By Krystle J Bailey
The dust has been shaken, and renovations are underway as new life is being breathed into the former Pier Shops at Caesar’s on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The 500,000-square-foot facility that once housed restaurants like Continental, Sonsie, and Buddakhan is now the home of ACX1 Studios, a music and film production arena that aims to be “The Hollywood of the East.”
Complete with over 150 film sets and a full music production studio, ACX1 boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, luxurious event spaces, and breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean. The facility has sat vacant since the COVID-19 pandemic and is now in the process of being revitalized as a New Jersey film and music hub.
“I’m trying to build a music incubator here so we have everything. People overlook (Atlantic City) as a music destination,” shared Schwartz, ACX1 Co-Founder, CMO, and President of Music. “We have all these casinos, bars, and restaurants, so we have hundreds of DJs and artists that come here all the time; why don’t we give them a reason to stay?”
“The way that we look at it is the entire building is a film set,” echoed Roy Koriakin, President of Film and Television. “We are open nine hours a day, which means we have a film set the rest of the time, so we’re not just adding a brewery; we’re adding a brewery that’s a film set.”
Rob Schwartz, creator of WHO?MAG brings a fresh new audience and market to the Atlantic City music scene. The Grammy-winning music distributor and industry professional’s vision for ACX1 includes a series of educational seminars, top-of-the-line music production, and innovative ways to cultivate a music scene at the Jersey Shore. Weekly industry networking events, private gatherings, and executive panels are all on ACX1’s 2024 calendar.
To kick things off, Schwartz hosted Distro Fest 2 in December 2023, a two-day music festival, which brought over 80 nationwide and international artists as well as 40 music and film industry speakers to the Atlantic City stage. Schwartz is working with Terrance Nelson of Gr8 Trakz to provide music production resources for everyone from local creators to international film producers and musicians.
COO Dom Franklin says, “Our team is looking to restore the Pier back to its former glory.”
The New Jersey Tax Credit Program, which provides the highest tax credit in the country for qualified film productions, has brought production teams, including the likes of Netflix, to New Jersey in recent years. The production capabilities at ACX1 Studios will save production companies time and money while providing nearly 200 different sets to work with.
“We already have 150 film sets, including clothing stores, candy stores, fifty offices, ten bars, a stadium, a sporting goods store, an ice cream shop, a nightclub, and a music studio,” explained Koriakin. “The general rule of thumb in film production is that you lose an hour every time you move. If we can do five locations in one day, we’re saving hours of time.”
Several of the former stores will return to the first floor of ACX1 Studios, including the return of Wet Willies, located on the boardwalk level. With pizza shops and breweries on the horizon, 1 Atlantic Ocean looks more promising than it has in years.
This Friday, January 12th, the Laff House premiers its six-week comedy show series. Shows will take place every Friday and Saturday night. The Laff House will officially open its doors in the former Victoria’s Secret on April 1, 2024.
Hennigan’s, the ACX1 official brewery, will open in the coming weeks, and the first film to be shot on-premise is set to begin production in the first quarter of 2024.
“Building it out is a process,” expressed Schwartz. “We are just regular guys that love what we do best.”
Follow ACX1 on social media at ACX1 Studios or visit acx1studios.com.
