence James reads Weekly World News.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

During three weeks of filming \u201cZombie Wedding\u201d last fall, Weekly World News Studio (WWNS) said it already has pumped more than $800,000 into the local economy through employment, accommodations and dining at the city\u2019s many downtown ethnic restaurants.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just want to give back to the community,\u201d said D\u2019Alessandro, 63, who lives in Ho-Ho-Kus and still maintains a home in Culver City, a suburb of Los Angeles. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot cheaper for us to operate here than in L.A. It\u2019s very good for filming.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Weekly World News sounds familiar, it\u2019s because the company was founded as a supermarket tabloid in 1979, printed in black and white and featuring sensational headlines such as \u201cFBI Captures Bat Child\u201d and \u201cI Married Bigfoot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, you can find its oddball content at weeklyworldnews.com<\/a>, where the zombie apocalypse is always just around the corner, and where mutants and biblical prophecies remain top \u201cnews\u201d items. It\u2019s as if the Onion staff was abducted by aliens and forced to work at WWN.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Alessandro said he started pitching stories to WWN while in film school, and the relationship grew from there. He holds two MFAs in screenwriting from USC\u2019s School of Cinematic Arts and UCLA\u2019s School of Film, Television and Digital Media. He has written 5,000 stories for the site and helped create and\/or popularize some of its recurring fictional characters, the most famous of which is Bat Boy.<\/p>\n

Now, with a mandate to take WWN to the next level and establish a full-blown entertainment division, D\u2019Alessandro, who was born in Camden and grew up in Franklin Lakes, sees New Jersey as the place to plant the company flag. The state has been expanding its film and digital media tax credit program since 2018 and has established itself as more user-friendly than not only California, but even more affordable areas of the South, such as Georgia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been telling everybody in L.A. that they need to take a look at New Jersey,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

JEFF HARRIS<\/p>\n

The undead but happy bride and groom in \u201cZombie Wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

WWNS, which has a 15-year lease\/purchase agreement with Vineland, will operate under the direction of D\u2019Allesandro and partners Grace Lovret, Krysanne Katsoolis and Joseph Clark. It also will house a nearly million-dollar state-of-the art Volumetric technology system they hope will entice other film companies to use the facility. D\u2019Alessandro describes Volumetrics as the most sophisticated virtual filmmaking environment available.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an LED screen that you can think of as the intersection of gaming and filmmaking, with a little bit of theater thrown in,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a gigantic leap up from green screens. Actors can now engage in their environment and feel where they are, rather than interacting with a wall of green.\u201d<\/p>\n

This virtual backdrop allows producers to switch locations without the need to travel, lowering production costs. This, D\u2019Allessandro said, will lead to increased profits.<\/p>\n

Forosisky said the city is in the process of making some structural changes in the studio\u2019s building, known as Landis Marketplace, to accommodate the Volumetric system. \u201cThey\u2019re investing in this to bring in outside companies to film here, which will bring more business into town,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s the plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

JEFF HARRIS<\/p>\n

\u201cZombie Wedding\u201d actors Deepti Menon and Jay DeYonker.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The WWNS arrangement aligns with the town\u2019s efforts to diversify its agricultural economy by turning to entertainment and sports projects.<\/p>\n

For example, the Landis Theater, a former Art Deco-era movie house, was renovated in 2010 with Vineland Development Corp. funds and then sold in 2019 to Gaslight Theatrical Productions, which presents live music and theater.<\/p>\n

Also, work will begin next year on Trout National \u2014 The Reverse, a golf course located on a 280-acre site on Vineland\u2019s east side. Owned by Mike Trout, a Millville native and standout Los Angeles Angels centerfielder, and designed by Tiger Woods\u2019 company TGR Design, the course is expected to open in 2025.<\/p>\n

Next up will be a sports complex, now in the early stages of development, said Forosisky.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, D\u2019Alessandro hopes WWNS will become a hub for Jersey filmmakers. In the next five years, the writer\/producer envisions the company as a bustling studio, making movies, TV programs, music videos and podcasts, along with continuing to train locals to work as crew members behind the scenes.<\/p>\n

But whatever the future holds, there will always be zombies.<\/p>\n

A film trilogy of undead domestic life is part of the long-term plan. \u201cZombie Wedding\u201d will be followed by \u201cZombie Family Values\u201d and \u201cZombie Divorce.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all in good fun,\u201d D\u2019Alessandro said.<\/p>\n

