Jon Reiss
Encyclopedia
Jon Reiss is an award-winning producer
and director
, named one of "10 Digital Directors to Watch" by Daily Variety. His work has screened at prestigious film festivals around the world, including Sundance
, Toronto
, Berlin
, Tribeca
, Los Angeles
, Rotterdam
, Seattle, New Directors/New Films, and Sao Paulo
, among others. As a result of this success, Reiss has built a dedicated global film audience.
and earned a Master in Fine Arts in Film and Television Production at the University of California, Los Angeles
. Jon Reiss started working in film in 1981 with Target Video
until 1983, where he worked on numerous documentaries of the West Coast punk explosion many of which were titled "Underground Forces". Bands and artists documented during this period include Black Flag
, The Dead Kennedys, The Circle Jerks, TSOL
, Zev
, Johanna Wendt, The Cramps
, Iggy Pop
. He traveled extensively in Europe screening the work and filming European punk rock bands in the early primitive years of video projection.
From 1983 to 1990 he worked on five documentaries featuring the internationally renowned performance group Survival Research Laboratories
. In the same period he also wrote, produced and directed the short narrative film "A Bitter Message of Hopeless Grief" featuring the anthropomorphic robots of Survival Research Laboratories
. After graduating film school he produced Jill Goldman's feature Love is Like That.
In 1992 Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails
requested that Reiss direct the music video for "Happiness In Slavery". From there Jon went on to direct music videos for Slayer
, Danzig, the Black Crowes
, Type O Negative
, Kottonmouth Kings
and numerous other groups. In 1995 the Toronto Film Festival curated a retrospective of his music video work.
Between 1997 and 2000 he produced and directed features Cleopatra’s Second Husband
while at the same time directing Better Living Through Circuitry
. In 2004 he released the compilation DVD Survival Research Laboratories: Ten Years of Robotic Mayhem.
In 2005 he began production on Bomb It
which was completed and premiered in 2007 at the Tribeca Film Festival
. He went on to create a hybrid distribution strategy for Bomb it
including a DIY twenty city theatrical release. Based on his experiences he wrote three articles for Filmmaker magazine about hybrid film distribution and began blogging for Ted Hope's Truly Free Film Blog. Jon has appeared on numerous film festival panels such as South By Southwest
, Tribeca Film Festival
, True/False and Los Angeles Film Festivals.
This work culminated in the seminal book Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for the Digital Era, which launched at the 2009 Independent Film Week in New York
and the 2009 Vancouver International Film Festival
.
and expands the global reach of Jon Reiss’ exploration of graffiti and street art into new and unexplored areas of Asia and South East Asia, the Middle East as well as Europe
, the United States and Australia. Reiss traveled by himself to Bangkok
, Jakarta
, Singapore
, Hong Kong
, Tel Aviv
, Palestinian
refugee camps on the West Bank, Perth, Melbourne, Copenhagen, Chicago and Austin. Artists featured include Klone, KnowHope, GreatBates, Zero, Darbotz, Killer Gerbil, Bon, Alex Face, Sloke, Thor, Husk Mit Navn, Ash
, Phibs, Stormie Mills, Beejoir & Souled Out Studios, Inspire, and many more.
(2007) is a feature documentary covering the explosion of graffiti
culture throughout the world – shot on five continents featuring such seminal figures as Taki 183
, Shepard Fairey
, Os Gemeos
, Revok and many more. Globally comprehensive as well as politically relevant, (IGN.com) stated: “… At the core of the film is a poignant social statement about public space and the war being waged for it. Shot on location in New York
, Philadelphia, London
, Paris
, Amsterdam
, Hamburg
, Barcelona
, Berlin
, Cape Town
, São Paulo
, and Tokyo
, and Los Angeles
. Bomb It
premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival
as an Official Selection and has screened at over 20 others including Full Frame Documentary Festival.
, Jon's previous documentary feature was a startling, humorous and entertaining glimpse into the exploding rave culture featuring such acts as the Crystal Method, Roni Size
, and Moby
, among others. The film played at such festivals as RESfest Digital Film Festival, Rotterdam
, Sao Paulo
, Copenhagen
, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, Seattle, Vancouver
, and Sheffield International Documentary Festival
before being released theatrically in the United States. For his work Reiss was awarded the Best Documentary Director at the Chicago Underground Film Festival.
