Person

Joe Alves

Art · Born 1936-05-21 · 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. 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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  Jaws

  Production Design

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  Close Encounters of the Third Kind

  Production Design

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  Jaws 2

  Production Design

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  Escape from New York

  Production Design

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  Jaws 3-D

  Director

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  Fire Down Below

  Production Design

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  Starman

  Second Unit Director

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  The Sugarland Express

  Art Direction

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  Geronimo: An American Legend

  Production Design

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  Drop Zone

  Production Design

• 2025The Farmer and the SharkSelf
• 2025Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside StorySelf
• 2024Jaws, a Monstrous SuccessSelf - set designer
• 2024SharksploitationSelf
• 2018Purgatory: Entering John Carpenter's 'Escape From New York'Self
• 2016Viaggio nel cinema in 3D: Una storia vintage
• 2009The Shark Is Still WorkingSelf
• 20043D: A Brief History
• 2003Return to 'Escape from New York'Himself
• 2001The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'Self
• 2000Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of MistsProduction Design
• 1997Fire Down BelowProduction Design
• 1997Shadow ConspiracyProduction Design
• 1995The Making of 'Jaws'Self
• 1994Drop ZoneProduction Design
• 1993Geronimo: An American LegendProduction Design
• 1988Everybody's All-AmericanProduction Design
• 1984StarmanSecond Unit Director
• 1983Jaws 3-DDirector
• 1981Escape from New YorkProduction Design
• 1978Jaws 2Production Design
• 1977Close Encounters of the Third KindProduction Design
• 1976EmbryoProduction Design
• 1975JawsProduction Design
• 1974The Sugarland ExpressArt Direction
• 1973Scream, Pretty PeggyArt Direction
• 1973Double IndemnityArt Direction
• 1973Isn't It Shocking?Art Direction
• 1973See the Man RunArt Direction
• 1971Sarge: The Badge or the CrossArt Direction
• 1970PufnstufArt Direction
• 1970The Young CountryArt Direction
• 1969Change of HabitAssistant Art Director
• 1969WinningArt Direction
• —Not Your Average JoeSelf