Anyone interested in producing film projects at the Weekly World News Studio can contact Greg D\u2019Alessandro at greg@weeklyworldnews.com<\/a> or (310) 403-3742.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

We need your help!<\/h2>\n
\n
\n

CONTRIBUTE TO NJARTS.NET<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since launching in September 2014, NJArts.net, a 501(c)(3) organization, has become one of the most important media outlets for the Garden State arts scene. And it has always offered its content without a subscription fee, or a paywall. Its continued existence depends on support from members of that scene, and the state\u2019s arts lovers. Please consider making a contribution of any amount <\/strong>to NJArts.net via PayPal, or by sending a check made out to NJArts.net to 11 Skytop Terrace, Montclair, NJ 07043.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

JEFF HARRIS<\/p>\n

Weekly World News Studios in Vineland.
\nWhen Greg D\u2019Alessandro was searching for a place to establish a film production studio, a fellow producer suggested he take a look at Vineland, an agricultural community in the far southwestern section of the state.<\/p>\n

Vineland may be New Jersey\u2019s most laid-back city. If New York is a town that never sleeps, you could say Vineland is a town that\u2019s apt to take a nap now and then. Known more for annual Dandelion Dinners than Oscar after-parties, this quiet Cumberland County community would not be on anyone\u2019s short list for film locations.<\/p>\n

JEFF HARRIS<\/p>\n

GREG D\u2019ALESSANDRO
\nBut after touring the area and a nearly 40,000-square-foot, two-story building in the heart of downtown, D\u2019Alessandro, CEO and editor-in chief-of Weekly World News, decided Vineland would do just fine after all.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t hurt that the city was eager to offer economic incentives for the company to move into the city\u2019s Urban Enterprise Zone as part of the town\u2019s continuing efforts to revitalize the business district along Landis Avenue.<\/p>\n

So last September, Weekly World News, an online and social media site that publishes fictional and satirical news, also officially became New Jersey\u2019s latest film studio, with initial plans to produce three movies in Vineland featuring its established fictional characters.<\/p>\n

Zombies will reign \u2014 at least for now.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s first movie, \u201cZombie Wedding,\u201d just wrapped up and D\u2019Alessandro couldn\u2019t be happier about the marriage, both with the film and the real estate arrangement.<\/p>\n

\u201cVineland is the perfect place for building our business,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are wide-open spaces. And the center of town looks like any Main Street. It could be anywhere USA.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is hard, however, to imagine anywhere else in the USA where a town would be willing to invest in a zombie movie. Yes, Vineland owns a share of \u201cZombie Wedding\u201d as part of the deal, having made a $1 million investment through the Vineland Development Corp.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a partner on just the first movie,\u201d said Sandra Forosisky, the city\u2019s economic development director. \u201cLike other equity investors, once they sell the movie, we get paid back first, and if it\u2019s profitable we will share in the revenue. So we\u2019re excited. The mayor (Anthony Fanucci) is very supportive of having Vineland become a film-shooting destination.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if \u2018Zombie Wedding\u2019 doesn\u2019t succeed, the fact that they have a studio here and are bringing new business into the community \u2026 that\u2019s exactly what economic development is supposed to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

JEFF HARRIS<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cZombie Wedding\u201d actor Lawrence James reads Weekly World News.
\nDuring three weeks of filming \u201cZombie Wedding\u201d last fall, Weekly World News Studio (WWNS) said it already has pumped more than $800,000 into the local economy through employment, accommodations and dining at the city\u2019s many downtown ethnic restaurants.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just want to give back to the community,\u201d said D\u2019Alessandro, 63, who lives in Ho-Ho-Kus and still maintains a home in Culver City, a suburb of Los Angeles. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot cheaper for us to operate here than in L.A. It\u2019s very good for filming.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Weekly World News sounds familiar, it\u2019s because the company was founded as a supermarket tabloid in 1979, printed in black and white and featuring sensational headlines such as \u201cFBI Captures Bat Child\u201d and \u201cI Married Bigfoot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, you can find its oddball content at weeklyworldnews.com, where the zombie apocalypse is always just around the corner, and where mutants and biblical prophecies remain top \u201cnews\u201d items. It\u2019s as if the Onion staff was abducted by aliens and forced to work at WWN.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Alessandro said he started pitching stories to WWN while in film school, and the relationship grew from there. He holds two MFAs in screenwriting from USC\u2019s School of Cinematic Arts and UCLA\u2019s School of Film, Television and Digital Media. He has written 5,000 stories for the site and helped create and\/or popularize some of its recurring fictional characters, the most famous of which is Bat Boy.<\/p>\n