(1998), is a psychological drama that screened at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, Seattle, Montreal World, Hamptons
, Houston, Sao Paulo
and Bangkok film festivals, winning Best First Feature at Cinequest before its theatrical release in the United States. DVD – First Run Features. Broadcast on IFC.
Jon Reiss' short film (1986), screened at film festivals throughout the world including Sundance, Berlin, New Directors/New Films, Edinburgh
. Broadcast in Europe
and on PBS in the United States.
"Baited Trap"
Short film (1985) Reiss' first short narrative made during his first year at UCLA Film School screened at the Berlin, Hong Kong, Torino, Bilbao, Goteborg Film Festivals.
, The Black Crowes
, Danzig
, Slayer
, and the Kottonmouth Kings
. Reiss’ Happiness in Slavery
video for Nine Inch Nails
won awards at the Chicago International Film Festival
and Golden Gate Competition at the San Francisco International Film Festival and was voted Top Ten by the Village Voice Critics Poll for Best Music Video.
In 1995 the Toronto Film Festival curated a retrospective of Reiss’ music videos. Jon also directed the music video It's Coming Down for Danzig
during their "Classic" original lineup-era (1987–1994). Happiness In Slavery was banned from MTV
and featured Bob Flanagan
.
with a hybrid strategy was the inspiration for writing his first book "Think Outside the Box Office" published March 2010 - a break-through step-by-step guide addressing how filmmakers should approach the distribution and marketing stage of the filmmaking process in today's extremely digitized world.
Within Think Outside the Box Office are the opinions, strategies and tactics of fellow indie distribution and marketing thought-leaders like über-consultant Peter Broderick, B-Side’s Chris Hyams, Cinetic Rights Management’s Matt Dentler, publicist Cynthia Swartz and filmmakers like Todd Sklar, Joe Swanberg and Cora Olson. Think Outside the Box Office central concern is how a film is targeted at an audience and how the filmmaker is able to understand and act on the preferences of the film's audience and Due to "Think Outside the Box Office" and its impact on the film industry. Think Outside the Box Office is currently used as a text for film courses at institutions such as Stanford, Princeton, UCLA and New York University.
In 2011 Reiss released the book Selling Your Film Without Selling Your Soul cowritten with Sheri Candler and The Film Collaborative. Selling Your Film Without Selling Your Soul features a series of case studies that dive deep into the real numbers and real details of independent film distribution. In 2011 Reiss also contributed to the free ebook The Modern Moviemaking Movement with Norman C. Berns, Gordon Firemark, Tom Malloy, Carole Dean, Peter D. Marshall, Gary King, Sheri Candler and Jason Brubaker.
. He created the course "Real World Survival Skills: Everything I Wish I Had Been Taught in Film School" which covers the practical/business aspects of filmmaking from fundraising through distribution.
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, named one of "10 Digital Directors to Watch" by Daily Variety. His work has screened at prestigious film festivals around the world, including Sundance
Sundance
Sundance Resort is a ski resort located northeast of Provo, Utah, spanning over on the slopes of Mount Timpanogos in Utah's Wasatch Range. Snow skiing began on the site in 1944...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Tribeca
TriBeCa
Tribeca is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York in the United States. Its name is an acronym based on the words "Triangle below Canal Street", and is properly bounded by Canal Street, West Street, Broadway, and Vesey Street...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, Seattle, New Directors/New Films, and Sao Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, among others. As a result of this success, Reiss has built a dedicated global film audience.
Early and film career
Reiss graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Economics, Magna Cum Laude at the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and earned a Master in Fine Arts in Film and Television Production at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. Jon Reiss started working in film in 1981 with Target Video
Target Video
Target Video is a San Francisco-based studio, founded by artist Joe Rees, who collaborating with Jackie Sharp, Jill Hoffman, Sam Edwards and others, archived early art performance, punk and hardcore bands on video and film. Performers and artists as diverse as the Sex Pistols, the Dead Kennedys,...
until 1983, where he worked on numerous documentaries of the West Coast punk explosion many of which were titled "Underground Forces". Bands and artists documented during this period include Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
, The Dead Kennedys, The Circle Jerks, TSOL
TSOL
TSOL is an American punk rock band which formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California. TSOL is short for True Sounds of Liberty although they are rarely referred to by their full name....
