Jon Reiss
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Jon Reiss is a film producer and director, and an author. He has made the feature film '' Cleopatra's Second Husband'' (1998) and the documentaries ''
Better Living Through Circuitry ''Better Living Through Circuitry'' is a 1999 documentary directed by Jon Reiss about the electronic dance music cultural scene of the 1990s. This is considered to be the first full-length documentary film that goes behind the electronic dance ...
'' (1999) and ''
Bomb It ''Bomb It'' is an international graffiti and street art documentary directed by Jon Reiss that premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. Filmed on five continents, featuring cities such as New York, Cape Town, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Tokyo ...
'' (2007). He has directed music videos for artists, including
Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...
,
Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
, Danzig, and
the Black Crowes The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes ten studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Geo ...
.


Career


Film

Originally from Los Gatos, Reiss studied economics at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
and earned a Master in Fine Arts in Film and Television Production at the
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...
. He started working in film in 1981 with Target Video until 1983, where he worked on numerous documentaries about the West Coast punk scene, many of which were titled "Underground Forces". Bands and artists he documented include Black Flag,
Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Initially consisting of lead guitarist East Bay Ray, bassist Klaus Fl ...
,
Circle Jerks Circle Jerks (stylized as Ciʀcle JƎʀᴋs) are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California. The group was founded by former Black Flag (band), Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris and Redd Kross guitarist Greg Hetso ...
,
T.S.O.L. T.S.O.L. (True Sounds of Liberty) is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Huntington Beach, California. Although most commonly associated with hardcore punk, T.S.O.L.'s music has varied on each release, including such styles as deathro ...
,
Z'EV Z'EV (born Stefan Joel Weisser, February 8, 1951 – December 16, 2017) was an American poet, percussionist, and sound artist. After studying various world music traditions at CalArts, he began creating his own percussion sounds out of indu ...
,
Johanna Went Johanna Went is an American performance artist who primarily works in the Los Angeles area. She started her career in the late 1970s as musician in the punk scene. Music is still an important element of her shows. She has often worked with music ...
,
The Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2009. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. T ...
and
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...
. 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 made five documentaries about the performance group
Survival Research Laboratories Survival Research Laboratories (SRL) is an American performance art group which pioneered the genre of large-scale machine performance. Founded in 1978 by Mark Pauline in San Francisco the group is known in particular for performances where custo ...
. He also wrote, produced and directed the short narrative film ''A Bitter Message of Hopeless Grief'' (1988) featuring the group's anthropomorphic robots. ''Baited Trap'' (1985) was Reiss' first short film narrative made during his first year at UCLA Film School. In 1992 Reiss directed the music video for " Happiness in Slavery" by
Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...
, which included Bob Flanagan. It won awards at the
Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...
, Golden Gate Competition at the
San Francisco International Film Festival The San Francisco International Film Festival (abbreviated as SFIFF), organized by SFFILM, is held each spring for two weeks, presenting around 200 films from over 50 countries. The festival highlights current trends in international film and vid ...
and was voted Top Ten by ''The Village Voice'' Critics Poll for Best Music Video. It was banned from
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
. He went on to direct music videos for
Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
, Danzig,
The Black Crowes The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes ten studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Geo ...
,
Type O Negative Type O Negative was an American gothic/doom metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1989 by Peter Steele (bass, lead vocals), Kenny Hickey (guitar, co-lead vocals), Josh Silver (keyboards, backing vocals), and Sal Abruscato (drums ...
,
Kottonmouth Kings The Kottonmouth Kings is an American hip hop group formed in Placentia, California in 1996 by D-Loc and Saint Dog. The group advocates for legalizing cannabis, and their lyrics contain frequent references to marijuana consumption. The grou ...
and others. In 1995 the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
curated a retrospective of his music videos. In 1992 Reiss produced ''Love Is Like That'', a feature drama starring
Tom Sizemore Thomas Edward Sizemore Jr. (; November 29, 1961 – March 3, 2023) was an American actor. Born in Detroit, he started his career with supporting appearances in '' Born on the Fourth of July'' (1989), '' Lock Up'' (1989), and '' Blue Steel'' (19 ...
,
Pamela Gidley Pamela Catherine Gidley (June 11, 1965 – April 16, 2018) was an American actress and model. She began her career as an actress in 1986, debuting in the film ''Thrashin' (film), Thrashin, before appearing in a number of films, including ''Dud ...
,
Seymour Cassel Seymour Joseph Cassel (January 22, 1935 – April 7, 2019) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 films and television shows, with a career spanning over 50 years. He first came to prominence in the 1960s in the pioneering independent f ...
,
Richard Edson Richard Edson (born January 1, 1954) is an American actor and musician. Personal life Edson was born in New Rochelle, New York to a Jewish family. He has one brother, Steven, who resides in the Boston area, and two sisters, Andrea, who resides ...
,
Debi Mazar Debi Mazar Corcos (; born August 13, 1964) is an American actress and television personality. She began her career with supporting roles in '' Goodfellas'' (1990), '' Little Man Tate'' (1991), '' Singles'' (1992), and '' Batman Forever'' (1995), ...
and
Joe Dallesandro Joseph Angelo D'Allesandro III (born December 31, 1948) is an American actor and Warhol superstar. He was a sex symbol of gay subculture in the 1960s and 1970s, and of several American underground films before going mainstream. Dallesandro star ...
. His first feature-length film as director, '' Cleopatra's Second Husband'' (1998), is a psychological drama that won Best First Feature at
Cinequest Film Festival The Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival is an annual independent film festival held each March in San Jose, California and Redwood City, California. The international festival combines the cinematic arts with Silicon Valley’s innovation. It ...
.. His documentary feature about
rave A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...
culture, ''
Better Living Through Circuitry ''Better Living Through Circuitry'' is a 1999 documentary directed by Jon Reiss about the electronic dance music cultural scene of the 1990s. This is considered to be the first full-length documentary film that goes behind the electronic dance ...
'' (1999) with Crystal Method,
Roni Size Ryan Owen Granville Williams (born 29 October 1969), better known by his stage name Roni Size, is an English DJ and record producer. He came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and frontman of Roni Size & Reprazent, a drum and bass collective. ...
and
Moby Richard Melville Hall (September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, disc jockey, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "amo ...
, earned Reiss Best Documentary Director at Chicago Underground Film Festival. Reiss was named one of "10 Digital Directors to Watch" by Daily Variety in 2000. ''
Bomb It ''Bomb It'' is an international graffiti and street art documentary directed by Jon Reiss that premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. Filmed on five continents, featuring cities such as New York, Cape Town, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Tokyo ...
'' (2007) is a feature documentary about
graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...
and street art culture. It included
Taki 183 TAKI 183 is the "tag" of a Greek-American graffitist who was active during the late 1960s and early 1970s in New York City. The graffitist, whose given name is Demetrios, has never revealed his full name. Biography TAKI 183 was a graffiti tagg ...
,
Shepard Fairey Frank Shepard Fairey (born February 15, 1970) is an American contemporary artist, activist and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. In 1989, he designed the " Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker campa ...
, Os Gemeos, DAIM, Revok and others and was shot on location in New York, Philadelphia, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Barcelona, Berlin, Cape Town, São Paulo, Tokyo, and Los Angeles.
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
stated: "At the core of the film is a poignant social statement about public space and the war being waged for it." ''Bomb It'' premiered at the
Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...
as an Official Selection. ''Bomb It 2'' (2010) was commissioned as a Web series for the digital broadcast network
Babelgum Babelgum was 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 (one of the founders of Italian TelCo Fastweb (telecommunication ...
and expands the reach of ''Bomb It'' into Asia and South East Asia, the Middle East as well as Europe, the U.S. and Australia. Reiss traveled to Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv, Palestinian refugee camps on the West Bank, Perth, Melbourne, Copenhagen, Chicago and Austin. It includes the artists Ash, Phibs,
Stormie Mills Stormie Mills (born 1969) is a street/visual artist operating out of Perth, Western Australia. Mills' portfolio has been published in two books, ''Proximamente'' (2008) and ''Dwi Yma'' (2013). Life and career Mills was born in 1969 in Colwyn ...
, Beejoir, and others. Reiss has worked as a producer on the series In The Making for Firelight Media, as well as the documentaries The Good Breast, Sweetheart Dancers (for Showtime), and Desolation Center. Additionally, he has conducted workshops and presentations around the world including Cannes, Sundance, SXSW, and Tribeca. As a consultant – through his company 8 Above – he has advised hundreds of filmmakers and film organizations on distribution strategies.


