UK filmmaker launches GoFundMe to capture final chapter of Joe Alves documentary at Jaws 50th anniversary

Filmmaker Jamie Benning has today launched a GoFundMe campaign to support a unique filming opportunity for Not Your Average Joe — a feature-length documentary about legendary production designer Joe Alves, whose visionary work helped define Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Escape from New York.

Co-directed by Benning and Paddy Tyndall, the film explores Alves’ extraordinary career through in-depth interviews with the man himself and many of his closest collaborators. Much of the documentary has already been shot in the U.S, featuring Carl Gottlieb, Greg Nicotero, Kevin Pike, Jeffrey Kramer, Taylor Hackford, and others.

Now, as the 50th anniversary of Jaws approaches, the filmmakers are seeking funds for a final, vital chapter: a return to Martha’s Vineyard — the original filming location of Jaws — to capture exclusive interviews, commemorative events, and location footage. The trip will include new conversations with key figures including Alves himself, Carl Gottlieb, Marty Milner, and Jeffrey Voorhees, all of whom are attending the anniversary celebrations this summer.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to film Joe returning to the place where Jaws was born,” says Benning. “It’s not just a location shoot — it’s the emotional conclusion to Joe’s story, and an opportunity to connect his legacy with the ongoing cultural impact of the film.”

Funds raised will go toward travel, accommodation, local transport, and equipment rental for the Martha’s Vineyard trip — a focused, lean operation run by just two filmmakers. To support the campaign, visit: https://gofund.me/13795716

About the Filmmakers

Jamie Benning is a live television editor, coordinator, and director on major international sporting events such as Formula 1. He is also the creator of the acclaimed fan documentaries Star Wars Begins (2011), Raiding the Lost Ark (2012), and Inside Jaws (2013), and host of The Filmumentaries Podcast, a twice-monthly show featuring behind-the-scenes film professionals including Oscar-winning sound designer Walter Murch, Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown, and ILM model maker Lorne Peterson. Jamie also writes for ILM and Skywalker Sound. filmumentaries.com

Paddy Tyndall is a former news editor and producer, now working as a camera operator and director of photography on global sporting events including ATP Tennis and Formula 1.