, Zev
Zev
Zev is a given name. Zev or Ze'ev is a Hebrew first name, meaning "wolf". Zev can also be short for the Hebrew name Zevulun, meaning "to honor" or "to exalt."Zev or ZEV may refer to:-People:*Zev Hirsch Bernstein , Polish-born American journalist...
, Johanna Wendt, The Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
, Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
. He traveled extensively in Europe screening the work and filming European punk rock bands in the early primitive years of video projection.
From 1983 to 1990 he worked on five documentaries featuring the internationally renowned performance group Survival Research Laboratories
Survival Research Laboratories
Survival Research Laboratories is a machine performance art group credited for pioneering the genre of large-scale machine performance. After about 30 years in San Francisco, California, SRL spent most of 2008 moving to Petaluma, California....
. In the same period he also wrote, produced and directed the short narrative film "A Bitter Message of Hopeless Grief" featuring the anthropomorphic robots of Survival Research Laboratories
Survival Research Laboratories
Survival Research Laboratories is a machine performance art group credited for pioneering the genre of large-scale machine performance. After about 30 years in San Francisco, California, SRL spent most of 2008 moving to Petaluma, California....
. After graduating film school he produced Jill Goldman's feature Love is Like That.
In 1992 Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
requested that Reiss direct the music video for "Happiness In Slavery". From there Jon went on to direct music videos for Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, Danzig, the Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
, Type O Negative
Type O Negative
Type O Negative was a gothic metal band from Brooklyn, New York City. The band also incorporated elements of doom metal and thrash metal. Their dramatic lyrical emphasis on themes of romance, depression, and death resulted in the nickname "The Drab Four"...
, Kottonmouth Kings
Kottonmouth Kings
Kottonmouth Kings is an American rap rock group from Placentia, Orange County, California. Kottonmouth Kings officially formed in 1994, and describe themselves as "psychedelic hip-hop punk rock"...
and numerous other groups. In 1995 the Toronto Film Festival curated a retrospective of his music video work.
Between 1997 and 2000 he produced and directed features Cleopatra’s Second Husband
Cleopatra’s Second Husband
Cleopatra's Second Husband is a 1998 psychological drama written, produced and directed by Jon Reiss. Paul Hipp and Bitty Schram play Robert and Hallie Marrs, a young LA couple, who go on vacation, leaving their house in the hands of strangers...
while at the same time directing Better Living Through Circuitry
Better Living Through Circuitry
Better Living Through Circuitry is a 1999 documentary directed by Jon Reiss about the Electronic Dance movement of the 90's. The documentary is considered the first full-length film that goes behind the Electronic Dance scene and uncovers the culture it has spawned...
. In 2004 he released the compilation DVD Survival Research Laboratories: Ten Years of Robotic Mayhem.
In 2005 he began production on Bomb It
Bomb It
Bomb It is an international graffiti and street art documentary directed by award-winning director Jon Reiss and premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival...
which was completed and premiered in 2007 at the Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
. He went on to create a hybrid distribution strategy for Bomb it
Bomb It
Bomb It is an international graffiti and street art documentary directed by award-winning director Jon Reiss and premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival...
including a DIY twenty city theatrical release. Based on his experiences he wrote three articles for Filmmaker magazine about hybrid film distribution and began blogging for Ted Hope's Truly Free Film Blog. Jon has appeared on numerous film festival panels such as South By Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
, Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
, True/False and Los Angeles Film Festivals.
This work culminated in the seminal book Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for the Digital Era, which launched at the 2009 Independent Film Week in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and the 2009 Vancouver International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
.