Writing

Based on his experience releasing ''Bomb It,'' using a hybrid distribution strategy including a do-it-yourself twenty city theatrical release, Reiss wrote his first book, ''Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for the Digital Era'' (2010) – a step-by-step guide addressing how filmmakers should approach distribution and marketing in today's extremely digitized world. ''Think Outside the Box Office'' contains the opinions, strategies and tactics of 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. In 2011 Reiss released the book ''Selling Your Film Without Selling Your Soul,'' co-written with Sheri Candler and The Film Collaborative. The book includes case studies on independent film distribution. In 2011 Reiss also contributed to the free ebook ''The Modern Moviemaking Movement.''


Books

* * The Guerilla Filmmakers Pocketbook (Contributor), 2010 * Selling Your Film Without Selling Your Soul (with The Film Collaborative and Sheri Candler), 2011 *Selling Your Film Outside the U.S.: Digital Distribution in Europe (with The Film Collaborative and Sheri Candler), 2011 * The Modern MovieMaking Movement (Collaborator), 2011 * Webdocs – A Survival Guide for Online Filmmakers (Collaborator), 2011 * Blek le Rat: 30 Year Anniversary Retrospective (Collaborator), , 2011


Teaching

Reiss teaches in the Film Directing Program at
California Institute of the Arts The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a Private university, private art school in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for ...
. 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.


