Over the past few years, this documentary has grown into something far bigger than we first imagined.

Not Your Average Joe is a feature-length film celebrating the career and legacy of production designer Joe Alves, a man whose work helped define films like Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Escape from New York, yet whose name is often missing from the spotlight.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of supporters, we were able to travel to Martha's Vineyard to capture essential material connected to Jaws. That trip was a turning point for the film, and we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who backed that campaign. Your support genuinely moved this project forward.

Now, we’re hoping to make one final, crucial trip to Los Angeles.

This trip would allow us to complete a last round of US interviews with some of Joe’s closest collaborators and champions, including hoped-for conversations with Dean Cundey, Steven Spielberg and Lea Thompson, among others. These voices are not about celebrity name checking, they help contextualise Joe’s contribution, influence and working relationships from the inside.

We also plan to shoot key Los Angeles locations tied to Joe’s career, including the Sepulveda Dam (Escape from New York), and Willow Springs Racetrack, adding visual texture and historical grounding to the story.

Joe turns 90 this year. Capturing his story fully, while he is still able to see the film take shape, matters deeply to all of us involved.

We’re also happy to share that we now have an editor officially on board. The film is well into post-production, the structure is taking shape, and this LA trip represents some of the final missing pieces before we can properly move toward completion.

As with everything so far, this is a self-funded, passion-driven project. Travel, accommodation, equipment and crew costs add up quickly, and this campaign is about getting us over the next hurdle.

If you’ve supported us before – thank you. If you’re joining us now, welcome. Every contribution, share, and message of support helps bring this film closer to the finish line.

Joe’s work helped shape cinema history. We’re doing everything we can to make sure his story is preserved with the care it deserves.

Thank you for being part of that journey.

We look forward to sharing more with you as the project continues to grow.

------------------

There will be no sweepstakes, giveaways. No returns on investment are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe.

I, Jamie Benning, am the beneficiary of any funds raised in this campaign. The donations will be spent on travel, accomodation and kit hire for our next shoot. Funds raised will be directly transferred to me, Jamie Benning and spent solely on this project.