Bomb It 2
Bomb It 2 (2010) was commissioned as a web series exclusively for the digital broadcast network BabelgumBabelgum
Babelgum is a free to view Internet television platform supported by advertising. The project was set up in 2005 by Italian media and telecommunications entrepreneur Silvio Scaglia and scientist Erik Lumer, with the aim of developing interactive software for distributing TV shows and other forms...
and expands the global reach of Jon Reiss’ exploration of graffiti and street art into new and unexplored areas of Asia and South East Asia, the Middle East as well as Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the United States and Australia. Reiss traveled by himself to Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, Palestinian
Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugees or Palestine refugees are the people and their descendants, predominantly Palestinian Arabic-speakers, who fled or were expelled from their homes during and after the 1948 Palestine War, within that part of the British Mandate of Palestine, that after that war became the...
refugee camps on the West Bank, Perth, Melbourne, Copenhagen, Chicago and Austin. Artists featured include Klone, KnowHope, GreatBates, Zero, Darbotz, Killer Gerbil, Bon, Alex Face, Sloke, Thor, Husk Mit Navn, Ash
Ash (artist)
Ash also called Victor Ash is originally a street artist from Paris, France.He started his artistic career as a graffiti writer in the early 1980s and from 1983 to 1986 he also called himself Saho and Ash2....
, Phibs, Stormie Mills, Beejoir & Souled Out Studios, Inspire, and many more.
Bomb It
Bomb ItBomb It
Bomb It is an international graffiti and street art documentary directed by award-winning director Jon Reiss and premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival...
(2007) is a feature documentary covering the explosion of graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
culture throughout the world – shot on five continents featuring such seminal figures as Taki 183
TAKI 183
TAKI 183 was one of the most influential graffiti writers in its history. His "tag" was short for Demetaki, a Greek alternative for his birth-name Demetrius, and the number 183 came from his address on 183rd Street in Washington Heights...
, Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey
Frank Shepard Fairey is an American contemporary graphic designer, and illustrator who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his "André the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign, in which he appropriated images from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News. His...
, Os Gemeos
Os Gêmeos
Os Gêmeos are graffiti artist identical twin brothers from São Paulo, Brazil, whose real names are Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo. They started painting graffiti in 1987 and gradually became a main influence in the local scene, helping to define Brazil's own style...
, Revok and many more. Globally comprehensive as well as politically relevant, (IGN.com) stated: “… At the core of the film is a poignant social statement about public space and the war being waged for it. Shot on location in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Philadelphia, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Bomb It
Bomb It
Bomb It is an international graffiti and street art documentary directed by award-winning director Jon Reiss and premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival...
premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
as an Official Selection and has screened at over 20 others including Full Frame Documentary Festival.
Better Living Through Circuitry
Better Living Through CircuitryBetter Living Through Circuitry
Better Living Through Circuitry is a 1999 documentary directed by Jon Reiss about the Electronic Dance movement of the 90's. The documentary is considered the first full-length film that goes behind the Electronic Dance scene and uncovers the culture it has spawned...
, Jon's previous documentary feature was a startling, humorous and entertaining glimpse into the exploding rave culture featuring such acts as the Crystal Method, Roni Size
Roni Size
Roni Size is a British record producer and DJ, who came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and leader of Reprazent, a drum and bass collective...
, and Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
, among others. The film played at such festivals as RESfest Digital Film Festival, Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, Sao Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, Seattle, Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and Sheffield International Documentary Festival
Sheffield International Documentary Festival
The Sheffield Doc/Fest, short for Sheffield International Documentary Festival , is an annual documentary and digital media event that is held in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England at the Showroom Workstation and other venues around Sheffield...
before being released theatrically in the United States. For his work Reiss was awarded the Best Documentary Director at the Chicago Underground Film Festival.
Cleopatra's Second Husband
Reiss’ first film as director, Cleopatra’s Second HusbandCleopatra’s Second Husband
Cleopatra's Second Husband is a 1998 psychological drama written, produced and directed by Jon Reiss. Paul Hipp and Bitty Schram play Robert and Hallie Marrs, a young LA couple, who go on vacation, leaving their house in the hands of strangers...
(1998), is a psychological drama that screened at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, Seattle, Montreal World, Hamptons
Hamptons
The Hamptons may refer to several villages and hamlets in the towns of Southampton and East Hampton on the far east end of Suffolk County in Long Island, New York. These townships occupy the South Fork of Long Island, stretching into the Atlantic Ocean. The Hamptons form a popular seaside resort,...
