Feature Doc on Production Designer Joe Alves Launches Vital Crowdfunding Drive for Los Angeles Shoot
London, UK – 14 January 2026 - Independent feature documentary Not Your Average Joe has launched a vital crowdfunding campaign to finance a production trip to Los Angeles, ahead of moving towards final post-production.
The project profiles veteran production designer Joe Alves, whose creative contributions helped define films including Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Escape from New York. Now 89, Alves remains actively involved in the documentary.
Production began in 2022 and has expanded across multiple shoots in the US and UK. A previous crowdfunding campaign enabled travel to Martha’s Vineyard to shoot interviews and key locations tied to Jaws. That trip significantly broadened the scope of the project and contributed a large portion of the film’s narrative alongside already shot material.
The new campaign is intended to fund a vital round of interviews in Los Angeles. Intended subjects include key collaborators and industry advocates of Alves’ work, with hoped-for participation from director Steven Spielberg, cinematographer Dean Cundey, actor Lea Thompson, among others. These voices are not about celebrity name checking, they will help contextualise Joe’s contribution, influence and working relationships from the inside.
Additional location photography is planned at historically relevant sites including the Sepulveda Dam and Willow Springs Racetrack.
Not Your Average Joe recently added an editor to the production, and the filmmakers report that the narrative structure is coming into focus. The Los Angeles segment is expected to be the final principal photography before the project transitions into full finishing.
The documentary is independently produced and self-funded. The current GoFundMe seeks to cover travel, equipment and crew expenses.
Watch the 2022 trailer below.
ABOUT THE FILM
Not Your Average Joe examines the career of production designer Joe Alves. Alves’ work beyond Jaws includes key contributions to Forbidden Planet, Sugarland Express, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Escape from New York and Starman. The film blends contemporary interviews, archival sources, on-location cinematography and Alves’ extensive personal archive to explore how his solutions-oriented design practice contributed to several landmark films in American cinema.
The project’s completed interviews span a wide spectrum of collaborators and commentators, including: Carl Gottlieb (screenwriter, Jaws), Richard Dreyfuss (actor, Jaws, Close Encounters), Taylor Hackford (director), Greg Nicotero (FX artist/filmmaker), Roy Arbogast (special effects), Kevin Pike (special effects), Dick Smothers (comedian and racing partner), Jeffrey Kramer (actor, Jaws, Jaws 2), Marty Milner (construction, Jaws), Jerri Lauridsen (Wife and former production coordinator), Charles de Lauzirika (film historian), Dennis Prince (biographer), and Carla Hogendyk (the girls that shouted “Shark!”, and Joe’s ex) alongside Alves at the Jaws 50th anniversary on Martha’s Vineyard. Alves himself was filmed extensively in his workshop, at home, on-location in Martha’s Vineyard, and at the Academy Museum.
FILMMAKERS
Jamie Benning — Director & Producer
Jamie Benning is a filmmaker, author and podcaster whose work focuses on film history and behind-the-scenes crafts. Benning is the creator and host of The Filmumentaries Podcast and previously produced a series of long-form “Filmumentary” projects on Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jaws. He has also worked for more than two decades as a live broadcast editor in Formula 1. Not Your Average Joe is his feature directorial debut.
Patrick Tyndall — Director & Cinematographer
Patrick Tyndall is a camera operator and cinematographer with a background in international sports broadcasting, including ATP and Formula 1. He has worked alongside Benning on those productions and on several short documentary projects focused on behind-the-scenes film artists.
CONTACT & INFORMATION
Press and media enquiries: joealvesdoc@gmail.com