Biography
Julian started in Cincinnati, Ohio, in a dance troupe called 'FLEX'. His group won numerous dance contests locally, which got them recognized nationally. That brought him to New York City, where he spent nine years as an established working actor in theater, independent films, commercials and soaps. His education came from acting teacher legends, Sanford Meisner and Bobby Lewis, as well as Martin Barter at the famous Neighborhood Playhouse Theater.
Starks spent six of those years in New York City as a mobile disc jockey to supplement his acting career. He also started his career in the filmmaking side of the business by attending The School of Visual Arts where he studied screenwriting and directing.
Moving to Los Angeles in 1996 to further his acting career in film and television, he studied with Larry Moss, Ivana Chubbuck and Aaron Speiser. He also continued his filmmaking education at UCLA Extension's course for filmmaking where he studied screenwriting, directing and editing.
In 2002 he invested his creative life full-time to filmmaking by enrolling in The Los Angeles Film School. His concentrations were directing, screenwriting, producing and editing. After directing three short films that did the film festival circuit, he also completed his first full-length feature screenplay in that intensive film program. He recently finished his second feature script.
In 2004 he formed Hollywood Filmmakers, a film production company. He is in post-production on his first feature documentary film, "Journey to Sundance" a film about the Sundance Film Festival and independent filmmaking." He executive produced, produced, directed, composed and co-edited this film.
Filming "Journey to Sundance" for the past five years, with crews of up to 13 people, as well as finishing and shopping his two scripts around town, has given Starks a great perspective on the world of filmmaking and an excellent grasp of story concept, production and post.
He directed Tim Coyne's one-man stage show, "American Puberty" and is in pre-production on "Moment of Silence" a 35mm short film that he co-wrote and is directing. This film short was awarded the Panavision 35mm Camera Package.
He later graduated from The Brooks Institute of Photography in the Ventura, CA and continued his passion for storytelling in a new medium... It is this medium that best offers us the pleasure of sharing Julian's love of animals as he presents, Life Behind Bars Vol. I, his first Fine Art Photography Book.
Julian has spent much of the last several years following his passion for wild animals by traveling the world to photograph them in both natural and confined settings. He began to appreciate that without sanctuaries and sometimes, unfortunately, confinement, many species would soon perish or become dangerously close to extinction. To that end, Julian created Visions of the World Inc.. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit company devoted to raising public awareness and to assisting the entities that try to make life for the endangered as comfortable as possible. He tries to make a difference for these animals by announcing their plight, educating the public to it and by donating a portion of proceeds to their struggle. Julian invites you to become more aware and to join in the worthy fight to save a place on this earth for these noble creatures to survive!
See photos at www.julianstarksphotography.com
Julian feels his experience in all facets of the business gives him a great vantage point and aspect of film. He is a creative and daring producer/director/writer/photographer/actor and host who looks to give and elicit all talent and creative input from all performers and crew involved.