, Houston, Sao Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
and Bangkok film festivals, winning Best First Feature at Cinequest before its theatrical release in the United States. DVD – First Run Features. Broadcast on IFC.
Love is Like That
In 1992 Jon produced a feature drama starring Tom Sizemore, Pamela Gidley, Seymour Cassel, Richard Edson, Debi Mazar, Joe Dallesandro.Short films
A Bitter Message of Hopeless Grief.Jon Reiss' short film (1986), screened at film festivals throughout the world including Sundance, Berlin, New Directors/New Films, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. Broadcast in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and on PBS in the United States.
"Baited Trap"
Short film (1985) Reiss' first short narrative made during his first year at UCLA Film School screened at the Berlin, Hong Kong, Torino, Bilbao, Goteborg Film Festivals.
Music videos
As an award-winning music video director, Reiss has directed videos for Nine Inch NailsNine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
, Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, and the Kottonmouth Kings
Kottonmouth Kings
Kottonmouth Kings is an American rap rock group from Placentia, Orange County, California. Kottonmouth Kings officially formed in 1994, and describe themselves as "psychedelic hip-hop punk rock"...
. Reiss’ Happiness in Slavery
Happiness in Slavery
"Happiness in Slavery" is a song by the American act Nine Inch Nails. The song takes its title and refrain from Jean Paulhan's preface to Story of O. It is available on the Broken EP and was also released as a 12" promotional single in November 1992. The song peaked at number 13 on the U.S...
video for Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
won awards at the Chicago International Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
and Golden Gate Competition at the San Francisco International Film Festival and was voted Top Ten by the Village Voice Critics Poll for Best Music Video.
In 1995 the Toronto Film Festival curated a retrospective of Reiss’ music videos. Jon also directed the music video It's Coming Down for Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
during their "Classic" original lineup-era (1987–1994). Happiness In Slavery was banned from MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and featured Bob Flanagan
Bob Flanagan
Bob Flanagan was an American performance artist, comic, writer, poet, and musician.-Early life:...
.
Books
Jon's experience while releasing Bomb ItBomb It
Bomb It is an international graffiti and street art documentary directed by award-winning director Jon Reiss and premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival...
with a hybrid strategy was the inspiration for writing his first book "Think Outside the Box Office" published March 2010 - a break-through step-by-step guide addressing how filmmakers should approach the distribution and marketing stage of the filmmaking process in today's extremely digitized world.
Within Think Outside the Box Office are the opinions, strategies and tactics of fellow indie distribution and marketing thought-leaders like über-consultant Peter Broderick, B-Side’s Chris Hyams, Cinetic Rights Management’s Matt Dentler, publicist Cynthia Swartz and filmmakers like Todd Sklar, Joe Swanberg and Cora Olson. Think Outside the Box Office central concern is how a film is targeted at an audience and how the filmmaker is able to understand and act on the preferences of the film's audience and Due to "Think Outside the Box Office" and its impact on the film industry. Think Outside the Box Office is currently used as a text for film courses at institutions such as Stanford, Princeton, UCLA and New York University.
In 2011 Reiss released the book Selling Your Film Without Selling Your Soul cowritten with Sheri Candler and The Film Collaborative. Selling Your Film Without Selling Your Soul features a series of case studies that dive deep into the real numbers and real details of independent film distribution. In 2011 Reiss also contributed to the free ebook The Modern Moviemaking Movement with Norman C. Berns, Gordon Firemark, Tom Malloy, Carole Dean, Peter D. Marshall, Gary King, Sheri Candler and Jason Brubaker.
Teaching
Jon teaches in the Film Directing Program at California Institute of the ArtsCalifornia Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
. He created the course "Real World Survival Skills: Everything I Wish I Had Been Taught in Film School" which covers the practical/business aspects of filmmaking from fundraising through distribution.
Festival Panels
- SXSW
- Tribeca Film FestivalTribeca Film FestivalThe Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
- Los Angeles Film FestivalLos Angeles Film FestivalThe Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times is an event held annually in June in downtown Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Film Festival began as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1995. The first LAIFF took place over the course of five days in a single...
