Unlimited Studios opens horror script call for New Jersey writers

Long Branch’s first major film and television production studio is accepting horror and psychological thriller feature scripts from New Jersey writers, with submissions opening July 27 and the first round closing August 24. The move gives local filmmakers a rare on-ramp to a permanent production facility as New Jersey’s studio buildout accelerates.

Why it matters: - Unlimited Studios is using its first development call to connect New Jersey writers with a working production facility in Long Branch. - The script search is limited to projects that can be shot in New Jersey, tying development directly to in-state production. - Horror and psychological thriller are the focus, which gives emerging filmmakers a lower-budget path to getting made. - The studio opens a new local option for writers who might otherwise have to leave the state to get a project read.

What happened: - Unlimited Studios opened submissions on July 27 for horror and psychological thriller feature scripts from New Jersey writers. - Round One closes August 24. - The studio is at 122 Myrtle Avenue in Long Branch, where it opened June 20 after a ribbon cutting that drew hundreds. - The opening brought filmmakers, students and residents to the Jersey Shore site. - The event was presented with the Garden State Film Festival, the New Jersey Film Academy and SOCKO! Magazine.

The details: - Round One asks writers to submit a one-page treatment through a Google Form on the Unlimited Studios website and social channels. - Scripts must be feature-length, 70 to 110 pages, and shootable in New Jersey. - No agent or referral is required. - There is no submission fee. - Writers whose one-pagers are selected move to Round Two, from August 24 to September 7, and submit the full script through a second form. - Round Three runs from September 7 to October 12, when Unlimited Studios selects three finalists. - Finalists take part in a recorded interview, share pitch decks and discuss the project with the Unlimited Studios team. - Full guidelines and the Round One form are available here. - The studio says it will read what comes in and call the writer. - The 3,000-square-foot facility includes a large cyclorama wall that can accommodate a vehicle, a four-seat podcast studio with video capability, post-production editing suites, wardrobe space, camera and lighting rentals, high-speed connectivity and on-site parking. - Unlimited Studios provides prep-through-post support for features, television, commercials, documentaries and branded content. - The studio also offers access to local crew and vendors and guidance on New Jersey incentive programs.

Between the lines: - The launch lands as New Jersey adds studio capacity fast, with Netflix planning a nearly $1 billion campus at former Fort Monmouth and Paramount’s 1888 Studios and Lionsgate’s Newark facility also moving ahead. - The state’s film tax incentives can reach 40%, which helps explain the production push. - New Jersey is expected to grow from three purpose-built soundstages to more than 30 in the coming years. - Unlimited Studios is trying to position itself as a hometown development pipeline, not just another rental space. - The location next to Brookdale Community College’s New Jersey Film Academy could make the studio especially useful for students and early-career filmmakers in Monmouth County. - Founder Diane Raver took part in the ribbon cutting, underscoring the link between workforce training and local production access.

What's next: - Unlimited Studios will review one-page submissions through August 24. - Selected writers will receive full-script submission instructions by email. - The studio will narrow the field to three finalists after script review and recorded interviews. - The first writer call could help establish how much local demand exists for genre development in Long Branch.

The bottom line: - Unlimited Studios is betting that a focused horror script search can turn its Long Branch studio into a real development pipeline for New Jersey talent.