Steve Reiss (born August 28, 1958, in

Forest Hills, New York Forest Hills is a mostly residential neighborhood in the central portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is adjacent to Corona to the north, Rego Park and Glendale to the west, Forest Park to the south, Kew Gardens to the southeas ...

and raised in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

and

Bridgehampton, New York Bridgehampton is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on the South Fork of Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 1,756 at the 2010 census. Bridgehampton is in the town of Southampton, on Long Island. Shortly after ...

) is a Grammy-nominated producer, entrepreneur, author and ocean activist. Reiss specializes in the development of content and intellectual property in short form and long form content, documentary films and special projects. H

Early life

Reiss began his education in science, studying Marine Science at the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...

and Marine Biology at

UC San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or colloquially, UCSD) is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego is t ...

graduating with a degree in Visual Arts.

Entertainment

Reiss has had a diverse career in entertainment, holding posts at

NBC Productions Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a predece ...

Propaganda Films Propaganda Films was an American music video and film production company founded in 1986 by producers Steve Golin and Sigurjón Sighvatsson and directors David Fincher, Nigel Dick, Dominic Sena and Greg Gold. By 1990, the company was prod ...

and Satellite Films,

Digital Domain Digital Domain is an American visual effects and digital production company based in Playa Vista, Los Angeles, California. The company is known for creating digital imagery for feature films, advertising and games from its locations in Californ ...

, Speedshape Los Angeles, Sea Level VFX, and Copa. Between 1998 and 2008 he worked with

Partizan Partizan may refer to: Sport * JSD Partizan, a sports society from Belgrade, Serbia, which includes the following clubs: **AK Partizan, athletics ** Biciklistički Klub Partizan, cycling ** Džudo Klub Partizan, judo **FK Partizan, association fo ...

Anonymous Content Anonymous Content (AC) is an American entertainment company founded in 1999 by CEO Steve Golin. It is based in Los Angeles with offices in Culver City, New York City and London. History Anonymous Content was founded in 1999 by CEO Steve Gol ...

Spot Welders Spot Welders is a film and television editorial house. Spot Welders was established in Venice, California in 1993 by editor Robert Duffy and producer David Glean. Works Spot Welders' credits include award-winning music videos and commercia ...

and Speedshape working on advertising campaigns for companies including:

the Gap The Gap may refer to: Places Australia * The Gap, New South Wales, a locality near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales * The Gap, Northern Territory, a suburb of Alice Springs, Northern Territory * The Gap, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland ...

, Lexus Dark Ride, BMW,

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

and

Air France Air France (; formally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global a ...

. Reiss has worked with top directors Mark Romanek, Peter Care,

Michel Gondry Michel Gondry (; born 8 May 1963) is a French filmmaker noted for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of mise en scène. Along with Charlie Kaufman, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as one of the writers ...

, Spike Jonze,

Phil Joanou Phil Joanou (born November 20, 1961) is an American director of film, music videos, and television programs, known in part for his ongoing relationship to the band U2. Biography Joanou was born in La Cañada Flintridge, California, and began m ...

, Michael Bay and has produced music videos for celebrated artists

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

—who taught him the "moonwalk" during their shoot—The Breeders, and

Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...

. Reiss was credited as a co-producer for R.E.M.’s ''Road Movie'' for

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

. in 1996; and produced and packaged the books “

Mark Romanek Mark Romanek (; born September 18, 1959) is an American filmmaker whose directing work includes feature films, television, music videos and commercials. Romanek wrote and directed the 2002 film ''One Hour Photo'' and directed the 2010 film '' Neve ...

: Music Video Stills” in 1999 and " Thirty Frames Per Second: The Visionary Art of the Music Video," the following year with writer and editor Neil Feineman.

Activism

Reiss is a surfer and environmental activist for the preservation of clean water and the oceans. He is a sustainability and partnerships advisor for the Catapulta Fest in Oaxaca, Mexico, a social innovation gathering that promotes impact based entrepreneurship, and has done fundraising and outreach for

Heal the Bay Heal the Bay is a U.S. environmental advocacy group of activists based in Santa Monica, California. The focus is protecting coastal waters and watersheds of southern California, and is focused on Santa Monica Bay. Heal the Bay is a 501(c)(3) n ...

