About Me

Filmmaker | Photographer | Venturer

Producer Joel Hartz headshot

I am a huge fan of cinema… seriously, huge fan. I began to write, direct, act in, shoot and edit my own short films at the age of 12 years old. Although I mostly stay behind the cameras these days, those films were the just the beginning of my journey learning the skills I use today in all of my creative endeavors.

As a  Travel Producer/Line Producer….

Building on those experiences from my childhood and having an insatiable thirst for knowledge, I have expanded and honed my skills set on as many different types of projects as I could, like T.V., Film, Commercials, Music Videos, and Branded content. I have made a point to learn as many different positions as possible; Grip, Electric, Location Sound, Camera, Production Management to name a few.  The skills I’ve developed and knowledge I have learned working in multiple positions coupled with my love for travel, has helped me specialize in projects that have travel components like a music video shoot in the mountains of California or the rugged and out of the way Big Bend area of Texas .

I am an avid researcher which helps me to get a firm understanding of new film making tools and how best to implement them in projects I produce. My diligence and experience have made it possible to pull off a number of seemingly impossible projects on scrappy budgets.  It is these experiences, the successes and the failures, over the last 20 plus years that makes me the resourceful, knowledgeable and balanced Travel Producer I am today.

As a Photographer…

Well that started a bit later for me, 20 years ago actually. It blossomed out of that thirst for knowledge I mentioned already. I was a Cinematography/Producing major and fell in love with photography (which was captured on actual film back then). While taking my first Black and White Photography class I immediately fell in love with the process. I began a quest to lean everything I could relating to light and its interaction with film emulsion. I wanted to understand it all! So I began spending hours developing the film I shot and printing the photos in my homemade darkroom.

I continued the photography classes, earned an Associates degree in Photography and went Pro. Eventually I switched over to digital photography out of the economics of it and advantages it offered. I started a photography business with commercial, wedding, event, and portrait clients. In fact I shot over 100 weddings and events before closing the business to focus more on my first love, Film production. I still shoot today, mostly of my travels, behind the scenes from my sets and even some stock photography.

Hi, Impact

Average Daily Caffeine consumption
0 mg
U.S. States & Territories Visited
0
Countries Visited
0
Star Trek Watched
0 Hours

Veteran U.S. Air Force

Honorably Discharged

Awards & Nominations