Biographie
Over the past 15 years, Jon Walz has been involved in the creation, development, financing and production of over 100 hours of prime time broadcast television and commercials including projects for NBC, CBS, ABC, UPN, History Channel, TLC, Fine Living Network, and the Discovery Channels -- plus films and commercials for our U.S. Marines with JWT Advertising.
Jon's most recent large-scale project is as Executive Producer of "Lee & Grant" for History Channel and Motion Picture Production, Inc., a major Civil War special written by Winston Groom ("Forrest Gump"). Also, he is executive producer of History's "Megaquake 10.0." In development are various specials and series for 2015-16.
As owner and EP at Motion Picture Production, Inc., Jon's projects as Executive Producer include History Channel's three-year hit series, "UFO Hunters" (39 episodes), "That's Impossible!" for History Channel (6 episodes) and "Gadget's Electric Garage" for Discovery. He also created these series.
With JWT Advertising Jon produced a series of recruiting films and commercials for our U.S. Marines, which filmed all over the USA for 3 months - setting a new standard and look for the Marines' commercial work.
In the years prior to his work at MPPI, Jon was Executive in Charge of Development & Production for UPN, where he was responsible for the development and completion of over 30 two-hour scripted films for television and over $95 million in production financing for partners including Paramount Television and Viacom Productions. His productions were based all over the world, including Australia, Canada, Luxembourg, Mexico, and various locations within the US, helping to set the network TV standard for efficient production management and wise use of modest resources.
Prior to the United Paramount Network, Jon worked three years at Spelling Television in a similar capacity as a development executive for renowned producer Aaron Spelling. Jon helped develop two major mini-series: Dominick Dunne's "A Season in Purgatory" and "The Invaders," as well as several movies and pilots, including "Malibu Shores," an NBC drama pilot and series that introduced Katie Wright, Keri Russell, and Charisma Carpenter.
Prior to Spelling, Jon worked on over a dozen scripted films for NBC, ABC and CBS with producers Michael O'Hara and Larry Horowitz, including "The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics," starring Jack Palance and James Earl Jones.
Jon studied Film at New York University and Finance at Arizona State University (BS 1992). He is a voting member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He lives in Manhattan and Manhattan Beach, CA.