. Reiss is also the strategic advisor for SustainableSurf.org, an organization that seeks to transform surf culture into a powerful community that protects the ocean's resources as it pertains to the surf industry and culture. e consults for the Buckminster Fuller Institute and is an advisor to the Florence Belsky Charitable Foundation. H

Publications and book packaging

Mark Romanek: Music Video Stills (1999)

''Mark Romanek: Music Video Stills'' showcases the innovative work of director Mark Romanek and his contributions to the field of music television in beautiful still images.

Thirty Frames Per Second: The Visionary Art of the Music Video (2000)

Co-written by Reiss and Neil Feineman, a former editor for

RayGun Magazine ''Ray Gun'' was an American alternative rock-and-roll magazine, first published in 1992 in Santa Monica, California. Led by founding publisher Marvin Scott Jarrett, art director David Carson and executive editor Randy Bookasta, along with foun ...

, ''Thirty Frames Per Second'' chronicles the history of music videos and its influence on pop culture, sports, advertising and fashion. The book features music video work by influential directors including: Spike Jonze,

Peter Care Peter Alan Care (born 28 April 1953) is an English director of music videos, commercials and film. He has directed music videos for Cabaret Voltaire, R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, Roy Orbison, Depeche Mode and New Order, amongst others. Biogr ...

Kevin Kerslake Kevin Kerslake is an American filmmaker and photographer. He has directed documentaries on Joan Jett ('' Bad Reputation''), DJ AM (''As I AM: The Life and Times of DJ AM''), The Ramones (''We're Outta Here!''), Nirvana (''Live! Tonight! Sold Out! ...

, and David Fincher, and was positively reviewed by LA Weekly. Nearly 400 still shots from music videos are illustrated in the book, which is the first of its kind to convert low resolution frame stills into high resolution digital imagery fit for print.

A + R (2006-2007)

Collaborated with Writer Neil Feineman, music executive

Jeff Anderson Jeffrey Allan Anderson (born April 21, 1970) is an American film and television actor, director, and screenwriter best known for starring as Randal Graves in ''Clerks,'' ''Clerks II,'' and ''Clerks III''. In between, he has appeared in other Kevi ...

and Canadian art director

Bill Douglas William Gerald Douglas (17 April 1934 – 18 June 1991) was a Scottish film director best known for the trilogy of films about his early life. Biography Born in Newcraighall on the outskirts of Edinburgh, he was brought up initially by his m ...

to develop a collectibles program for fans worldwide of noted bands which included an online portal and print publication.

Leonard Cohen (2015)

Packaged an art book based on the behind the scenes photography of Sharon Robinson. The book was published by

Powerhouse Books powerHouse Books is an independent publisher of art and photography books founded in 1995 by Daniel Power, based near the Brooklyn waterfront of DUMBO in The powerHouse Arena. The powerHouse Arena also serves as a gallery, bookstore, and event ...

and continues to be among its best selling titles. The images illustrated in the book are represented by the Morrison Hotel Gallery.

The Beatles Help (2016)

A photography book based on the on-set photography of Emilio Lari taken during the 1964 Beatles' "Help" Tour. The images illustrated in this book are represented by the Morrison Hotel Gallery and the book itself has been translated and sold in countries including: Japan, China, Italy and Germany.

Producer credits

Television

* '' P.S. I Luv U'' (1991) * '' In a Heartbeat'' (2000) * ''"In Search of Stone"'' – pilot (2010)

Film and DVD

* "Cindy Crawford Shape Your Body Workout" – Satellite Films (1992) * "

One West Waikiki ''One West Waikiki'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on CBS from August 4, 1994 until September 8, 1994, and then in first-run syndication for its second season from October 15, 1995 until May 25, 1996. The series was set ...

" TV Series – CBS Television and Rysher Entertainment (1994) * "RoadMovie a.k.a. R.E.M.: Road Movie" – Warner Bros Music (1996) * "Inside Sessions - The Writers Process: from Concept to Publication" (2001) * "Inside Sessions - The Music Business: An Insider's Guide to Breaking In" (2001) * "The Work of Director Mark Romanek" – DVD series and documentary (2005) * "Beloved" – short film (2009)

Music videos

The Breeders The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sister Kelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherso ...

– "

Cannonball A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...