Filmography


Feature length films and documentaries

*''Love Is Like That'' (1991) – as producer *'' Cleopatra's Second Husband'' (1998) – as writer, director, producer *''
Better Living Through Circuitry ''Better Living Through Circuitry'' is a 1999 documentary directed by Jon Reiss about the electronic dance music cultural scene of the 1990s. This is considered to be the first full-length documentary film that goes behind the electronic dance ...
'' (1999) – as director *''
Bomb It ''Bomb It'' is an international graffiti and street art documentary directed by Jon Reiss that premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. Filmed on five continents, featuring cities such as New York, Cape Town, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Tokyo ...
'' (2007) – as director and producer *''Bomb It 2'' (2010) – as director, producer, and DP *''The Good Breast'' (2016) – as producer *''Desolation Center'' (2018) – as consulting producer *''Sweetheart Dancers'' (2019) – as consulting producer (short)


Short film

*''Baited Trap: a Tale of Meat, Torment and Murder'' (1985), 12 mins *''Bunky Echo-Hawk: The Resistance'' (2020) – as producer (short) *''A Bitter Message of Hopeless Grief'' (1988) – collaboration with
Survival Research Laboratories Survival Research Laboratories (SRL) is an American performance art group which pioneered the genre of large-scale machine performance. Founded in 1978 by Mark Pauline in San Francisco the group is known in particular for performances where custo ...
as a producer, 13 mins


Films on Survival Research Laboratories

*''A Scenic Harvest From The Kingdom of Pain'' (1984), 44 mins *
Virtues of Negative Fascination: Five Mechanized Performances by Survival Research Laboratories
' (1986), 75 mins *''The Will to Provoke'' (1988), 42 mins *''The Pleasures of Uninhibited Excess'' (1990), 45 mins *''Ten Years of Robotic Mayhem'' (2001 or 2004) – compilation DVD of his work with Survival Research Laboratories,


Music videos

* " Gave Up" by Nine Inch Nails (1992) – one of three different videos made for the song * " Happiness in Slavery" by
Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...
(1992) * " Christian Woman" by
Type O Negative Type O Negative was an American gothic/doom metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1989 by Peter Steele (bass, lead vocals), Kenny Hickey (guitar, co-lead vocals), Josh Silver (keyboards, backing vocals), and Sal Abruscato (drums ...
(1993) – one of two different videos made for the song * "It's Coming Down" by Danzig (1993) * "Dittohead" by
Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
(1994) * "Do You Take This Man" by
Diamanda Galás Diamanda Galás (born August 29, 1955) is a Greek American musician, singer-songwriter, and visual artist. She has campaigned for AIDS education and the rights of the infected. Galás's commitment to addressing social issues and her involvemen ...
(1994) * "Serenity in Murder" by Slayer (1994) * " Wiser Time" by
The Black Crowes The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes ten studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Geo ...
(1994) * "Archive de la Morte" by Danzig (2003) * "Suburban Life" by
Kottonmouth Kings The Kottonmouth Kings is an American hip hop group formed in Placentia, California in 1996 by D-Loc and Saint Dog. The group advocates for legalizing cannabis, and their lyrics contain frequent references to marijuana consumption. The grou ...
(2008)


Awards and recognition

*1998: '' Cleopatra's Second Husband'' was nominated at the
Hamptons International Film Festival The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) is an international film festival founded in 1992, by Joyce Robinson. The festival has since taken place every year in East Hampton, New York. It is usually an annual five-day event in mid-October ...
for Best American Independent Film. *1998: ''Cleopatra's Second Husband'' was nominated at the
Cinequest Film Festival The Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival is an annual independent film festival held each March in San Jose, California and Redwood City, California. The international festival combines the cinematic arts with Silicon Valley’s innovation. It ...
for Best Feature and won the award at the same festival for Best First Feature. *1999: ''Cleopatra's Second Husband'' won the Silver Award at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival for Theatrical Feature Films – 006. *1999: ''
Better Living Through Circuitry ''Better Living Through Circuitry'' is a 1999 documentary directed by Jon Reiss about the electronic dance music cultural scene of the 1990s. This is considered to be the first full-length documentary film that goes behind the electronic dance ...
'' won the Silver Jury Award at the Chicago Underground Film Festival for Best Documentary. *2000: Named one of "10 Digital Directors to Watch" by ''
Daily Variety ''Variety'' is an American trade magazine owned by Penske Media Corporation. It was founded by Sime Silverman in New York City in 1905 as a weekly newspaper reporting on theater and vaudeville. In 1933, ''Daily Variety'' was launched, based in ...
'' *2007: ''
Bomb It ''Bomb It'' is an international graffiti and street art documentary directed by Jon Reiss that premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. Filmed on five continents, featuring cities such as New York, Cape Town, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Tokyo ...
'' was chosen as the Official Selection at the
Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...


References


External links

* *
Jon Reiss's 8 Above website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reiss, Jon Living people Film directors from California American male screenwriters Film producers from California Year of birth missing (living people) UCLA Film School alumni University of California, Berkeley alumni California Institute of the Arts faculty