Now, with a mandate to take WWN to the next level and establish a full-blown entertainment division, D\u2019Alessandro, who was born in Camden and grew up in Franklin Lakes, sees New Jersey as the place to plant the company flag. The state has been expanding its film and digital media tax credit program since 2018 and has established itself as more user-friendly than not only California, but even more affordable areas of the South, such as Georgia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been telling everybody in L.A. that they need to take a look at New Jersey,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

JEFF HARRIS<\/p>\n

The undead but happy bride and groom in \u201cZombie Wedding.\u201d
\nWWNS, which has a 15-year lease\/purchase agreement with Vineland, will operate under the direction of D\u2019Allesandro and partners Grace Lovret, Krysanne Katsoolis and Joseph Clark. It also will house a nearly million-dollar state-of-the art Volumetric technology system they hope will entice other film companies to use the facility. D\u2019Alessandro describes Volumetrics as the most sophisticated virtual filmmaking environment available.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an LED screen that you can think of as the intersection of gaming and filmmaking, with a little bit of theater thrown in,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a gigantic leap up from green screens. Actors can now engage in their environment and feel where they are, rather than interacting with a wall of green.\u201d<\/p>\n

This virtual backdrop allows producers to switch locations without the need to travel, lowering production costs. This, D\u2019Allessandro said, will lead to increased profits.<\/p>\n

Forosisky said the city is in the process of making some structural changes in the studio\u2019s building, known as Landis Marketplace, to accommodate the Volumetric system. \u201cThey\u2019re investing in this to bring in outside companies to film here, which will bring more business into town,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s the plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

JEFF HARRIS<\/p>\n

\u201cZombie Wedding\u201d actors Deepti Menon and Jay DeYonker.
\nThe WWNS arrangement aligns with the town\u2019s efforts to diversify its agricultural economy by turning to entertainment and sports projects.<\/p>\n

For example, the Landis Theater, a former Art Deco-era movie house, was renovated in 2010 with Vineland Development Corp. funds and then sold in 2019 to Gaslight Theatrical Productions, which presents live music and theater.<\/p>\n

Also, work will begin next year on Trout National \u2014 The Reverse, a golf course located on a 280-acre site on Vineland\u2019s east side. Owned by Mike Trout, a Millville native and standout Los Angeles Angels centerfielder, and designed by Tiger Woods\u2019 company TGR Design, the course is expected to open in 2025.<\/p>\n

Next up will be a sports complex, now in the early stages of development, said Forosisky.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, D\u2019Alessandro hopes WWNS will become a hub for Jersey filmmakers. In the next five years, the writer\/producer envisions the company as a bustling studio, making movies, TV programs, music videos and podcasts, along with continuing to train locals to work as crew members behind the scenes.<\/p>\n

But whatever the future holds, there will always be zombies.<\/p>\n

A film trilogy of undead domestic life is part of the long-term plan. \u201cZombie Wedding\u201d will be followed by \u201cZombie Family Values\u201d and \u201cZombie Divorce.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all in good fun,\u201d D\u2019Alessandro said.<\/p>\n

Anyone interested in producing film projects at the Weekly World News Studio can contact Greg D\u2019Alessandro at greg@weeklyworldnews.com or (310) 403-3742.<\/p>\n

\t\tWe need your help!CONTRIBUTE TO NJARTS.NET<\/p>\n

Since launching in September 2014, NJArts.net, a 501(c)(3) organization, has become one of the most important media outlets for the Garden State arts scene. And it has always offered its content without a subscription fee, or a paywall. Its continued existence depends on support from members of that scene, and the state\u2019s arts lovers. Please consider making a contribution of any amount to NJArts.net via PayPal, or by sending a check made out to NJArts.net to 11 Skytop Terrace, Montclair, NJ 07043.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6937,"featured_media":46974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"gp_videos":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-46970","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized"},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t