- True/False
- Palms Springs International ShortFest
- IFPIFPIFP can stand for:* International Federation of Poker* Interwise Food Portal* Independent Feature Project* "The Illinois Functional Programming Interpreter", A.D. Robison, Proc 1987 SIGPLAN Conf on Interpreters and Interpretive Techniques , pp...
Awards and recognitions
- In 2007 the feature Bomb ItBomb ItBomb It is an international graffiti and street art documentary directed by award-winning director Jon Reiss and premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival...
(2007) was chosen as the Official Selection at the Tribeca Film FestivalTribeca Film FestivalThe Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
, Full Frame Documentary Film FestivalFull Frame Documentary Film FestivalThe Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is an annual international event dedicated to the theatrical exhibition of non-fiction cinema. Each spring Full Frame welcomes filmmakers and film lovers from around the world to historic downtown Durham, North Carolina for a four-day, morning to midnight...
, Cork International Film Festival, [Sau Paulo International Film Festival]], and Encounters Film Festival in CapeTown South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... - In 2000 named one of "10 Digital Directors to Watch" by Daily Variety
- In 1999 the feature Better Living Through CircuitryBetter Living Through CircuitryBetter Living Through Circuitry is a 1999 documentary directed by Jon Reiss about the Electronic Dance movement of the 90's. The documentary is considered the first full-length film that goes behind the Electronic Dance scene and uncovers the culture it has spawned...
(1999) won the Silver Jury Award at the Chicago Underground Film FestivalChicago Underground Film FestivalChicago Underground Film Festival, founded in 1994, occurs each spring at various venues in Chicago, Illinois in the USA.Over the last 18 years it has become one of the most respected festivals in the USA and is today well attended by critics and programers. The festival's stated goal is "to focus...
for Best Documentary. - In 1999 the feature Cleopatra's Second Husband (1998) won the Silver Award at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival for Theatrical Feature Films – 006.
- In 1998 the feature Cleopatra's Second Husband (1998) was nominated at the Cinequest San Jose Film Festival for Best Feature and won the award at the same festival for Best First Feature.
- In 1998 the feature Cleopatra's Second Husband (1998) was nominated at the Hamptons International Film FestivalHamptons International Film FestivalHamptons International Film Festival was founded to provide a forum for independent filmmakers from around the world to express their vision. The Festival is traditionally held for five days in mid-October in theatre venues from Montauk to Southampton and attracts roughly 15,000 visitors annually...
for Best American Independent Film.
Complete filmography
| Year | Film | |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 2010 in film The year 2010 saw many new films released worldwide. 2010 saw a dramatic increase and prominence in the use of 3D-technology in filmmaking and film releases after the success of Avatar in the format, with releases such as Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Jackass 3D, all animated films and... |
Bomb It 2 | |
| 2007 2007 in film This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007... |
Bomb It Bomb It Bomb It is an international graffiti and street art documentary directed by award-winning director Jon Reiss and premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival... |
|
| 2001 2001 in film The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy... |
Survival Research Laboratories: Ten Years of Robotic Mayhem | |
| 1999 1999 in film The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep... |
Better Living Through Circuitry Better Living Through Circuitry Better Living Through Circuitry is a 1999 documentary directed by Jon Reiss about the Electronic Dance movement of the 90's. The documentary is considered the first full-length film that goes behind the Electronic Dance scene and uncovers the culture it has spawned... |
|
| 1998 1998 in film -Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:... |
Cleopatra's Second Husband | |
| 1992 1992 in film The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards... |
Broken For Music Videos Happiness in Slavery and Gave Up | |
| 1991 1991 in film The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November... |
Love is Like That as Producer | |
| 1990 1990 in film The year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2.... |
The Pleasures of Uninhibited Excess | |
| 1988 1988 in film -Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice... |
The Will to Provoke | |
| 1987 1987 in film -Events:*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records.... |
A Bitter Message of Hopeless Grief | |
| 1986 1986 in film -Events:*April 12 - Actor Morgan Mason marries The Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle.*April 26 - Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger marries television journalist Maria Shriver.*May - Actress Heather Locklear marries Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.... |
Virtues of Negative Fascination | |
| 1984 1984 in film -Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film.... |
A Scenic Harvest From The Kingdom of Pain | |