Biography
Writer, producer, director Jeff London grew up in a small town outside Bakersfield, California, called Shafter. Later his family moved to Covina, California, where he attended school. The son of a Pentecostal preacher, Jeff moved a lot as a boy, never having the same friends to grow up with. He can recall at least 35 different moves in his life. Other than location work, he prefers to stay home these days.
In 2001 Jeff formed Guardian Pictures Entertainment, a truly independent production company, creating movies with feel-good themes that make a difference in lives. He's done all types of movies, from drama to romance-even a chiller.
Jeff's interest in filmmaking started at the age of twelve. Each chance he could, he would go into the mall bookstore and read through one certain book about filmmaking. Jeff was raised in a low-medium income family and his weekly allowance of $1 would not allow him to buy the $30 hardback book he so desired. After six months of saving, working for extra money, and holding yard sales, he finally got the cash. He was hooked on making movies.
Keeping his desire, he continued on through school, helping in theater and the video department in high school. The family did not have the money to send him to film school, so once again life took a different road. Jeff found he also had an interest in motion picture special effects makeup and jumped at the chance to go to makeup school. But guess what, the $5000 price tag was not in the cards.
Years passed and Jeff finally made it to the Joe Blasco Makeup Center in Hollywood, garnering high praise only after three weeks by being offered a key makeup artist position on a short film for 20th Century Fox. In just three days he learned two things. Check your attitude at the door, and work as a team player. Jeff did freelance makeup for eight years on various features and commercials, finally deciding he wanted to make the movies.
After having read a lot of scripts, none that he liked, he finally sat down and wrote his first short film about a family's teen son who is dealing with hidden issues and the older bigoted brother. The older brother sees a glimpse into the future of how his own words caused his younger brother to take his life.
Shooting the three day production on a mere $1500, he did his best and hoped to make a feature later on. His local community college teacher mentioned to him one day that he should consider submitting the film to the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Student short film awards. The teacher said, "You're going to win us our second award for the college," but Jeff just passed it off as a nice thing to say.
About a month later, the phone rang. Jeff had won the only Best Drama award for producing/directing in his region, included all competing colleges and film schools from the entire Northwest region, including San Francisco, Washington, Oregon, and all the way to South Dakota. What an amazing change in Jeff's life.
Jeff continues to write and develop new ideas. He also has plans to write a series of family-holiday books. In his free time he enjoys his desert life in Northwest Arizona.
