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Joe Alves

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Joe Alves

Born May 21, 1936 in San Leandro, California, USA21 films

Joe Alves (born 21 May 1936, San Leandro, California) is an American film production designer, perhaps best known for his work on three of the Jaws films. He directed Jaws 3-D.

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Alves has designed three features for Steven Spielberg, firstly for The Sugarland Express. He designed the three mechanical sharks for the movie Jaws (1975) with mechanical effects man Bob Mattey supervising their physical construction in Sun Valley CA. After the sharks were completed, they were trucked to the shooting location, but unfortunately they had not been tested in water causing a series of delays that have become quite legendary over time.

He was nominated for the Academy Award and won the BAFTA for Best Art Direction for his work on Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Alves worked on Jaws 2 (1978) in the capacity of both production designer and as second unit director. After John D. Hancock, the initial director of Jaws 2, was sacked, it was suggested that Alves co-direct it with Verna Fields (who edited the original Jaws). Jeannot Szwarc was hired, however, to complete the film.

The model of New York he created for John Carpenter's Escape from New York (1981) has been described as "memorably derelict", and he was visual consultant on Carpenter's Starman (1984).

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The best way into Joe Alves's work
Jaws posterFirst watchJaws19757.7When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town's chief of police, a young marine biologist, and a grizzled shark hunter embark on…View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
Close Encounters of the Third Kind poster7.4Close Encounters of the Third Kind1977Escape from New York poster7.0Escape from New York1981Jaws 2 poster6.0Jaws 21978The Sugarland Express poster6.6The Sugarland Express1974Geronimo: An American Legend poster6.3Geronimo: An American Legend1993Drop Zone poster5.8Drop Zone1994Fire Down Below poster5.7Fire Down Below1997Winning poster6.0Winning1969

Filmography

21 films
  1. 2000Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of MistsProduction Design
  2. 1997Fire Down BelowProduction Design
  3. 1997Shadow ConspiracyProduction Design
  4. 1994Drop ZoneProduction Design
  5. 1993Geronimo: An American LegendProduction Design
  6. 1988Everybody's All-AmericanProduction Design
  7. 1981Escape from New YorkProduction Design
  8. 1978Jaws 2Production Design
  9. 1977Close Encounters of the Third KindProduction Design
  10. 1976EmbryoProduction Design
  11. 1975JawsProduction Design
  12. 1974The Sugarland ExpressArt Direction
  13. 1973Scream, Pretty PeggyArt Direction
  14. 1973Double IndemnityArt Direction
  15. 1973Isn't It Shocking?Art Direction
  16. 1973See the Man RunArt Direction
  17. 1971Sarge: The Badge or the CrossArt Direction
  18. 1970PufnstufArt Direction
  19. 1970The Young CountryArt Direction
  20. 1969Change of HabitAssistant Art Director
  21. 1969WinningArt Direction