Jimmy Jack
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Jack, also credited as Jimmy the Exploder, is an Australia
n screenwriter
, film director
, actor
and producer
best known for his work on the 2008 film
The Black Balloon
.
, Western Australia
. His work as an actor instilled in him a love of the film-making process.
In 2001, he began working on The Black Balloon
with Elissa Down
, in her hometown of Sydney, New South Wales
, and the film was under production for six years until its completion in 2007. The narrative is semi-autobiographical, mostly drawn from Down's childhood experiences, but she asked Jack to join her in writing the screenplay
. He claims the pair argued often during the writing process and "at one point Elissa threw her laptop at me and I walked out and went back to Perth," later returning upon realising that "the arguments meant richer story material. Neither of us would let the other person get away with bullshit."
In 2007 Jack wrote, produced, directed and acted in the experimental feature Five Guys Named Moe which was produced before The Black Balloon but has yet to be taken to market.
Jack won the Best Original Screenplay at the 2008 Australian Film Institute Awards for The Black Balloon. He caused a minor sensation with his acceptance speech after reading an extract of an article from The Age written by film critic Jim Schembri. After pocketing the article Jack declared "F**k you Jim Schembri" an outburst which received a star-studded ovation, but was later censored from the Channel 9 broadcast.
In 2008 Jack was poached by Mark Naglazas film editor of The West Australian as a film reviewer, which he did into 2009. He currently contributes to PerthNow with his weekly column 'Manscape'.
and former child star Macaulay Culkin
of Home Alone
fame will play the lead role. Jack is looking for a real rock band to play The Zombies, stating "I don't think actors could convincingly play a band".
Another project currently in development is Archimedes Screw, a biographical film
about his own father: "My dad grew up on a dairy farm in Victoria, he was one of four sons and there was a fatality, one of the sons was killed and he was meant to be taking over the farm." Jack has been interviewing his family members for several years, creating a more complete picture of events.
In 2010 Jack launched the YouTube channel 'EXPLODERVISION' which he describes as his 'side project'. The channel consists of skits of his own and other media oddities.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
best known for his work on the 2008 film
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
The Black Balloon
The Black Balloon (film)
The Black Balloon is a 2008 Australian|British AFI award-winning dramedy feature film which stars Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson, Gemma Ward as well as a cast of newcomers. It is directed by first time feature film director, Elissa Down.The film was released in Australian...
.
Biography
Jimmy Jack was born in Melbourne but raised in PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. His work as an actor instilled in him a love of the film-making process.
In 2001, he began working on The Black Balloon
The Black Balloon (film)
The Black Balloon is a 2008 Australian|British AFI award-winning dramedy feature film which stars Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson, Gemma Ward as well as a cast of newcomers. It is directed by first time feature film director, Elissa Down.The film was released in Australian...
with Elissa Down
Elissa Down
Elissa Down is an Australian filmmaker. In 1999 and 2000 Elissa was nominated for Young Film-maker of the year at the WA Screen Awards.Her major works comprise of a number of award winning short films, Summer Angst, The Cherry Orchard, Her Outback, The Bathers, Pink Pyjamas, HMAS Unicorn and...
, in her hometown of Sydney, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, and the film was under production for six years until its completion in 2007. The narrative is semi-autobiographical, mostly drawn from Down's childhood experiences, but she asked Jack to join her in writing the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
. He claims the pair argued often during the writing process and "at one point Elissa threw her laptop at me and I walked out and went back to Perth," later returning upon realising that "the arguments meant richer story material. Neither of us would let the other person get away with bullshit."
In 2007 Jack wrote, produced, directed and acted in the experimental feature Five Guys Named Moe which was produced before The Black Balloon but has yet to be taken to market.
Jack won the Best Original Screenplay at the 2008 Australian Film Institute Awards for The Black Balloon. He caused a minor sensation with his acceptance speech after reading an extract of an article from The Age written by film critic Jim Schembri. After pocketing the article Jack declared "F**k you Jim Schembri" an outburst which received a star-studded ovation, but was later censored from the Channel 9 broadcast.
In 2008 Jack was poached by Mark Naglazas film editor of The West Australian as a film reviewer, which he did into 2009. He currently contributes to PerthNow with his weekly column 'Manscape'.
Upcoming Projects
Jack is currently working on Sex, Brains and Rock n' Roll with producer James Grandison, due for release in December 2011. The film tells the story of a dissatisfied zombie who decides to pursue a career in music. He has suggested that he would like Black Balloon star Gemma WardGemma Ward
Gemma Louise Ward is an Australian fashion model turned actress.-Early life:Gemma Ward was born on 3 November 1987 in Perth, Western Australia, the second of four children of Gary Ward, a doctor, and Claire, a nurse. She has an older sister, Sophie , and younger twin brothers, Oscar and Henry...
and former child star Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Carson Culkin is an American actor. He became widely known for his portrayal of Kevin McCallister in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. He is also known for his roles in Richie Rich, Uncle Buck, My Girl, The Pagemaster, and Party Monster...
of Home Alone
Home Alone
Home Alone is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. The film stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy, who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation...
fame will play the lead role. Jack is looking for a real rock band to play The Zombies, stating "I don't think actors could convincingly play a band".
Another project currently in development is Archimedes Screw, a biographical film
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...
about his own father: "My dad grew up on a dairy farm in Victoria, he was one of four sons and there was a fatality, one of the sons was killed and he was meant to be taking over the farm." Jack has been interviewing his family members for several years, creating a more complete picture of events.
In 2010 Jack launched the YouTube channel 'EXPLODERVISION' which he describes as his 'side project'. The channel consists of skits of his own and other media oddities.