Person
Joe Alves
San Leandro, California, USA
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. A…
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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. 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).
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
-
2025
The Farmer and the Shark
Movie Self
-
2025
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story
Movie Self
-
2024
Jaws, a Monstrous Success
Movie Self - set designer
-
2024
Sharksploitation
Movie Self
- 2018
- 2016
-
2009
The Shark Is Still Working
Movie Self
-
2004
3D: A Brief History
Movie
-
2003
Return to 'Escape from New York'
Movie Himself
- 2001
-
2000
Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists
Movie Production Design
-
1997
Fire Down Below
Movie Production Design
-
1997
Shadow Conspiracy
Movie Production Design
-
1996
E! True Hollywood Story
TV show Self
-
1995
The Making of 'Jaws'
Movie Self
-
1994
Drop Zone
Movie Production Design
More credits
-
1993
Geronimo: An American Legend
Movie Production Design
-
1988
Everybody's All-American
Movie Production Design
-
1984
Starman
Movie Second Unit Director
-
1983
Jaws 3-D
Movie Director
-
1981
Escape from New York
Movie Production Design
-
1978
Jaws 2
Movie Production Design
-
1977
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Movie Production Design
-
1976
Embryo
Movie Production Design
-
1975
Jaws
Movie Production Design
-
1974
The Sugarland Express
Movie Art Direction
-
1973
Scream, Pretty Peggy
Movie Art Direction
-
1973
Double Indemnity
Movie Art Direction
-
1973
Isn't It Shocking?
Movie Art Direction
-
1973
See the Man Run
Movie Art Direction
-
1971
Sarge: The Badge or the Cross
Movie Art Direction
-
1970
Pufnstuf
Movie Art Direction
-
1970
The Young Country
Movie Art Direction
-
1969
Change of Habit
Movie Assistant Art Director
-
1969
Winning
Movie Art Direction