" (1993) *

– " History Re-Mix" (1997) *

– "Everything is Everything" (1999) *

YouthAIDS YouthAIDS is an international nongovernmental, nonprofit education, funding, and health initiative of Population Services International (PSI) that provides humanitarian assistance and brings global awareness to the proliferation of HIV/AIDS. The o ...

and Luxe Media Group and

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...

– "What More Can I Give" (2003) *

Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...

and Rihanna – "

Princess of China "Princess of China" is a duet recorded by British rock band Coldplay and Barbadian singer Rihanna for Coldplay's fifth studio album ''Mylo Xyloto''. The song was written by band members Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Ch ...

" (2012) Executive Producer for Copa

Post-producer and visual effects supervisor credits

Music videos

– "Jam" & Jam promos (1991) *

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

– "Black Tie, White Noise" (1992) *

– "

Jump They Say "Jump They Say" is a song by English singer-songwriter and actor David Bowie, from his 18th album, ''Black Tie White Noise'' (1993). It was produced by Nile Rodgers and released as the first single from the album in March 1993. While Bowie opt ...

" (1992) * Madonna – "

Deeper and Deeper "Deeper and Deeper" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fifth studio album, '' Erotica'' (1992). It was written and produced by both Madonna and Shep Pettibone, with additional writing from Anthony Shimkin. In Australia and most Eur ...

" (1992) * U2 – "

Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the fifth track on their 1991 album ''Achtung Baby'', and was released as its fifth and final single in November 1992. Writing and recording "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild H ...

" (1992) *

Bruce Hornsby Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. His music draws from folk rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Southern rock, country rock, jam band, rock, heartland rock, and blues rock musical traditions ...

– "Harbor Lights" (1993) * Lenny Kravitz – "Are You Gonna Go My Way" (1993) * Madonna – "Rain" (1993) * Lenny Kravitz – "Circus" (1995) * Alanis Morissette – "Head Over Feet" (1995) * Paula Abdul – " Ain't Never Gonna Give You Up" (1996) *

Luscious Jackson Luscious Jackson is an alternative rock/ rap-rock group formed in 1991. The band's name is a reference to former American basketball player Lucious Jackson. The original band consisted of Jill Cunniff (vocals, bass), Gabby Glaser (vocals, guit ...

– "Naked Eye" (1996) *

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...

– "

Electrolite "Electrolite" is a song by R.E.M. released as their third single and closing track from their tenth studio album, ''New Adventures in Hi-Fi''. The song is a piano-based ballad to Los Angeles, Hollywood icons and the closing 20th century. Initia ...

" (1996) * Aerosmith – "Falling in Love is Hard on the Knees" (1997) * Janet Jackson – "Together Again" (1997) * Gloria Estefan – " Heaven's What I Feel" (1998)

Awards and nominations

Music videos

* 1993

MTV Video Music Award The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video categor ...

s – Nominated Best Alternative Video –

: "

" * 2000

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

s – Nominated for Best R&B Video –

: " Everything is Everything"

Commercials

* 1996 New York Festivals Advertising Television Award– PSA Campaign–

SF MoMa The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is a modern art, modern and contemporary art museum located in San Francisco, California. A nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary a ...

Keith Haring Keith Allen Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an American artist whose pop art emerged from the New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980s. His animated imagery has "become a widely recognized visual language". Much of his wor ...

Retrospective "Graffiti Dog" * 1993 CFDA Award “Chrome Hearts” directed by Spike Jonze

References

External links

* http://www.stevereiss.com/bio/ (Website) * http://sustainablesurf.org/about-us/ (Sustainable Surf) * http://urbanair.is/ (Urban Air) * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxvkI9MTQw4 ("Canonball," 1993, performbed by The Breeders and produced by Steve Reiss) * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3_dOWYHS7I ("Everything is Everything," 1999, performed by Lauryn Hill and produced by Steve Reiss) * http://creativity-online.com/work/lexus-dark-ride-trailer/20076 (Lexus Dark Ride Trailer, 2010—Produced by Steve Reiss) * https://vimeo.com/104965292 ("Princess of China," 2012, performed by Coldplay and Rihanna and produced by Steve Reiss) {{DEFAULTSORT:Reiss, Steve 1958 births Living people Film producers from California Television producers from California Music video producers People from New York (state) Sustainability advocates University of California, San Diego alumni