Biography

Bringing imaginative images to the sound of the popular Groovie Ghoulies music videos "'Til Death Do Us Party" or "Running with Bigfoot" comes easily to Joe Gillis, who as a filmmaker has been fascinated with images that can inspire, motivate and entertain since he first took up the camera at the age of 9 in his home town of Citrus Heights, California. Since he was able to express himself he knew that moving images held a special place for him. By the time he was 10, he was sure it was to be his career. Joseph Wayne Gillis was born October 11, 1973. His parents did not realize that in naming him after his grandfather and uncle, his name already "belonged" to one of the great movie characters of all time, played by actor William Holden in Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard". Like Holden's role in the film, the real life Joe Gillis started at an early age to dream up films and plays that he would write out to full scripts, ready for the cameras, that in this case, would roll. As a young actor in commercials, he was able to observe how the production side of creative image making was done. In 1980, during the production of "Windwalker", the story of Native American life with Trevor Howard, Joe was able to see first hand all the elements that went into feature film production. Written by his cousin, Blaine Yorgason, he found himself surrounded by the props of the production and watching the dailies. He was learning the art firsthand. His own first film production was an homage to silent screen comedy shorts. 1995's "9 Items or Less" was shot entirely in glorious black and white, and has been a success in numerous film festivals from Canada's Hollywood North Underground Movie Festival to San Francisco's FAF (Film Arts Foundation) Film Festival. In 2002's "Voices from the High School", Joe took on the challenge of bringing to the screen New York playwright Peter Dee's tale exposing the reality of high school life, in an unvarnished authentic manner. Voices was a hit at the annual MeDiA Co-Op Film Festival, and continues to make remarkable sales on DVD and video to libraries and learning institutions. At home with several new film concepts and scripts, Joe prepares music videos and other forms of visual media. Accompanied by his two kids, he has an un-ending enthusiasm for finding ways to make the screen reach and grab the audience in new, innovative ways.
- IMDb mini biography by: info@jowagiproductions.com