JA
Joe Alves
Producer, Director, Actor, Additional CreditsBorn May 21, 1936 (89 years)
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).
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).
Joe Alves Filmography
| 1983 |
| 2025 | Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story · as Self |
| 2025 | Les dents de la mer - Un succès monstre · as Self - Set Designer |
| 2024 | Unmasking Monsters Below · as Self |
| 2023 | Sharksploitation · as Self |
| 2018 | |
| 2010 | Jaws: The Inside Story · as Self |
| 2007 | The Shark Is Still Working · as Self |
| 2003 | Return to 'Escape from New York' · as Himself |
| 2002 | The Real Story (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2001 | The Making of 'Jaws 2' · as Self |
| 2001 | |
| 1996 | E! True Hollywood Story (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1995 | The Making of Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws' · as Self |
| 1994 | Movie Magic (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1991 | Sightings (TV Series) · as Self - Production Designer |
| 2000 | Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists · as Production Design |
| 1997 | Fire Down Below · as Production Design |
| 1997 | Shadow Conspiracy · as Production Design |
| 1994 | Drop Zone · as Production Design |
| 1993 | Geronimo: An American Legend · as Production Design |
| 1992 | Freejack · as Production Designer |
| 1988 | Everybody's All-American · as Production Design |
| 1984 | Starman · as Second Unit Director |
| 1981 | Escape from New York · as Production Design |
| 1978 | Jaws 2 · as Production Design |
| 1978 | Jaws 2 · as Second Unit Director |
| 1977 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind · as Production Design |
| 1976 | |
| 1975 | Jaws · as Production Design |
| 1975 | Jaws · as Second Unit Director |
| 1974 | The Sugarland Express · as Art Direction |
| 1973 | Scream, Pretty Peggy · as Art Direction |
| 1973 | Double Indemnity · as Art Direction |
| 1973 | Isn't It Shocking? · as Art Direction |
| 1972 | Hec Ramsey (TV Series) · as Art Director |
| 1971 | See the Man Run · as Art Direction |
| 1971 | The Impatient Heart · as Art Director |
| 1971 | Sarge (TV Series) · as Art Director |
| 1970 | The Psychiatrist (TV Series) · as Art Director |
| 1970 | Company of Killers · as Art Director |
| 1970 | Pufnstuf · as Art Direction |
| 1970 | The Young Country · as Art Direction |
| 1969 | Night Gallery (TV Series) · as Art Director |
| 1969 | Winning · as Art Direction |
| 1969 | Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series) · as Art Director |
| 1969 | The Bold Ones: The Protectors (TV Series) · as Art Director |
| 1968 | The Name of the Game (TV Series) · as Art Director |
| 1967 | Ironside (TV Series) · as Art Director |